How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected Advertising

It’s safe to say that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on all businesses, big and small. Because businesses all over have been affected by the virus, advertising and marketing fields and strategies have changed as well. Although, there is still a way to put your brand’s name out there. In order to do so, you have to focus on the primary areas where the consumer-business relationship is most active. Let’s discuss the factors. 

What to Consider In Order to Keep in Touch with Your Clients 

When it comes to taking up new methods of advertising there are some very important questions to must ask yourself, including:

• How are my core target audience or users impacted by COVID-19?
• How is COVID-19 influencing their purchasing and investing habits?
• How can I display more value to my customers during this time?
• Is this an opportunity for my business to go above and beyond with advertising?

By asking yourself these questions (and listing the potential answers), you can find the best future (and current) methods of campaigning and advertising to best fit the needs of your customers, right when they need it. 

Consumer Behavior: Shifts and Impacts 

Many consumers have work of their own, and many companies have had to shift their employees’ work stations to be right within their homes. These “work from home” periods naturally increase their time spent online, especially for personal use and purchases. This could potentially lead to an increase in advertising inventory across several platforms. No one knows for sure how COVID-19 is going to affect businesses, but one thing is for sure: advertising may be more important now than it has ever been. It’s important to note how much consumers are purchasing and through which outlets to understand how you can catch their attention. 

Heavy Online Use and Reliance

As previously mentioned, customers are doing most of their shopping online—after all, that is the safest choice. While screen time is heavy, businesses are getting creative and coming up with new ways to catch eager eyes: through graphics. The best thing about working with a graphic and printing company to advertise your business is that these creations have a digital format, meaning they can be used anytime and at any place! You might think you need to worry and act fast regarding your advertising and marketing. We’re here to show that graphic advertising methods are possible, online or in-person. 

Saving Now to Invest Later…

According to sources, almost every industry will see reduced spending, and that includes their advertising and marketing costs. Although, this doesn’t necessarily mean that advertising and marketing are completely out of the picture for the time being. Some businesses are taking advantage of these trying times to reevaluate how much they need to advertise. This way, they can save as much as possible for the sake of the company. Further, many businesses are doing this so they won’t experience low rates of consumer activity. These same businesses are continuing to invest in advertising so they’ll be fully prepared to go back into full operation once COVID-19 leaves the picture. 

…and Refocusing their Spending

Not only are businesses and managers saving money and cutting back on bills, but they are also shifting their focus with their spending. As previously mentioned, advertising may just be the saving grace for many businesses during the unprecedented era of COVID-19. Brands all across the nation, and in the world for that matter, are allocating more money into specific advertising formats to reflect exactly that. Many could even say that investing in advertising now can help increase the flow of their business for when the world returns to normal. 

How Marketing is Expected to Shift 

As advertisers and professionals in this field are coming to terms with the new temporary reality, many are faced with the uncertainty of the everchanging consumer behavior and the potential for an even greater wave of the pandemic. No one knows for sure how business advertising will pan out, nonetheless, businesses are encouraged to continue investing in advertising, whether it be off or online, in order to maintain their relationship with old and new clients. With that being said, there are many factors of advertising that are here to support the interaction between businesses and clients online. 

Highlight the Presence of Your Business with Universal Graphics 

Here at Universal Graphics, we are much more than a local print shop. Our services are proven to help support the efforts of businesses so that they can increase their customer loyalty and presence. So, contact us today to learn more about how we are assisting businesses through the pandemic.