Back in the day, and by that, I mean the time before 2020; this was the time of year for making resolutions and setting intentions. As we begin a new year, and turn to 2021 with hopeful yet cautious eyes, the intention I want to set is one of clarity. As we have seen, people don’t do well with uncertainty. And neither do intentions. For a goal or stated intent to work, you have to be clear and then take deliberate and meaningful action.
As we focus on our business, the goal is clear; to continue to adapt our approach and service offerings to help our brand partners rethink business models, reach consumers in new ways, and help build lasting brand legacies. As I reflect on 2020, and how we began to put this intention into practice, I am filled with hope and excitement to continue the journey of adaptability and evolution.
As a full-funnel marketing and communications agency, we have front row seats to the remarkably quick change of consumer behaviors and the need to nimbly meet people where they are. Simply put, our industry has evolved and we have been proud to be involved in much of the shift in how agencies and brands operate together to meet these new (and ever-changing) demands. Below are just a few of the areas that we believe will continue to be indelible parts of a brand’s communications and business strategy:
- Digital, digital and more digital. It is no longer enough to have a website with a store locator, a presence on Amazon and a social account that gets updated occasionally. A brand’s digital footprint must be well planned out and strategically curated to give customers the least amount of friction to engaging with and purchasing your product. Brand discovery only begins with Google search results or landing on your Instagram page. The entire footprint of your brand online from availability via online retailers to your ability to handle your own fulfilment and shipping via your website, and the added value to the consumer in the form of blog posts, informational videos, recipes, etc. is all a crucial part of getting your customer to trial and then loyalty. Digital presence is no longer an afterthought or something you dabble in. It must be committed, consistent, persuasive and hassle free.
- Pivoting is the buzzword we all need to take to heart. Gone are the days of fixed long term plans when what we have learned this year is that we have to run businesses and lives that are utterly flexible, changeable and easy to adjust to – no matter what. The more flexible the planning – and the more options – the better. This past year, our Konnect team worked with many businesses as they adapted quickly from retail only to developing digital commerce presence. Companies who re-assessed what they needed to do in order to not just survive but thrive by investing in multi-channel marketing, diversifying product offering, and realizing that every plan A needs a plan B and maybe even a plan C. With flexibility and willingness to pivot, we saw many brands succeed beyond expectations and even find new avenues for growth.
- Lead with positive thinking. Sure, the world around us is making it tough and the current economic outlook is anything but sunny – but focusing on the negative isn’t going to serve us well. We all know that some of the most successful companies have come out of the most difficult and challenging times, and they did so by choosing to innovate, find new opportunities and embrace changes we may have once thought impossible. At the end of the day, it is the people who choose to think and act with positivity even when reality is quite harsh that end up finding a way forward and coming out ahead.
I hope that as you start this New Year of 2021, clear intentions made with positive thinking will guide your way, you’ll be prepared for whatever the world throws at you, and you’ll know that we are here as your partner in what’s ahead.
Happy New Year,
Sabina Gault
