When the panic of the pandemic set in during early March, businesses were violently adjusting processes, inventory, and staff. There is still much uncertainty at hand, but instead of this being the “new normal,” people are accustomed to what is now the routine of adoption and spontaneity, or just “normal.” 

In the past few months, Setup has spoken to marketing executives in different industries spanning from IT to Entertainment to gauge how companies are adapting during this time. In the conversations, frequent trends brought up included:

• focusing on innovation, 

• building consumer trust, and 

• streamlining diversity and inclusion efforts.

The following are summaries of the trends marketing experts from different industries see and expect to see for their respective industry going into 2021:

The Healthcare Industry

Increase in telehealth

The virtual aspects and accessibility of telehealth has allowed patients to conveniently get the attention and resources of Healthcare professionals during this crucial time. Healthcare will continue to offer and expand these services permanently. 

Health mindfulness

People are more cautious about germs, thus they are trying to keep a healthy lifestyle by washing their hands, sanitizing surfaces, and staying physically active. 

Mental health awareness

The pandemic’s effect on people has taken a toll on mental health as well. Moving forward, the Healthcare industry is dedicated to providing resources and support to this cause. 

Read more about the Healthcare industry here.

The Hospitality Industry

Re-engaging consumers

Since the Hospitality industry has taken a hit, Hospitality workers are enticing consumers with loyalty programs, digital experiences, and creative content. 

Leveraging virtual

Pre-COVID days, hotels were packed for conferences and large events. To adjust to the new reality, the Hospitality industry has adopted digital efforts like virtual reality (VR) to host virtual events. Although there is nothing like a face to face meeting, virtual events are affordable and convenient. Moving forward, hybrid events are extremely likely. 

Remote work

Since most people who are not essential workers are working from home, the Hospitality industry has leveraged this opportunity to advertise domestic travel or staycations. There are even new protocols set in place in some places like Puerto Rico, where there are hygiene stamps to notify safe travel. 

Read more about the Hospitality industry here. 

The Entertainment Industry

Safety procedures

In order to be safe the Entertainment industry has invested in contactless and scheduled/private sessions for events to limit the number of guests. In production, they’ve invested in smaller crews, isolated productions, more animated projects, and reality programming due to the need for fewer people on set.

Virtual events

Similar to Hospitality, Entertainment has learned that virtual events or hybrid events can be just as valuable and effective. 

Emphasis on experience

The Entertainment industry is focused on providing consumers with an overall safer and exciting experience moving forward. A good example of this is how movie theaters are allowing customers to rent out an entire theater for a group of family/friends for a limited cost. 

Read more about the Entertainment industry here. 

The Restaurant Industry

Digital ordering platforms

Due to safety measures, curbside pickup and delivery have grown in popularity. In order to make the digital ordering process smoother and the user experience more frictionless and meaningful, restaurant companies have developed digital ordering platforms to serve their consumers. Because this is convenient, personalized, and easier for consumers, they may continue to use these platforms even as a vaccine becomes widely available.

Loyalty programs

Personal communication and value-adds are one of the most important methods to engage consumers at this time. Since people are not eating out as frequently, restaurants are getting crafty with deals and special offerings to remain relevant in their communities. 

Localization

Brands will continue to deploy local marketing resources and programs to help re-engage core guests, build stronger relationships in the community, amplify the brand’s message, and steal shares of stomach from other competitors.

Read more about the Restaurant industry here. 

The IT Industry

Digitization

Remote work has increased the relevance of IT services that support collaboration and security. 

Cloud-based solutions

Emphasis on the cloud increases collaboration and focuses on reliability and flexibility.

Read more about the IT and Services industry here. 

The Ecommerce Industry

Digital payments

Ease of digital payments impacts the consumer positively and also leads to real-time inventory integration.  

B2B providing a B2C experience

B2B consumers are expecting consumer-level experiences, leading to a more human-centered marketing approach on the B2B front. 

Read more about the Ecommerce industry here. 

Industries all over are adapting and innovating constantly, using measurable results and making data-informed decisions. Consumer expectations and digital adaptation overall have increased, leading to more personalized marketing experiences and digital offerings. The increase of digital use has also led to an increase in digital marketing, including paid media and AI adoption. The biggest shared change is the increase in cleanliness standards across industries. If sanitation wasn’t a big factor before, it certainly is now to maintain consumer trust and safety. 

This past year, industries had to speed up and develop plans quickly. As we march onward to 2021, many of these practices will remain, and we will continue to see innovation on multiple levels. 

We’ve also shared some conversations with some marketing CMOs for our new CMO Spotlight series. Listen to the episodes or read the recaps to get a deeper dive into specific leaders’ mindsets here.