COMPLACENT MARKETING
Redefining Our Brands To Stay Afloat
By Diana Obath
The year 2021 presents a fresh start for many brands and marketing professionals to reconsider the way they will reach their customers and grow their businesses . The disruptions , innovations and digital adoption that took place across the world has changed the customer more than it has changed any of our organizations . The most effective way to getting ahead and staying on top of the game this year is being one step ahead of the customer .
Many things have also changed for our businesses and altered the way we should operate to achieve tangible results . Companies are currently faced with many challenges including declining market share , changing consumer behavior , closed stores in addition to the impact on their business operations owing to restrictions . Brands will need to be more agile to remain noticeable post-pandemic and stay afloat as the disruptions redefine what must be done to build our brands . Digital marketing was the talk of 2020 and most of our companies have now booked a slot on social media and digital marketing platforms . It is a good time for us to examine how well we have performed following the hype . The conversations have been had , we have grown our pages , probably also learnt a few tricks , but we are now back to business , or what we would call acquisition marketing .
Regaining market share and eventually bringing the business back to profitability is an important parameter for any business still in operation today . Many marketers have used likes , impressions , reach , clicks as a benchmark for the success of the online businesses but this can no longer be the parameters for business serious about growth . The focus has to shift to how these platforms can be used to generate revenue .
The first step is measuring the right thing . Deciding what the online platform should do for the business - awareness or sales . We need to move beyond the
Regaining market share and eventually bringing the business back to profitability is an important parameter for any business still in operation today . Many marketers have used likes , impressions , reach , clicks as a benchmark for the success of the online businesses but this can no longer be the parameters for business serious about growth . The focus has to shift to how these platforms can be used to generate revenue . yardstick when it comes to social media marketing and focus on how this can accelerate the business goals . Many of the platforms have made life easier for users by integrating shops and marketplaces that businesses can take advantage of in a structured format . Consider how your online presence helped you drive sales in the last year and if the strategy you have now is useful to carry into the new year .
While digital had become an important marketing platform for lead and sales generation , brick and motor stores still have a part to play in the omni-channel mix to drive sales . It is unlikely that this year will see a drop in e-commerce . If anything , the government of Kenya frequently issues warnings about increased online fraud urging Kenyans to be more cautious about their online and mobile money transactions .
The brick-and-motor stores are now presented with the challenge of offering a better experience to customers . Already many have started remodeling and reshaping their displays to attract in-store customers .
For example , I was recently pleasantly surprised to see changes in a supermarket I often avoided due to the way it was organized . I visited two of its branches and found spacious isles , well stocked shelves and a good flow of items in both stores . I take it that this was not only occasioned by the coronavirus measures requiring reduced crowding within the stores , but also reduced customer numbers , new entrants and the new exciting changes other local supermarkets have made with international retail designs and expanded
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