
Marketing Knowledge
Podcasting guru Jon Savage to discuss whether podcasts are the ‘comeback kid in marketing’s rock ‘n roll band?’
REPUTATION MANAGEMENT
By our News Team | 2022
Now its not the time for corporate storytelling around the conflict. But consumers have a list of actions they expect companies to take now.
As the war in Eastern Europe continues to make headlines and attract enormous public attention, corporate marketers, company executives and their PR teams must consider what stance their businesses wish to take – if any – and how to articulate it to their audience.
A recent blog post by international research and consulting firm, Gartner, examines some of the factors that companies should consider. It also analyses consumer sentiment in the US, which may help guide company actions in the current fast-moving – and reputationally fraught – environment.
Kate Muhl, a Gartner Analyst specialising in Cultural and Consumer Insights, notes that brand actions beat words at this stage. In other words, consumers are not expecting storytelling from brands about their actions and stances around the conflict.
Photo by Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, via Wikimedia Commons
Rather, they want companies to take simple actions in response to the conflict. Eighty percent of respondents named at least one action they expected. These are, in order of listed importance:
People are not interested in company statements
But consumers are not particularly interested in corporate statements. “Making statements about the war is far down the list of actions that consumers are looking for from companies,” Muhl explains.
“But, for those consumers who do want to see brands making statements about what’s happening there, what they’re looking for at this time is for brands to express support for Ukraine, for people in Ukraine and for peace in general.
“They do see a role for brands, additionally, to provide some guidance on how consumers themselves can help. But they’re not really interested in hearing from brands right now.”
Muhl believes there will be a time, however, when consumers may expect storytelling from businesses. In the meanwhile, it is time for a posture of readiness.
“Consumers are not looking for storytelling about the actions that companies are taking, but I think soon they will be,” she says. “This is the time to get those storylines together… if you prepare now, you’ll be ready to tell those stories [when the right time comes].”
Podcasting guru Jon Savage to discuss whether podcasts are the ‘comeback kid in marketing’s rock ‘n roll band?’
While some legislators want a complete ban on TikTok due to spying concerns, US marketers want to spend more on the platform.
Utah is the first state to heavily curb minors’ access to social media, but others may follow with even stricter laws.
Businesses can make more accurate predictions about demand, optimise their operations and make better decisions about inventory management.
High-level Chartered Marketer (Africa) programme equips marketers to operate successfully in the continent’s complex and diverse markets.
Why do some articles captivate readers and encourage them to keep reading, while others make them lose interest after just a few sentences?
Analysis finds social media used by less than 4% of people, while mobile phone connections are equivalent to less than 60% of Malawians.
E-commerce giant is yet another tech company that is finding the market increasingly tough. It has already cut 18,000 jobs.
Survey finds 60% of marketing leaders believe collecting customer data while balancing privacy and customer value is now more challenging.
Charge as if you’re employing a small team. It’s not deception, it’s the money you will use to start hiring and scaling the business.
It is not sufficient for consumers to want to decrease sugar intake. Brands should offer appealing products that help reduce consumption.