marketing during pandemic

3 proven marketing strategies for businesses to stay afloat during a bumpy economic recovery

I’m sure many of you are in a similar boat. We didn’t ask to be here, but here we are, homeschool teachers. I have four children: two school-age, one preschooler, and a fresh terrible two. So, we are not ok over here! Just kidding, we’re ok. We’re healthy, and Thrive is operating, so we’re doing well considering the circumstances.

marketing after a crisis

However, I do have a child with a learning disability and another one who is entirely new to using a computer. Online learning and homeschool life have been a rough transition for our family. When our Superintendent recently sent out a video about fall school, possibly not resuming, I felt an enormous weight of responsibility hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe you can relate to that? Why is this a relevant blog to my marketing business? Well, we are fortunate to have awesome clients. One of our great partners is Huntington Learning Center. They’ve made some significant business decisions during this crisis, and with their permission, I’d like to share some of those fantastic choices with other marketers and entrepreneurs. This case study is a great example of smart marketing after a crisis.

3 Proven Strategies for Staying Afloat in Business in 2020

Adapt Your Offering in the Face of a Pandemic

Huntington Learning Centers in the Greater Seattle Area have transitioned to online tutoring.  These local business owners knew they had to adapt during the crisis and they’ve successfully started offering online tutoring where they provide virtual one-on-one and small group tutoring and test prep sessions with certified teachers.

Don’t stop marketing – it’s more important than ever before!

Huntington Learning Center also kicked off a fantastic advertising campaign that speaks to the consumer directly about their immediate pain points, and they offer a solution that resonates with parents in Washington. We’ve discussed the value of marketing after a crisis, and during a crisis for that matter, in recent blog posts. I truly believe, based on my experience surviving the 2008 crisis, that the businesses that remain top of mind through advertising will be the ones who weather this storm best.

“Doing business without advertising is like winking at a girl in the dark. You know what you’re doing, but no one else does.”

Provide value in the face of an economic crisis

It’s heartbreaking to hear the job loss numbers tick up and up. We’re sensitive to the many families impacted by this pandemic. Businesses who are marketing in time of uncertainty and fear need to be sensitive to the tone of the market. In the Seattle area, we’re fortunate that many people have tech jobs that allow them to work from home. However, fear has even gripped those families, and in response to the anxiety, most are tightening their finances. Huntington Learning Center made an offer to help get families started with their program. They offered $100 off of an academic evaluation to incentivize parents to try their offering.

In marketing, there is always the need to give consumers a compelling reason to respond. I call this a “by when.” Give people motivation to call and a “by when.” The purpose here in this example is that for a limited time, Huntington Learning Center is offering a $100 off offer. The “by when” can be added for greater urgency. Some advertisers will say, “Call or book an appointment by May 31st to receive $100 off.” This sense of urgency gives viewers a reason to respond now rather than putting off the task to a later date. In advertising, we want prospective customers to know that they need to act soon and that there is a reason to do so.

Here is a link to the new Huntington Learning Center commercial. If you’re a parent in the Seattle market, you may have already seen this ad. It’s compelling, tone sensitive to the climate, and well-produced. It’s a fantastic example of how to successfully start marketing after a crisis.

If you’d like to discuss how to not only survive this pandemic but to thrive in the future market, you need to have people know who you are. Some of us are better at that than others, and that’s why Thrive exists. Our strength is helping business owners and marketers make better advertising investments to reach more of their demographic with their marketing budget. We’d love to talk with you about how we can free up your time to work on your business at no additional cost to you. Feel free to reach out to us! We’d love to connect and brainstorm how we can help you navigate the bumpy recovery ahead.