#MarketingMixer | The Bright Side

May 11, 2020 Setup - marketing matchmakers

Every quarter, Setup hosts a #MarketersBreakfast to connect and educate marketing leaders from brands and agencies. While the informative conversations and networking are normally in person, due to recent events, Setup hosted a virtual panel to discuss the marketer’s perspective on the challenges and positive outcomes that have sprouted due to COVID-19.

120+ brand and agency representatives attended, some of which contributed to the Q+A portion of the event. Before the panel began, Setup presented our findings from a “COVID-19 Marketing Survey” that included the contributions of over 60% Director-level-and-higher marketers. To read the complete findings regarding the impact of spending, demand, and morale for brands and agencies, visit here.

Alongside moderator, Joe Koufman, the CEO and Founder of Setup, the guest panelists included:

Julie Bowerman | Chief Global Digital Consumer + Customer Experience Officer at The Kellogg Company
Tim Minahan | EVP Business Strategy + Chief Marketing Officer at Citrix
Douwe Bergsma | Chief Marketing Officer at Piedmont Healthcare

Here are a few takeaways from the conversation.

Remote work may be here to stay

Tim Minahan brought up a Gartner, Inc. survey of 317 CFOs and Finance leaders that ”revealed that 74% will move at least 5% of their previously on-site workforce to permanently remote positions post-COVID-19.”

Because of the cost of realty prices and noticeable increased rates in productivity, remote work may become more popular and more reasonable. Not only have employees noticed a significant difference in their morning routines - getting extra sleep and avoiding traffic - but the possibilities of hiring people in any state or town is higher, providing opportunities to people who may not have had them otherwise.

Despite the financial and opportunistic potential, remote work does come with challenges. Douwe Bergsma, who joined the Piedmont Healthcare team shortly before the coronavirus outbreak, mentioned how it is harder for him to personally bond with his new team...especially since he is a people-person who loves desk visits. Although that is the case, he, like so many others, have adapted to frequent standup meetings to align with teams and get a glimpse into employees’ livelihoods through constant contact.

There is a risk of burnout

Julie Bowerman mentioned that, while working from home has allowed her to have conference calls during a walk or breaks in the day, she has noticed burn out. Whether this is from the added workload due to current stresses or from team members turning to work in their freetime, she noted that burnout is very real and needs to be addressed.

A few things on burnout:

Just because we have the ability to be connected constantly, does not mean we should.
Be cognizant of employee engagement. Tim mentioned maintaining employee attention spans through digital engagement multiple times. This could mean keeping meetings brief and to the point or dedicating some time to focus on the team’s lives outside of work.
Encourage breaks.
Engage in a conversation. Julie mentioned having conversations with her team in order to understand where they are currently and how they can work to improve their wellbeing.

Employees need their leadership to step up and provide support right now where they can.

Now is the time to live out brand values

Leadership displays brand values every time they interact with their employees. It is during this time that brands are showing their true colors. Douwe mentioned how he has appreciated the individuals and companies who express their gratitude for healthcare workers and who actually donate. There’s a difference between claiming you’re a purpose-driven company and actually being one.

Tim shared that Citrix is developing services around wellness and mindfulness. Instead of a more product-centered approach, they are focusing on helping people through this challenging time.

Connect with competitors

An interesting point by Douwe is, that during this time, competitors are looking to each other to share their experiences and best practices with one another. There’s a standing call among the leading healthcare providers in Georgia right now - though they are competitors, they are coming together to ensure no patient slips through the cracks.

Using your competition as an asset to help the world get back on track is not only honorable, but may help everyone financially in the long run.

Innovate and expand current resources

Several times panelists brought up current projects that have fast tracked business by multiple years. Companies are having to adjust quickly to shift priorities to meet current demand. Julie mentioned that she wished she had shifted priorities sooner instead of keeping pre-COVID processes on track.

Marketers are having to reevaluate the current meaning of initiatives and come up with solutions. For people in the tech community like Tim, conferences are a huge deal and need to be reevaluated and replaced in some way.

With these abrupt changes, however, there is plenty of opportunity. Both Tim and Julie are currently working on projects that were initially years away in the making, and Julie mentioned how Kellogg’s is innovating with game activation since live sports have stopped. Due to shelter-in-place orders and hospital safety concerns/restrictions, Douwe recalled the exponential increase of Telehealth.

A special thanks to the wonderful panelists for sharing their experience as well as all of the attendees for joining us in our first ever virtual event!

We are hosting the next #MarketingMixer on July 9, 2020. Request an invite here.

Additionally, to combat the fact that in-person events have been canceled for the near future, Setup is driven to continue to facilitate connections through our “Marketer Matchups” initiative where we pair like-minded marketers based on their preferences. If you’re interested, fill out the survey here.

Don’t forget to listen to the playlist that the Setup team put together to hopefully add some sunshine to your day!