Reimagine. Redo. Redesign- The key for brands to survive in the post-COVID landscape
Dunkin Donuts recently launched ‘Sugar Plum Macchiato’ along with ‘Frosted Snowflake donut’, as part of their limited-edition menu for the holiday season! The drink (an espresso made with various berry flavors) went viral because it kept changing colors as you sip it (available as of now in American markets). In times when people are struggling to create experiences for brands, Dunkin Donuts created an experiential product (even though it was in ideation for some time now). This beverage managed to generate unsurmountable numbers across social media platforms – Tiktok, Instagram especially – within 24 hours. So, what really happened here? A simple innovation got Dunkins organic content, as one product helped to create a new story.
Could this be a new perspective for building brand visibility across – paid, earned, shared, and owned media – in the new normal? Hoping, there is some sort of consensus out there that we need a combination of all and not just one form of media. The ratio obviously, will vary, as per the nature of the brand or the product, but what is it that can trigger the right mix?
‘Analysis from MIT Sloan Management Review breaks down that a crisis creates a sense of urgency that can spur an organization to drop everything in pursuit of a specific goal. This brings disparate parties and points of view together under a spirit of experimentation and lets new ideas surface. And since crises are temporary, people are more inclined to commit to an intense burst of effort over a short amount of time’, – shared by Susy Jackson, Editor, LinkedIn News.
And there is no denial that Covid is one of the biggest crises chapters for any communicator.
The world has changed and so have the consumption habits. Since we all have now learned to do things staying at home (almost everything), reluctantly decreasing the need to socialize from the mix, which has been one of the most critical behaviors for humans as a race. And this obviously has impacted what kind of media we consume, immensely, as well as how we consume it.
Pre-covid, the industry witnessed a slight downslide in the traditional mediums, whereas streaming online, consuming information through digital platforms and social media had begun to take center stage. But post-Covid these formats seem to have become key elements of any communication campaign, along with new tools such as Podcasts and short-form videos (there are many more to this list too).
The way “PESO” model previously segmented media, it might not be applicable now, infact those lines slowly seem to be blurring. Today what’s critical is that the communications team gets the word out and creates an impact to achieve the planned outcomes. The clarity that – one message needs enough eyeballs through various approaches – is far more acceptable today, thus reducing the stress of keeping ‘earned media’ on a higher pedestal (like always).
In fact, using owned media effectively is on a rise. The need to curate content by the organization or within the organization is definitely a growing trend. The idea that brands can create their own content, stay real, communicate credibly with their target audiences, and show the capability to accept new media formats, is what has kickstarted the emergence of ‘owned media’ (in the new normal).
Probably this could be viewed from a different funnel, where one combines ‘owned media and earned media’ to share the brand messaging and then increase visibility through ‘paid and shared media’. I’m sure a lot of brands would have been putting this to practice previously as well, but what’s changed now is the inclination to combine different media for creating a lasting impression and controlling the narrative better.
Presently, the need is to harness available tools through an integrated approach. More than ever, we communicators have to be creative storytellers, who can translate numbers into moving narratives, in order to appropriately influence key decision-makers. Additionally, the spectrum for creating content is so wide across mediums, especially independent media that no one publication continues to rule the mind space.
The question is not to decide what works better – paid, earned, owned, or shared media – but instead make it an impactful combination to enhance brand visibility, through the right channels for the right audiences. A new blueprint needs to be put together when thinking of deploying the “PESO” model (until a new acronym comes up).
A lot has been moving and will continue to shift to digital platforms, considering the need to consume content anytime, anywhere. But key facets such as – real-time, authentic, raw – could be interesting building blocks for content (going forward).
So, reimagine how your story can get an impactful recall, enhance word-of-mouth, and obviously generate the desired outcome when implementing the “PESO” model for your communication campaign. Reimagine the new landscape, because it’s an opportune time to convert any uncertainty into a future possibility.
About the author:
Pooja Trehan, Founder- PRestaurant & Co-founder- PRPOI