How the UK film industry is reacting to post-pandemic conditions
As most sectors start to re-open their doors to the public and return to a new norm, the entertainment industry is still on hold. There has been a massive push to resume the filming of our favourite TV shows and talk shows. But how will they go about it while following the current social distancing guidelines? Here are some productions that have found ways around this.
BFC Protocols
A back-to-work blueprint has been published by the British Film Commission (BFC) and adopted soon after by the broadcast giants such as BBC, ITV and Channel 4. It requires there to be 2 metres between cast and crew across all film settings. In order to execute certain shots, there will be an increase in the use of a green screen as well as keeping numbers on location and in studios to a minimum.
Zoom and Video call
Shows such as Question Time have adapted by keeping the panellists socially distanced while taking calls from people at home. Additionally, The Graham Norton Show has conducted interviews with his usual celebrity guests over video call. Although both of these live shows have been able to somewhat resume production, it’s not the same without a live audience.
Future productions
Before film crews head straight back to the sets and studios, they will be carefully reintroduced to their work setting. This means only primary crew members and key actors attending the shoots. Streaming giant Netflix is set to spend over £400m on producing more than 50 TV shows in the UK this year. A popular Netflix series The Witcher will resume production of its next series on the 17th August.
A follow on from the classic film series Jurassic Park: Jurassic World Dominion (2021) continued its filming process on the 6th July. The main cast which includes Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard arrived in the UK two weeks prior in order to quarantine before shooting at Pinewood studios in London.
Having spent £3.6b on producing 300 high-end films and TV shows last year in the UK, it is clear that the film industry will take a hit in 2020. But as restrictions are eased and larger groups of people are able to interact, the scale of production will increase and become more efficient.
Momentum is constantly looking for ways to improve our production value and adapting to the current situation so we can keep things rolling. If you’re looking for support, you know where to look.
While it feels like the rest of the world pretty much stalled over the past few months, it seems the invisible workers behind our favourite social media accounts have been hard at work. So, to make certain you’re still in the loop; the Momentum team has compiled the five most important changes affecting your social media accounts right now.
Social media updates you need to know about
Facebook shuts down Lasso
What’s Lasso? We hear you ask… Facebook’s heavily TikTok-inspired app has told it’s users they won’t be able to access the service from July 10th. The move comes as Instagram launches Reels in India to rival the World’s most downloaded app TikTok, admist security worries and bans in an increasing number of countries. Facebook’s repeated attempts to borrow Instagram’s features doesn’t seem to be working. In addition to the controversy reported in the last couple of years, could the platform be beginning to feel outdated? Thankfully, it’s investments in Instagram, Whatsapp and Oculus will ensure the giant won’t be disappearing from social media any time soon.
Instagram: Stories in, feed out?
Yes, it’s finally happened. Just like they did with IGTV, Instagram is now allowing users around the globe to extend the Stories panel to full screen. The move comes as Stories have been adopted by over 500 million users since their introduction in August 2016. With the launch of Reels within the app and the continued rise of TikTok, could short-form video eventually take over the app? Or the social media space entirely?
TikTok for business
Unsurprisingly, after enormous organic success. TikTok has now opened up a monetised version of the platform, specifically targeted at business users. The announcement comes at a time of security worries. However, TikTok maintains that the platform is transparent and can now provide a globally available advertising solution for businesses; with detailed targeting, budget and scheduling. We expect this will ruffle a few feathers! Considering the recent #BoycottFacebook campaign…
LinkedIn promotes teamwork
At a time when we’re separated from our colleagues. LinkedIn has released new features allowing businesses to simultaneously notify their entire team when the business page makes an announcement. LinkedIn’s algorithm favours the accounts of individuals over company pages. However, alongside the latest abilities to invite your connections to follow your business page, as well as the new notify button helps to level the promotional playing field.
Twitter launches #Voice
In a stroke of genius to try and revive the platform. Twitter has taken a leaf out of WhatsApp’s book and launched voice-enabled Tweets. As a platform centred around short stories, fast-facts and news bulletins, we think the feature will go down a storm with users. The ability to create one-touch audio content in a flash, is super convenient way for users to communicate with their respective audiences; particularly those who also own a podcast!
