"Marketing communication should be empathetic to the changes in the new reality"

The outbreak of Coronavirus has changed the reality, at least today and for the coming few months, if not forever. In a situation like this, when there is so much uncertainty, most businesses have come to a halt. Brands have had to change their communication strategies. And, planners are revising their year-long brand strategies.

So, what should be a marketer's top three big priorities once the lockdown is lifted? We asked this to Puneet Das, vice president marketing - beverages India at Tata Consumer Products. He says that these should be:

a) How do we continue to protect our teams and customers from this virus, even after the lockdown is lifted?

b) How do we quickly adapt to the changing reality, and change in consumer behaviour post lockdown?

c) How do we continue to leverage technology to drive better consumer experiences?

Out of curiosity, we also asked him this. Will his market behave the way it was before the lockdown, or will there be subtle changes? Das tells us there might be subtle changes, like increased preference for health and wellness products.

Will his broad view of marketing communication be different from before, in some way, once the panic ends? Das says, “Marketing communication should be empathetic to the changes in the new reality and remain positive, or inspire people.”