This webinar was hosted by Freedman International and chaired by Ryan Castaldo of Freedman New York alongside Laura de Stefanis of Jaguar Land Rover, Christian Wilbers of Head and Briain Curtin of Fitbit.

All agreed that firstly it is vital that all campaigns and messages are sensitive to the situation the world now finds itself in. Now is not the time to push new products hard, but rather to entertain sensitively and connect with consumers through relevant content. And the increased interaction via social media means brands have been presented with a golden opportunity to get to know their consumer base much better and therefore deliver campaigns that have more impact.

The crisis also offers opportunity: consumers are spending an unprecedented amount of time on their devices, and as such digital campaigns have the potential to vastly overdeliver. Combine this with a forward-thinking approach to data and a savvy business could turn the current situation to their advantage. For example, Pinterest had one of their biggest weekends on record with users looking at everything from children’s activities to freezer recipes. These glimpses into customer mindset, informed by an understanding of data, could enable a shrewd marketer to deliver a highly successful campaign. This insight also came with a warning: brands risk damaging their image by trying to capitalise on the increased reach of digital campaigns without ensuring the campaign is appropriate and sensitive.

Looking to the future, the mandatory switch to a working from home model will vastly advance the adoption of technology. Organisations and individuals previously resistant to adopting new tech have found themselves with no option but to do so. This is clearly evident in the German consumer market, historically retail was stubbornly bricks and mortar based, however in recent weeks it has taken off as a fledgling ecommerce economy. Staying abreast of trends like these will be key for a company hoping to bounce back strongly following the pandemic and be successful in the coming period of economic fallout.

Kevin Freedman signed off the webinar with hopeful words. Now is a time for us to come together! The current uncertainty will come to an end and there will be a better afterwards. The digital world means that even though teams cannot be physically together, they can still virtually collaborate, and a shared humanity will help us come through these difficult times.

Freedman will be running more events in the coming weeks, to find out more details join The Global Marketers’ Club here: https://thrive.freedmaninternational.com/join-the-global-marketers-club