Need advice on how to action these updates? Just ask…
US President Donald Trump said he’s considering banning the popular video app TikTok in the US. This comes after Secretary of State Michael Pompeo was asked – Would you recommend downloading TikTok?
“Only if you want your private information in the hands of the Chinese Communist Party,” he responded.
A pretty damning assessment given the current global uncertainty. Both Australia and India have already banned the app to certain members of the public, and the US could soon follow suit.
Following on from the ban, Instagram has released a test of it’s latest feature ‘Reels’. Enabling users to create 15-second, looping video clips within the app. Just like TikTok…
Data collection service
TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a technology company headquartered in Beijing. The app has come under increased scrutiny due to leaks showing the amount of data it collects. The censoring of China’s foreign policy aims and any mention of the countries human rights record.
TikTok’s response was: “We have no higher priority than promoting a safe and secure app experience for our users. We have never provided user data to the Chinese government, nor would we do so if asked.”
What is clear, is that all social media platforms should be more transparent with the information they collect. It’s then up to the user to decide whether they want to provide this information.
What could this mean for the app?
This could have serious implications for the app, now and in the future. Many TikTok influencers have already left the app and gone to use other platforms. Damaging the long term popularity.
Nevertheless, it seems the app’s advertising system is still thriving. Users are still coming to terms with the platform. So awareness of the ad business is still not well-known and brands are continuing to push money into it. Keeping the economy flowing through the app’s audience.
At Momentum, the team still feel there’s a place for TikTok in the social media world. Short-form videos are still the go-to in the industry and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon. However, brands and users alike must be aware of the platforms current issues.
TikTok may be okay at the moment, but whilst the relationship with China remains frosty, it may not last. If you’re looking for support, you know where to look.
Thinking of launching a podcast in 2020? Here’s 5 things you should consider…
Thinking of starting a podcast in 2020? You’re not alone. In fact, in April 2020, Apple Podcasts surpassed 1,000,000 total podcasts. But don’t let that deter you, the podcast industry has grown dramatically in the last two years. 18% of adults in the UK now listen to podcasts on a weekly basis*. With 89% listening to more than one podcast per week. As people seek further connections with people during the lockdown, and a source of inspiration on various topics, it presents a very real opportunity for you to reach new and existing audiences to highlight your message.
But before you start, what are the key things you should consider? Here’s a guide to help get you started:
1. Find your niche
Before you even think about recording your first podcast, you have to have a clear understanding on the topic, and its intended audience. Don’t worry about being too specific here, find a topic you are passionate about, that also gives you the ability to discuss various elements surrounding it. Keep a consistent theme and messaging going throughout your series and your audience will tune in if they share your passion.
2. Work out a podcast schedule
A common question many ask if “How often should I be releasing new podcasts?”. There is no set answer. Work out a schedule that fits in with your lifestyle and stick to it. Doesn’t matter if it’s three times a week, or once a month. Pick a plan that you know you’ll be able to follow and this will help build your podcast brand consistency. Fans will know when to look out for your podcast and will set reminders for the next episode.
3. Equipment
You don’t have to have expensive studio equipment to record a podcast. Obviously, the most important piece of kit you should consider is a decent microphone to improve your audio quality, but these don’t have to cost a fortune. Two of the most popular microphones on the market are:
Also, consider buying a shock mount for your work surface to stop any unwanted knocks or bangs during recording!
For editing, this will depend on your desire for the final output. However, we would recommend ending in Adobe Audition to get the cleanest possible sound.
For distribution, you don’t have to worry about uploading your podcast to every single podcasting platform individually. Simply get an account with Anchor.fm, and your podcasts will be automatically shared to each platform on your behalf!
4. Promote your podcast
Like any form of marketing, no one is going to know about your new podcast unless they are made aware of it. Create social media posts and share your content in appropriate Facebook and LinkedIn Groups to encourage people to give it a listen. Engage with people on social media, build relationships with your audience and they’ll turn into subscribers.
5. Be patient
You may aspire to be the next Joe Rogan, but he has spent years perfecting his craft, and built a loyal community of thousands that tune into each episode. You can do the same, but it will take time. Don’t be discouraged if your first few episodes don’t receive the views you were hoping for. Be patient, keep promoting your podcast in new areas and keep your consistency up. You’ll soon see your viewership figures increasing.
