Tools & Resources Every Marketer Needs To Navigate COVID-19 Crisis

Rohit Dadwal

It’s clear that COVID-19 has drastically altered the advertising and marketing landscape as more and more people around the world are> home-bound.

According to the International News Media Association (INMA), a survey of 62 brands indicated that> 62% of news media companies have reported a reduction in advertising due to the current situation. Advertisers have also curbed TV and doutdoor spending as sales dropped.

In light of the current global crisis, the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) has released the >MMA COVID-19 Marketer Support Hub, which provides a variety of resources, guidance and even some light-hearted content for brands.

Let’s take a look at three key ways the hub can help marketers and advertisers as they navigate these uncertain times.

1. Keep Track of COVID-19 : Stay informed about the global number of COVID-19 cases under the Tracking COVID-19 and its Impact Around the World section, which also includes resources and articles that analyse the impact of the pandemic around the world. Various other trackers, such as the> Adobe Digital Economy Index and> PlaceIQ Social Distance Tracker, provide the marketing and advertising community useful insights and trends related to COVID-19.

2. Remain relevant through uncertain periodsAnother section is Marketing and Advertising TODAY! & in the Future, which addresses the current and future states of the marketing and advertising industries. The resources here are meant to help answer one of the central questions on marketers’ minds during this period - “To advertise, or not to advertise?” Topics include things to consider when advertising in a downturn, brand building in times of crisis, and boosting marketing performance.

Marketers can remain relevant by moving away from traditional advertising and thinking creatively on how to appeal to consumers during these uncertain times. One example I thought was particularly effective was the >“T Series x Govt of Maharashtra” campaign, an >initiative released in March. In a video, Bollywood influencers addressed members of the public on behalf of the Maharashtra state government, to stay safe in light of the partial lockdown in Mumbai. The campaign leveraged Bollywood stars’ considerable influence on the audience to spread awareness of the dos and don’ts during the coronavirus pandemic.

As we all adapt to the evolving COVID-19 crisis and navigate new ways of teleworking, other helpful resources in this section include marketing and advertising insights contributed by MMA members. Gain insights from some of the leading experts in the mobile marketing field and apply them to your own business practices.

3. Know exactly what your consumer needs: We all know the key factor in advertising and marketing are the consumers. Gain further insight from the Consumer Trends and Market Research section, which as its name suggests, covers the key trends around customer attitudes and values, their media consumption, as well as shopping and spending trends. Advertisers and marketers should pay particular attention to such trends, especially as cost-cutting measures kick in and budgets reduced. By better understanding consumer behaviours during the global pandemic, advertisers and marketers can refine their strategy and fine-tune brand messaging to fit consumers’ needs.

I hope this support hub provides you and your colleagues with resources that will benefit your advertising or marketing efforts and that you’ll gain insights specific to these times. MMA members are also welcome to submit any useful resources that may help better guide fellow marketers here. This is certainly a challenging period for many of us, but we can all benefit by pooling our resources together and helping each other to innovate and adapt. #WeAreInItTogether

Rohit Dadwal

Managing Director, Mobile Marketing Association

Rohit Dadwal is the Managing Director of the Mobile Marketing Association (MMA) Asia Pacific Limited. Rohit oversees the MMA’s activities in Asia Pacific, managing the operations out of its regional headquarters in Singapore. Rohit has extensive expertise in the economics of mobile, direct and digital marketing, consumer privacy and the government regulation of markets. A highly visible industry advocate with over 17 years of experience in the internet, digital and mobile spheres, Rohit has been instrumental in the MMA’s growth in the region, forging relationships with industry leaders and key stakeholders, and positioning MMA as the authoritative global voice in the mobile marketing and advertising industry. Prior to taking charge of MMA’s APAC activities, Rohit spent 9 years working with Microsoft where he served as the Director of Platform and Mobile Services and contributed to the growth of MMA as a Global and APAC board member. In the past, Rohit has also worked with Bharti-British Telecom ISP services - India and with IPSII, an affiliate of VSNL, the largest internet service provider in India. An enthusiastic evangelist of mobile marketing, Rohit sits on the board of the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) and is an Advisor for the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) and IDBYTE. Rohit also sits on numerous corporate advisory boards of MMA’s member companies.