Recommended COVID-19 reading – a curated list of the week’s top marketing articles

COVID-19 Marketing Resources →

Given the growing business and customer experience implications presented by COVID-19, proactive education is absolutely critical. But as the situation continues to evolve with each day, the helpful resources of today may quickly become outdated tomorrow.

To better assist marketers and executives in discerning where to invest their precious energy, we’ll be updating this page with some of the top reading material published throughout the week.

Some of the key findings from these articles include:

• The importance of gaining consumer trust is at an all-time high
• Many organizations are working to rethink organizational structures and operations to protect against future threats
• Marketers are taking more creative approaches toward unearthing new, innovative, digital strategies to deploy to maintain consumer attention
• Organizations are assessing all of their options for the recovery phase

Harvard Business Review: What family businesses need to adapt to a crisis

Family businesses must handle crises in a unique way compared to the average business. Unlike a business with an anonymous mass of investors, engaged family enterprise owners definitively care about the economics of their investments, but are also keenly focused on the many internal and external stakeholders who have enabled their success. In this piece from Harvard Business Review, learn how multigenerational organizations trudge forward, providing stability and direction in a sea of volatility.

McKinsey: Jump-starting resilient and reimagined operations

The health crisis has forced organizations to reconfigure their operations, transforming them from the ground up. Successful companies will work to redesign both their operations and their supply chains to protect their business against aftershocks and future disruptions. In this article, learn about the three steps organizations can take to update their current operating procedures.

Forbes: From ‘virtual sleepover’ to ‘accent wall dots,’ marketers are using Pinterest to find COVID-19 hobbies

Marketers are thinking on their feet, looking to understand changes in consumer behavior to deliver better digital experiences. Looking to unearth trends and draw inspiration, learn how Pinterest search data is helping marketers predict consumers’ mindsets.

ClickZ: The role of marketers in a post-COVID-19 world

For the past two months, consumer sentiment has shifted due to disruptions since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. To better understand this shift, McKinsey conducted a survey across 40 countries. ClickZ boils down the findings and insights, explaining how marketing leaders are navigating the crisis and planning for the recovery phase.

MarketingWeek: There are no one-size-fits-all answers for getting through the pandemic

Executives and thought leaders are in a peculiar position right now – being urged to make strong, confident decisions to exude a sense of stability to those that rely on them. But the reality is, nuances of each business mean each has a unique decision to make on whether to spend or save. In this think piece, heed some advice on the complexities of strategic decision making during a crisis.

MIT Sloan Management Review: Growth Opportunities for Brands During the COVID-19 Crisis

The current, unprecedented state of the market and eCommerce presents a unique opportunity to small and mid-tier brands: a chance to compete against larger, more established rivals. With more consumers now turning to digital for all of their shopping needs, learn how marketers at SMBs and mom-and-pops can rethink their value propositions right now to capture consumer attention.

Nielsen: Scenarios beyond COVID-19: Rebound, reboot, reinvent

Governments, localities, and businesses are mapping plans for the recovery phase of the pandemic, identifying safe and feasible ways to open up shops, restaurants, and public spaces. In response, many are wondering how the market will recover and what the process looks like over the coming year. In this piece from Nielsen, read about three unique frameworks for global market regeneration.

Marketing Dive: Why sustainability could be more crucial — and difficult — for brands in the COVID-19 era

While many may be tabling sustainability practices in the short-term, many marketers have found it to be a focal point during a period of disaster, especially as they work to gain consumer trust. Learn more about the unique opportunity they are being faced with to pivot toward more sustainability-minded strategies in this piece from Marketing Dive.

Consumer behavior will continue to shift over the coming weeks, and we’ll be here to provide you with the necessary information and insights you need to remain agile and ensure long-term success for your organization. Check back next week for more resources and visit our COVID-19 marketing hub for the most up-to-date strategies and insights for dealing with ongoing business challenges.