Remember those 2020 plans you and your marketing team lovingly, if painstakingly, developed and fine-tuned ahead of the new decade? While they have probably lost most of their relevancy given the disruption caused by COVID-19, think of them as a source of comfort – a relic from a simpler (and saner) time.

Over the last month and a half, marketers and brands have learned a new appreciation for agility. Many have had to rewrite messaging playbooks in a span of days as they adjust to the new normal. To help these professionals navigate these murky waters, we’ve compiled a quick resource guide on key opportunities and challenges as marketing organizations begin to prepare for “business as usual” as defined by COVID-19.

Impactful Content and Storytelling Resources

• Brand trust, employee and customer advocacy and proper measurement are staples of an effective content marketing strategy. But what does authentic employee advocacy look like when staff has transitioned remotely full time, with some juggling the responsibilities of professional, parent and caregiver? This blog provides an outline for a comprehensive content marketing audit: 5 Questions to Boost Your 2020 Content Marketing Strategy
• Resetting your content marketing wholesale? There’s certainly no absence of ideas or possibilities for a path forward, particularly in a fast-moving environment. Resist the temptation to boil the ocean, and focus in on what issues customers are facing right now. This eBook offers insight on how to infuse the rapidly changing needs of customers right from the get-go: eBook: Ignite Your Content Marketing with the Power of an Idea

Approaching Your Audience with Awareness and Empathy

• COVID-19 is causing record levels of anxiety among Americans. In fact, a Washington Post-ABC News poll found that 77% of American women and 61% of men were reporting personal stress. Brands need to be empathetic to the unique challenges people are facing and identify opportunities to support them in new ways. This infographic looks at the power of emotional connections in marketing: All the Feels: The Importance of Emotional Marketing and Connecting with Your Audience {Infographic}
• Not one of ours, but research firm Gartner compiles four key recommendations for revising a marketing plan quickly but thoroughly. Our favorite? Listen for changes in customer sentiment and behavior: Adapt Your Marketing Strategy for COVID-19

Vertical Focus and Realignment

• It’s not just the brand that must be flexible; jobs themselves are evolving in real time. This will inevitably have a profound impact on internal decision-making processes and buyer personas, and how they will engage with your product suite. Things like remote security and systems support suddenly take on new importance when staff is fully digital. This eBook looks at how to develop buyer personas and map content specifically to their needs: How to Master Buyer Personas for Business

Building Trust with Executive Thought Leadership

• In times of crisis, individuals can make a difference. By delivering empathetic insight on topics on which they are experts, executives and thought leaders offer guidance and reassurance where there might otherwise be uncertainty. This infographic looks at how thought leaders can help bring a community together: Why Thought Leadership is the Catalyst for Building Trust for B2B Brands
• If your brand doesn’t currently have a thought leadership program, now is just the time to start one. Look at ways key spokespeople are leading internally and use them as a model to identify opportunities to build their profiles externally. This eBook details the first few critical steps: Building a Thought Leadership Program to Drive Value and Trust

Adjusting Your Demand Generation Strategy

• Major brands are slashing marketing budgets in response to the turbulent economic outlook. Yet, given marketing’s role as the curator of the brand experience and champion of the customer, this may have an adverse impact on the demand gen pipeline – sales needs that partnership now more than ever. The ROI of marketing has never been more critical, and the department will continue to fuel revenue opportunities when they’re needed most.

Measurement and Analytics in Real Time

• Social media has become brands’ direct line to their customers as they announce policy changes and other key updates in the wake of the pandemic. But just how far are these channels reaching? Who is listening at the other end? This eBook provides a look at measuring the full impact of social channels, which can help brands segment messages appropriately: The Value of Data in the Digital World
• Typically, marketing metrics should align to key business objectives like lead generation and sales targets. But under COVID-19, a new set of KPIs might be set to get the business through the next few months. This eBook details how data and analytics are important resources to ensure that marketing activities are closely aligned to the new, dynamic measurement strategy: How to Use Data and Analytics to Improve Your B2B Tech Strategy. Find further recommended reading: Build a Winning Measurement Strategy from the Ground Up

Be sure to follow along on twitter @PANcomm as we continue to share resources for marketers supporting brands through COVID-19.