If you’d like help setting up your podcast, please feel free to get in touch with the Momentum team who will be more than happy to help!
Keeping the mind hungry in lockdown using videography
Everyone is most likely stuck in a rut in one way or the other, with limited access to their usual work environments. We are often in a search to find new ways of staying productive. So here are a few ways you can produce video content while following the current rules.
Using archive footage stored on your computer or old hard drives is ideal in re-mastering any forgotten projects you’ve acquired over the years. This also acts as a good exercise as you can measure how your videography skills have developed. To do so, firstly compare your old pieces of work to your most recent and go from there. Isolation is a perfect time to improve your skills. You can even pick up new ones, all you need to do is practice.
You can easily get your hands on stock footage. Whether it’s free online or found through a stock subscription site such as Motion Array or Artgrid. Mixing and matching videography clips that other people have captured gives you the opportunity to choose exactly what you envision and even increases the production value by using professionally shot sequences.
Quarantine Cookies
If you’re looking to shoot something original a great way to start is to find a subject. This could be someone else in your household or just yourself. But the subject doesn’t always have to be a person. This might be an object you could use to create a stop motion video. You could even jump right onto your editing software to build an animation where the possibilities are endless.
One member of the Momentum team took to the kitchen to film the making and baking of a treat we all enjoy. Following a popular camera technique, he shot each clip with the transitions in mind by including camera whips and pans. This then made the editing process smoother and established a perfect workflow.
Dominos
Our team’s most recent project is an example of how incorporating visual title graphics and in-depth sound design to a short sequence of clips helps enhance the production value. This creates an ultra-realistic feel while watching it.
If you’re looking for any insight or advice on producing video you can contact us at momentumsocial.com/contact or give us a call on 01296 380114.
It might surprise you when we say that events which integrate AR, VR and live elements aren’t necessarily a new thing. However, the covid-19 pandemic has brought the challenge of running hybrid events to the forefront of many people’s minds. Although the theoretical framework is available, event planners have a lot to consider before diving in…
Infrastructure and wifi
It definitely won’t surprise you when we say, a strong connection is vital to operating hybrid events. Unfortunately many UK venues are not prepared for the upcoming demand. For example, to stream in 720p quality you need a minimum of 15-35 mbps of bandwidth. However, in recent surveys many UK hotels and conference halls came up short; only offering speeds of 1-10 mbps on average.
The solution? Take matters into your own hands. In fact, every good event planner should have at least one external specialist wifi service to call upon. Otherwise, have access to portable routers with strong connection speeds for smaller scale events. Ask our team about navigating this challenge.
Videography
Unsurprisingly, in order to deliver an effective hybrid event or conference, event managers will need a high quality audio and video source or third-party video team. So, before you go ahead and decide to deliver your event over zoom, teams or meets. Consider what your physical events say about your business to your customers and what you’d like your virtual or hybrid event to say.
Remember, it’s important to maintain your brand values, particularly during turbulent times. With that in mind, see hybrid events as an opportunity to differentiate yourself and adopt technology to outmanoeuvre your competition. So, to ensure your event stands out as an immersive experience for your audience, we’d recommend consulting a specialist.
Pre-recorded live streams
Newsflash! Some of the best live streams AREN’T actually live… Much like many of your favourite television programmes or panel shows. In fact, the vast majority of ‘live broadcasts’ feature pre-recorded content and there’s a few very good reasons why…
Quality within budget.
In short, to get multiple camera angles, clear audio and high production value as a truly live broadcast takes a large team of camera operations and production crew. In other words, it gets incredibly expensive, very quickly. However, operating under a pre-recorded situation allows for a leaner production team, with production quality taken care of in post production.
Technical issues.
How many of us have been annoyed or even complained when a Live stream has buffered or experienced technical issues? It’s the #1 reason for the audience to switch off and therefore something which is vital to avoid. The solution? Pre-record your content as if it was live and deliver it as a broadcast to give the appearance of a live event. The ‘look and feel’ can also be helped by services such as YouTube or Facebook Premiere.
If you’re considering a virtual or hybrid event, feel free to ask our team for advice.
It’s 2020 and Instagram is still the ideal platform to share your brand’s personality. Helping inspire your customer base to buy into your product or service and continue to engage a new audience.
