The case for marketing campaigns in times of uncertainty.

Four ways you can use marketing campaigns to help your business thrive in a challenging market.

From recessions and inflation to major shifts in cultural norms, economic and social uncertainty have a definite impact on customer behaviors—and can make for a challenging marketing landscape.

With uncertainty comes increased price sensitivity, greater risk aversion, and added research around purchasing decisions. Customers also tend to seek more reassurance and may stick to well-established brands they trust, rather than trying new ones.

In preparation for potential outcomes, like reduced spending, fewer new customers, and loss of revenue, the instinct is often to tighten—or cut—marketing budgets.

Cutting back is not the answer.

Research shows that even in lean times, keeping up with marketing efforts is the right move: 63% of brands that increased their investment in marketing during The Great Recession generated a positive ROI—and those that increased their media investments saw 17% growth in incremental sales.

By consistently showing up, you’re sending a message of stability and reliability—building credibility and trust at a time when your customers need it most.

So how do you stand out in a crowded (and confusing) market?

Marketing campaigns can be a smart, cost-effective middle ground for remaining agile, customer-centric, and competitive. Done correctly, campaigns allow you to:

• Quickly adapt messaging and tactics for changing market conditions and consumer needs.
• Reinforce existing brand equity, rather than risking the confusion that may come with rebranding.
  
• Leverage measurable results to more easily track ROI and adjust strategies.
• Maintain customer relationships and boost employee morale without the disruption of rebranding.
• Emphasize your core strengths and value propositions to convey the company’s stability and reliability.

With the right strategy, a campaign can help you stay relevant, build loyalty, and create a strong foundation for future growth.

Let’s look at four ways you can leverage marketing campaigns to effectively adapt your brand, so you can navigate uncertainties while setting the stage for future success.

1. Use empathy to understand customer needs.

Understanding ever-changing customer priorities and addressing them with empathy shows you’re focused on their needs—and allows your brand to quickly respond as those needs change.

Start by listening. Use brief digital surveys to get a sense of their challenges and concerns. Social listening tools can help track what customers are discussing online, revealing new pain points and emerging needs.

Then adapt your messaging—and offerings—accordingly. For example, Ford combined empathy and action with its Built to Lend a Hand campaign, which focused on their expanded relief offering for customers affected by the pandemic.

2. Test new concepts without the commitment.

Campaigns give brands the flexibility to test new ideas. With short, targeted campaigns you can experiment with fresh concepts, gauge audience reactions, and refine your ideas before making any permanent changes to your brand.

Take the opportunity to explore messaging or visual concepts that are relevant to your customers but perhaps not what your brand would normally tap into. Consider any demographics you’d like to break into—how could you reach untapped audiences?

For digital channels, A/B testing is an effective way to compare variations of copy, design, and/or offer types and gain actionable data that informs refinements as well as future campaigns. As you look to analyze results, focus on measurable outcomes such as engagement and click-through rates and conversions.

3. Prioritize value-driven messaging.

Customers always gravitate toward brands that offer clear, tangible value—but especially when budgets are tight. Highlight the most cost-effective, high-impact benefits of your offerings—such as affordability, practicality, efficiency, or ROI—to help customers justify their purchase and keep your brand top of mind.

During the 2020 pandemic, Airbnb launched Made Possible by Hosts, which shifted focus to promoting local travel and affordability. The campaign positioned the brand as a safe and budget-friendly option for customers adapting to the new realities of travel.

In the B2B world, Salesforce often pivots its messaging to emphasize the value of its customer relationship management (CRM) tools in driving sales and maintaining customer relationships. This approach has helped underscore the cost-effectiveness of its solutions in times when budget is scarce.

Salesforce also highlights customer stories to connect their real-world impact to their messaging. It’s a strategic way to illustrate measurable value, especially for the 79% of B2B buyers who consider case studies a critical factor in their decision-making.

4. Build an emotional connection through storytelling.

Effective emotional storytelling fosters connections that go deeper than price or utility to strengthen trust and increase retention. In fact, a Motista report revealed that people who feel emotionally connected to a brand have a 306% higher lifetime value—and stay with that brand for an average of 5.1 years.

Campaigns that tell stories of resilience, shared values, and positive impact help humanize your business, encouraging your audiences to see your brand as an ally, even in difficult times. 

Consider your company’s values, history, experiences, and outcomes. How might they resonate with your audience’s current needs and emotions?

As you develop your story, make sure your actions and business practices align with your messaging. Customers are quick to recognize inauthenticity—and quicker to take back their loyalty.

Low risk, high reward.

An uncertain landscape doesn’t have to derail your brand’s growth. By leveraging marketing campaigns to deliver empathetic, value-driven messaging, you can adapt to the moment, the market, and your customers’ needs. 

With the right execution, campaigns offer a low-risk opportunity to set your business up for sustained success, regardless of the challenges ahead.

 

We can help you set your business up for success—even in an uncertain market—with a campaign that connects with all the people you need to reach. Get in touch and let’s talk.