The COVID-19 pandemic came to the world as a huge shock and just in a very short time, it made us realize how little control we have over life ultimately altered our attitudes and behaviours as citizens and as consumers. As we read in our week 10 reading, the pandemic had a huge impact on businesses as it disrupted every company’s operation and also impacted consumer decisions. For people who worked in the media industry as well as content strategists and marketers, the pandemic forced them to act fast and connect with consumers in a way that is more empathetic, thoughtful, and overall, just resonates and connects with consumers who are impacted by the downfalls of the pandemic (from both a financial perspective and a health and wellness standpoint).
When we specifically look at content strategists and the changes they faced during the pandemic era, they all had to shift a lot of their strategies to fit the current context of where the economy is headed. For example, one thing they noticed is that consumers spent less money due to not knowing if their jobs were secure or if they were at risk of layoffs during this time. Instead of pushing out content that always promoted spending money, many companies shifted their strategies so they could connect with consumers and frame their messaging around finding the best deals and being budget-friendly with spending habits.
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Another shift that was present for content strategists during the pandemic is keeping up with the trends and being open to flexibility more than ever. Even before the pandemic occurred, content strategists were always on top of trends but as mentioned, one thing this pandemic taught us is that we have little control over the way certain situations end up going. As our guest speaker of the week, Andrea Boland mentioned in her interview, when she was working for West Jet, her team had to be open to working with different teams within the company to share updates and trends which ultimately impact their content strategies and the type of information they push towards consumers during that time. For example, there were different protocols for different countries during that time and customers needed to know how that would affect their travel plans. In order to prepare for that, West Jet prioritized “Getting Travel Ready” content so that it kept up with the latest updates and informed customers so that their travel experience with the flight wasn’t negatively impacted.
Another change that occurred was shifting the overall tone of voice and brand voice. Instead of focusing on the sales aspect of the business, companies had to be more sensitive with the content they were pushing out so it could resonate with their audience. Having a more empathetic voice was at the forefront for many businesses during this time. Content strategists had to think fast and make sure their content put safety, and compassion first in order to connect with their audience and build ongoing trust with them.
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These are just some of the changes many businesses had to adapt to during the COVID-19 pandemic but the main takeaway here is that no matter what happens, companies and strategists should always be ready to think on their toes and be open to flexibility. At the end of the day, you’ll never know what you may come across in the next couple years ahead of us so be prepared and use the COVID-19 pandemic as a blueprint to help you ease into the changes and adapt to the situation effortlessly!
Written By: Brintha Manoharan
Date: November 27, 2023