Let’s understand our current ‘normal’ scenario where we spend most of our days wearing leisurewear, indulge in some binge-watching, and spend a good part of light hours a day on Zoom meetings.

Though we don’t know precisely when “our new normal” will end, let’s take a quick look at what B2B marketing after COVID-19 will look like – What will permanently change, and what will go back to the way things were in the now seems like good like olden days (er, January and February 2020)?

Predicting the future is a fool’s game at best. Even more difficult in this case bearing in mind the unusual cause of our circumstances. Having said, some previous crises and recessions have left enough breadcrumbs for us to be able to put together well-thought guesses on our post-COVID B2B marketing world.

Cost Savings from Creative and Content Production

It is likely that post-COVID-19, the C-suite will emphasize more on marketing to offer significant support to sales pipeline and revenue. With the inevitable marketing budget cuts, most brands will focus on the use of digital and online platforms for enhanced digital engagement, reduced travel costs. In addition, the demand for a return on marketing expenditure will ensure CMOs are even more responsible for influencing the top line.

The Modern dynamic creative technology (DCO) is flexible and can version creative content in multiple languages and product packagings without having to manually draft or incurring costs for each ad creative. Special offers and pricing can also be actively altered without burning a hole in the limited budgets.

Direct One to One Consumer Marketing Will Play a Crucial Role

The ongoing pandemic COVID-19 has put down the lid on retail sales almost entirely. Mostly, brands that have invested in eCommerce and direct-to-consumer marketing have witnessed high sales and continue to stay afloat. Even CPG companies that counted greatly on TV, OOH, and Print advertising are now refocusing their Marketing investments to Digital Marketing as a new way to propel consumers to shop via their apps and websites. Since the retail markets have witnessed plummeting sales, a quick shift to Digital Marketing can be a wise response. Also, a possibility of the brick and motor stores not recovering in the immediate future due to social distancing whether enforced or driven by consumer fear will further thrust towards digital and one to one consumer marketing.

What does this translate to? This means more spending in MarTech platforms built for 1:1 personalized marketing that allows these brands to gather and utilize data for digital marketing platforms. 1:1 marketing allows a digital yet personalized purchase experience through the application of AI. With all these technologies, companies will rely less on TV advertising which works on a one-size-fits-all theory.

Conclusion

When the dust settles there will be several things to move back, such as keeping up-to-date of your business operations on your website, Google My Business & Bing Places. Make sure to readjust the business hours and phone numbers that you may have changed during the quarantine.

While it will take more time to discover the new norm for marketing post-COVID-19, a fact remains: marketers in the post-COVID-19 era will have to indeed re-evaluate what technologies they really need, which ones will be cost-effective, and which ones can help them renovate their businesses that have been disturbed by this crisis.