Corona Phase II – 10 recommendations for action for advertisers

The strict lockdown is over for the time being, but the Corona pandemic is still having a massive impact on our daily lives and will most likely continue to do so for the remainder of 2020. From an economic perspective, the effects will certainly be felt beyond the current year.
And it can be assumed that some changes in consumer behavior, in attitudes toward brands, or even in everyday working life (home office, for example) will persist in the long term.
Much Corona communication has already reached us in recent weeks. But the time for thank-yous and crisis messages is now over. In addition to content, the focus is now on optimizing budget efficiency. So if you’re currently wondering how you can use the new framework conditions for your own marketing efficiency in the very short term, we have ten clear recommendations for action ready for you:

Renegotiate media conditions
Marketing budgets are under scrutiny and are being cut to a not inconsiderable extent. In April, the advertising market lost a good 21 percent of its volume compared to the previous year. This naturally changes demand on the media side and currently offers good conditions for renegotiating existing terms. In some media categories, such as outdoor advertising, lower media performance is also to be expected at present.
You don’t have to take each other’s breath away, but an occupied advertising space is still better than an empty advertising space.

Exploit increased profitability on TV
Reach in TV is currently on the rise and the moderate price adjustments are currently leading to increased profitability. In April, advertising print was built up at an average of 20% less cost than in the same month last year. At the same time, the advertising buzz on TV currently seems to be lower than in “normal” months. So anyone toying with getting into TV communications: now would be a favorable time in the truest sense of the word.

Boost auction-based digital marketing and reap cost benefits
Increased digital usage has a very direct impact on the pricing of auction-based digital advertising. Therefore, increase their budget share in programmatic advertising. Due to an inventory overhang, our calculations currently show an average of 30% lower costs here.

Leverage the renaissance of desktop traffic
Many people are still in the home office and will certainly be more often than usual in the coming weeks and months.
The consequence: a certain renaissance of desktop traffic, especially in the early morning hours and at lunchtime. Morning surfing in the subway is just as much a thing of the past as the half-hour of mobile traffic during the lunch break.

Check influencer quality
Some things happen under pressure, and some things happen when you have too much time on your hands. During the lockdown, Oliver Pocher initiated an influencer discussion with a not inconsiderable reach. And it shows quite vividly that it is definitely worth looking not only at follower numbers and sales through discount codes, but also at qualitative and content aspects. The brand will thank you for it. Our advice: Influencer quality check, especially now.

Adapt radio planning
Radio also tends to be one of the currently more heavily used media. But beware: drivetime is currently significantly weaker than usual. Radio usage times have shifted and are now more evenly distributed throughout the day. So get out your radio schedules and check the times of use.

Put outdoor advertising to the test
Clearly, even if mobility is slowly increasing again, outdoor advertising is not currently achieving the usual or planned performance. This is where critical scrutiny is needed, especially with regard to placements in the public transport sector. Our recommendation: optimize conditions and otherwise relocate.

Use new value orientation for your own brand
The last few weeks have shown people what globalization can mean and how dependent we are on international flows of goods in many areas.
Regional production and value creation, the combination of economy and ecology, and a clear attitude on the part of brands to take responsibility for society now – that’s what counts.
Anyone who can credibly address such issues as a company should do so now.

Expanding regional marketing
As the saying goes: in hard times, people move closer together.
Those who can establish more proximity to people in their communications now will benefit.
And since proximity has a spatial character, we recommend using regional communication approaches and messages more strongly again. Modern regional marketing is no longer just about daily newspapers and large-scale advertising. It can also be the regional spot on addressable TV or the digital mobile campaign.

Shifting PoS marketing
The stationary point-of-sale is used even more purposefully than before, especially in food retailing. In and out again as quickly as possible. And with significantly lower frequency and increasingly at off-peak times.
Food retail delivery and pick-up services are showing high growth rates. We therefore recommend reducing PoS marketing and using digital media, for example, to stimulate purchases during the evening planning period for weekly shopping.