By now, you certainly don’t need to be reminded of how the coronavirus pandemic is changing the world. The effects are everywhere. Everything from the 2020 Olympics to EURO 2020 championship – big events have been postponed or canceled, many businesses are only planning for reopening, and others have shut their doors for good. We are all facing the prospect of slow growth for many years to come. You’re not alone.
Whether anyone was ready for it or not, the pandemic forced everyone to step outside of their comfort zone and rethink the way business operates across all industries. This unexpected downturn in the economy caused unparalleled challenges, but also presented opportunities for innovation.
The exhausting pace of change in the economy, new norms, health and safety regulations caused unprecedented challenges. To cope, businesses will need to question, reassess, and redefine their thinking and the way they operate. They will have to re-examine the context in which they make decisions. True and trusted marketing methods, time-tested tactics and service offerings will need to be challenged. This is especially true for retail sales and experiential marketing, where direct contact with the consumer lies at the forefront of the marketing agenda. With most major events suspended until 2021, there is increased demand to connect with the consumer through alternative platforms.
What’s Next?
We’re seeing a number of trends as we move forward – the key ones for our industry being that:
1) Consumers are looking for increased personalization and customization from the brands that they interact with, and;
2) The increase in smaller, local events that will be targeted and tailored to the community where it is being hosted. Both trends will allow brands to establish a more personal and deeper connection with the consumer. The only way for businesses to succeed in such a world is to redefine their business and pivot their service offerings to be adaptable.
At Karma, innovation and forward-thinking is at the heart of what we do. We’ve leveraged technology to disrupt our industry and now we are actively expanding our services beyond traditional offerings to include solutions designed for the “New Normal” World:
Social Media Influencers
The popularity of influencer marketing has also gone hand-in-hand with social media. From YouTube and Snapchat to Facebook and Instagram, these platforms are helping many people and brands become stars and build brand value, while giving the audience original content. Over the course of the pandemic, brands began actively engaging nano- and micro social media influencers into their marketing campaigns (those with under 100,000 followers).
Karma connects brands with the right influencer to fit any budget and create memorable and engaging content.
Social Distancing Ambassadors
Placing a security guard with an intimidating presence at the front entrance of a retail location may not be the most effective solution for welcoming customers and ensuring a comfortable experience.
Karma’s database of over 27,000 trained and profiled Brand Ambassadors across North America allows us to quickly and efficiently provide quality staff, who are trained to ensure an enjoyable shopping experience for your customers while encouraging safety and social distancing behaviour.
Surprise and Delight Campaigns
Surprise and delight marketing is one of the safest and most effective ways to engage consumers and drive loyalty, while making them feel safe, valued and appreciated.
Karma Ambassadors are able to ensure safe and secure deliveries to your customers and conduct key messaging, product education, and more.
The bottom line is that businesses across all industries have had to adjust to Covid-19 in some way or another. It will have a lasting impact on business operations well into the future, which is why we must look ahead with optimism and embrace the new normal, rather than being stuck in the mindset of ‘returning back to normal’.
Our Key Takeaways
1) Don’t be afraid of ‘The New Normal’ – accept and embrace it as a positive opportunity for evolving your business. Don’t wait until things will return ‘back to normal’. They won’t.
2) Service offerings need to be expanded; don’t rely solely on your existing customer base, online or offline. Rethink what your business is truly about. Be innovative.
3) The option of outsourcing ought to be explored more thoroughly because of its flexibility and risk-management abilities. Don’t have an onsite manager to facilitate an event? Karma can help by providing local and trusted team members.
How Karma Can Help
Karma is the staffing agency of a new era and we will continue to play a leadership role in this new marketplace. With a combined 70+ years of experience among our team and more than 120 clients across North America, we have helped brands and agency partners scale their operations and deliver results through the innovation and flexibility of our technology platform.
There’s no looking back – we will work with our clients to safely pilot and test new approaches to consumer interaction and live engagement; while still adhering to our 3 Core Values:
- people first.
- we believe in Karma – what you put in is what you get back
- excellence knows no compromise