It’s a tough time to be a marketer (and a human as well). It seems like just yesterday we were asking whether our Spring-time campaigns would be impacted by COVID-19; campaigns that now seem futile, if not insensitive. It’s clear that our way of life is changing by the day if not the hour, and as content marketers who often focus on the positive side of things we’ve been left to wonder: what do we do now? What do we say? What do we create?
And yet we’re part of a generation that has constantly adapted to changes in the workplace (although nothing quite this dire). A decade ago, content marketing had barely crossed into the common vernacular as the recession hit, and here we are today as experts in not just the field of content marketing, but experts in specific niches of the industry. You could say the modern 2020 marketer is built for change – and change we must.
Regardless of when things go back to “normal”, there’s no question that we will approach everything differently. Not just because of this global crisis but also because some of us will start innovating, whether we’re all ready to or not. After all, this might actually be the new “normal”, and we’re not the kind of people that just sit and twiddle their thumbs. We adapt. We find a way.
Audio Has Always Been There For Us
Prior to television and the internet, people always turned to audio for comfort. For a long time, and specifically in the Between the Wars era, it was the only way to ever hear the voice of our leaders. Radio in particular had a soothing effect on the populace at times when the world seemed to be crumbling (of note, the King’s speech as WW2).
It’s not so different today. In the last few weeks we’ve all turned to our leaders for guidance and reassurance – reassurance that they are taking this threat seriously, and hoping that their words can inspire confidence that victory is possible. As our colleague Paul so eloquently remarked, “As a citizen in Vancouver, BC, personally I need to need to hear Justin Trudeau’s voice right now and that of my Mayor Kennedy Stewart. I need to hear the voice of Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Bonnie Henry. And as a consumer I need to hear Tim Cook’s voice from Apple today. And Yvon Chouinard’s (Patagonia)…”
For brands, now is the time to say something. Not to wallow about cancelled social calendars, or turn around and develop a campaign to capitalize on the crisis – but to show some leadership. Because what we all do in these next few weeks will echo for decades to come.
The Necessary Elements
From a logistical standpoint, there could really never be a better time than now to podcast as a brand. All the necessary elements are there to get a podcast off the ground and make it great (and appropriate):
Marketers are available and ready, as many campaigns have either been cancelled or postponed, and most other forms of marketing (video, social, display) will run out of runway and/or content to create. There are many talented people available right now.
The workplace is now remote, as content can be planned, produced, and executed from all corners of the globe. Whether they were ready or not, many employees (including yours) are now set up to work from home for the foreseeable future.
The audience is bored, and the airwaves are clear. You need no more than five minutes on social media to know that people are currently itching for new content, both about the ongoing virus situation as well as for general entertainment and escapism.
And most importantly, this event will be the defining moment of our lifetime, and very soon brands will develop methods to keep themselves relevant within its new-world brand ecosystem.
If your brand currently has an audio show, read on. If your brand has no existing podcast skip to the next section.
Pivoting The Branded Podcast
With your podcast and infrastructure already in place, the next logical step is to pivot the content and tone of your show to discuss the ongoing events. Here are some ideas to get started:
Dive into your industry. If your podcast focuses on an industry that is being directly changed by the virus, you can take the lead and lean right into it.Take Expedia for example; in the early days of the crisis, the company put out a podcast on travel during the coronavirus. Although this may seem antiquated in the COVID-19 timeline of events, it was on-point at time of release. (Note, Expedia is a JAR client).
Carry on as usual. Although it may seem bizarre to totally ignore the existence of COVID-19 on your show, the reality is that many of us need a break from the 24/7 news cycle. Taking this extra time to crank out more episodes than usual may prove delightful to your audience as the weeks go on. Other channels like Netflix are obviously seeing a rise in virus-related content, but are primarily being used for general entertainment (and more so than usual!). We need good content right now more than ever.
Creating A Branded Podcast From Scratch
So the brand doesn’t have a podcast, and even if it did, you’re not sure what it would discuss during the lockdown.
So where does that leave us? Bursting with opportunity. Here are some ideas for the brand’s first ever podcast (even if it’s an experimental one-off!) that can be explored in the coming weeks:
Roundtable with senior leadership. Far more intimate than a corporate written statement and definitely more involved than most other marketing efforts. This will give your brand the human element it desperately needs right now to reveal the executives as just normal human beings who are dealing with the crisis in the same way as everyone else.
Interviews between marketers. A great opportunity for B2B (but also B2C!) and a way to make quick and agile content. The podcast could dive into the brand’s marketing efforts and methods of the past, as well as discuss how COVID-19 is affecting the products and consumer base.
Interviews between departments. Similar to the previous point, people are interested to learn how businesses are dealing with major changes to customer service, finance, operations, etc. It would also serve as a great way to keep distributed employees connected with each other.
Ignore COVID-19 and start fresh. There are many wonderful ideas to explore for every brand, so come talk to us.
An Appetite For Something New
Great content marketing is fuelled by the ability to deliver fresh and unique ideas to our audience. And with such unique circumstances on our hands, we could argue there’s never been a better opportunity for a brand to be truly brave and bold.
Podcasts are an incredibly accessible medium in these times. They are proven to drive 24% higher brand favourability and 89% higher awareness to a brand (which will likely be higher given the online availability of the audience). Pair those stats with a thirst for unique content, and the case is obvious.
Adapt. Create. Innovate. And most of all, be sensible (and stay at home).
Your audience will thank you for it.
