The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated tremendous personal, economic, and social damage. It has appended many lives, and worsened the many disruptions afoot, setting bare the unavailability of many business models. Two years and the world is still into quarantine or lockdown. Brands are reaching to terms with a stubborn truth- the ‘new normal’ which is perhaps ironically going to be a long stretch of uncertainty. 

The role of the Chief Marketing Officer is diminishing its influence. Numerous global brands have emerged the role (think Chief Digital Officer, Chief Experience Officer, Chief Market Development Office) or even disestablished it solely. Senior marketers have usually deplored the summons of getting more investment in marketing activity. Indeed, it’s oftentimes the first department to have its budget gashed in challenging times.

But 2021 is a challenge unlike any earlier.

As the COVID-19 crisis shows little sign of giving up, marketing has emerged as the courage centre of a brand’s pandemic acknowledgement. With a need for compliance and strong domestic relationships to sail changing conditions, the critical role that marketers play in attaching multiple parts of any business, and notably in managing the relationship with consumers. From customer insights and brand positioning to e-commerce and crisis communications, the marketing team is surrendering strengthened benefit during COVID-19. The role of the CMO has been completely fortified. 

Some of those large brands that had done away with CMOs in recent years and have redeemed the role this year. Companies demand more brands to emphasise marketing leadership in the upcoming months.

Purpose matters

It’s now a long diversion for brands to accompany the talk and make an assertive difference. The CMO Growth Council, a group of more than two dozen CMOs from the world’s leading brands, are gaining major engagements to encourage diversity in their advertising, both in front of and behind the camera. Grocery brands, as the capital of locally-based retail, while many other stores are locked, have taken the opportunity to roll into community service. Brands are joining behind leadership to seize climate change, promoting schedule to vote programmes, or inclining social media titans to eliminate harmful content on their platforms.

Every minute bit is help.

Abbreviating marketing processes

While the beginning stages of the pandemic saw many brands struggling to put out new advertising. Senior marketing leaders are now discerning the significance of structuring for a marathon struggle, not a dash, especially in extremely inconstant business conditions. 

Several months have passed, businesses are furnishing themselves for the long-term framework of real-time data dashboards, re-formulating brand policies and gashing internal red tape to move faster. Brands are multiplying down on fast consumer insights, examining to discover which new trends are here to stay and which are just a reflection in the pan. In-housing creative or media has become a precedence for some as they seek more compliance and control at a lower cost. 

E-commerce platforms are tempting investment

While overall ad spends will be much lower in 2021 than last year as a consequence of COVID-19, brands with the budgets are looking toward e-commerce as a significant advertising opportunity. E-commerce sites are frequently serving as advertising platforms, and accomplish a similar purpose. 

Amazon is now one of the world’s steering advertisers on its own. It has perceived the record growth in the face of the COVID-19 crash, according to company records. Amazon envisions a constant variation in consumer behaviours approaching online shopping. 

A recommenced focus on brand experience

Experience is a more essential part of long-term brand building. Health and safety have appeared as a key method of brand exposure in the COVID-19 era. How a brand responds to these new consumer expectations could conceive or disclose it.