Marketing is something that has existed alongside commerce since the very birth of human society. And it’s only natural to understand that as times and eras change, alongside societal shifts and advancements in technology, so too does commerce and with it, marketing itself.
The dawn of 2020 marked one of these shifts in paradigm and faced with the adversity presented with the changes in our way of living, marketing had to adapt to better serve us. This article will go over how Marketing was changed, perhaps permanently, by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What even is Marketing?
We must first begin by defining the base concept of marketing, which is often confused with the perception of publicity and advertising. I think the Russian University of Economics has a perfect definition:
Marketing is the process of developing, pricing, distributing, and promoting the goods or services that satisfy such needs. Marketing, therefore, combines market research, new product development, distribution, advertising, promotion, product improvement, and so on. According to this definition, marketing begins and ends with the customer.
Therefore, Marketing is something involved in the whole process of selling a product or service, from its very conception to the moment it reaches the hands of the customer, to even after, since the idea is to remain in the customer’s mind, forming a lasting relationship that will continue to prove symbiotic and positive for both parties.
Marketing in the Olden Times
Now that we have that pinned down, we have to talk about what marketing once was, so we can better see the contrasts between the past, and our living present.
I found an article by Melissa Tsang that covers a list of many interesting ways in which companies executed brilliant marketing tactics before the supernova of communications that was the birth of the internet.
My favorite examples include Gilette’s razor and blade model; literally giving away razors, so customers would come back and purchase the disposable blades.
Another interesting example is Camels Cigarettes, including doctor approvals and recommendations for use in their advertising (Something incredibly contrasting to our times, but that’s still in use; just think about your toothpaste and how 99% of dentists recommend it.)
Or even more striking, something as old as Wedgewood Pottery, in the 18th century UK, advertised the support the very Queen of the British Empire had for the brand, effectively using a celebrity to promote their sales.
Many of these tactics are still well in play today. But they’ve also changed or better yet, adapted to the improvements we’ve made to technology and the advancements our society has gone through in terms of culture.
Just as today Movies still use marquis and poster ads in the cinema, in physical form; nowadays they also employ influencer marketing, trailers on Youtube, and a form of word-of-mouth through celebrity interviews in late-night talk shows.
So how has the pandemic changed marketing? Marketers have had to double down on the digital stream of communications.
Practically becoming the main way in which the producing company can reach their customers.
Every tier of the marketing mix was affected (drastically or slightly) by the change of rules the pandemic imposed: Product Development had to be more focused on satisfying the customer’s needs, which might very well be a matter of life and death.
Distribution became a decisive factor, with most customers not stepping foot outside their homes, only those companies that could deliver their product in a safe way (for example, food deliveries, or Amazon parcels) continued to prosper.
Promotion had to migrate almost entirely to the digital field; with companies knowing fully that customers would now spend more time than ever in history on their phones and computers, and therefore would also spend more time on social media and entertainment platforms, the very trays in which their promotion would now need to be served in order to reach their target.
Even the design of packaging and presentation has been affected. More and more you’ll see a hand sanitizer or a cleaning product showcasing its ability to sanitize and effectively neutralize the virus.
Even the areas of commerce that suffered greatly due to the impossibility posed by the gathering or accumulation of people also had to change to adapt: Musicians and music producers began to offer online concerts, as a traditional concert would undoubtedly be a health hazard.
In a similar way, events and conventions that used to be highly popular, such as Comic-Con or E3 have shifted to be primarily consumed online instead of in person; when before anyone (in the reasonable locality) was able to assist and spend their money there, with only international audiences and those unable to travel consuming the content online, now the exposure the brands benefited from could only take place virtually.
Has Marketing really changed?
Yet, my personal take would not be to focus on the changes in marketing. No, marketing continues to be the same at its core, in essence. Marketing is about the relationship the company has with their customers, how to better serve their needs, and how to remain in their minds.
In this aspect, Marketing remains the same; only that it had to shift its methods to continue serving a purpose—it had to adapt to safe and sanitary ways of providing exposure, delivering a product or service, or even designing the very thing they (see, the company) intended to sell.
And just like in natural selection, those companies that did not make this shift, suffered their ultimate fate; closing down and becoming a learning experience for their entrepreneurs, and future generations.
If you wish to read more on the subject, I’d recommend Janet Balis’s article, written for Harvard Business Review, which carefully reflects how these changes in marketing are marginal in many cases, but powerful and impactful nonetheless.