One of the most engaging ways to communicate on the channel is through carousel posts. For those that are unaware – a carousel post is a creative way to get more content into a smaller space. You can feature up to 10 unique images, each with different headlines, descriptions, and URLs all within the same story.
With that in mind, influencers and brands still struggle to create engaging carousels. But don’t worry, by the end of this article, you will well-placed to create engaging carousels to help achieve your goals.
1. Boring cover slide
The first point of call for an Instagram carousel is always the cover slide. The cover slide will be the first thing a user sees when scrolling through their Instagram feed. The aim of a good cover slide is to stop the scroll! The visual should spark interest in the topic, giving readers no excuse but to read on.
2. Front-heavy carousels
Many carousels feature way too much information on the first few pages. This creates more work for the audience and increases the likelihood of them dropping off the post or zoning out. If you’ve got a lot of information, simply space the carousel out to 8 or 10 slides.
3. Not enough visuals
Instagram is a visual platform. People react better to posts that are engaging and visually pleasing. So make sure your carousel has simple messages with minimal text to help create engaging carousels. Sometimes, the most effective carousel can simply be a single image split into different slides. Something that everybody is capable of creating with the help of a photo editing app.
4. Weak CTAs
Strong calls-to-action are important on any platform. A value-driven CTA will help improve engagement from the user tenfold. Whereas a fake question to trigger comments will have little importance to both parties.
5. Believing they need to be static
Many believe that video carousels are difficult to produce and often, more time-consuming than static images. This is a common misconception, as most mobile phones are capable of recording high-quality videos ready for social in a fraction of the time.
6. Low-resolution images
Due to the nature of carousels, images used NEED to be a higher resolution in comparison to normal-post counterparts. It’s common for marketers to use a low-resolution image, reducing the quality of the content.
If you can avoid even some of these common mistakes, you’ll begin to see an improvement in your carousels. Keep creating, keep improving and if you need a little help along the way, Momentum is always here to help.
But experimentation is a crucial path to new opportunities and business growth. Particularly when there’s an uncertain road ahead.
Being experimental isn’t natural for most of us. Generally, when something unnatural happens, we deflect it. Then try to understand it in order to get back to normality. Why? Because normality feels safe. Particularly in business, no news is often good news and marketing trundles along doing the same thing it’s always done until something comes along and forces it to change.
“I don’t have time to experiment with strategy”
Well luckily, one thing we all have right now is time. The simple fact is, if experimentation isn’t part of your strategy, you’re missing out. Now, you’re probably thinking; of course you’re going to tell me to try new things with my marketing, you’re a digital marketing agency – and you’d be absolutely right.
Day in, day out, we see the impact trying new things has on all kinds of businesses. Now more than ever is the time to prioritise this to impact your business and steer it in a new direction, away from negative uncertainty.
The great marketing irony
One thing most marketing and creative agencies are terrible at, is marketing themselves. It’s not because they can’t, but because they often use the same excuse: “we don’t have time”. The reason I say this, is because we raised the same question within the Momentum team earlier this year and the results have never been more relevant. Here’s what we learnt…
Collaboration
A change in environment requires a change in strategy. Sound familiar? The quickest way to change your strategy is to consider a new perspective and the best way to hear a new perspective is to listen to someone else’s. For us, that meant realising it was time to take a more empathetic approach and help other people during a time of need. So, we teamed up with our friends at Purple Tasche to create 12 weeks of content, which could be donated to the general public. Completely free. In fact, you can download yourself right here. For you, it could simply mean reading this perspective and taking a step back to look at your own business. In fact, there’s never been a better time to try it.
OK. It was mainly because we already utilise both blogs and YouTube, but you should definitely take note of the huge surge in popularity the humble podcast is experiencing. Helped on by new consumer tech and a massive need for long-form content within consumers, 2020 is set to be the year of the podcast. Why? Because there’s no need for a huge production (you can podcast in your pants – if so inclined) so it’s efficient to create. Plus, with the eyes of the multi-screening audience already engaged, there’s a wide open opportunity to target their ears.
Communication
Less work emails = more inbox space.
There’s millions of people across the world with spare inbox space right now. Many traditional office workflows have slowed, yet we bet you still check your inbox every 15 minutes, just out of pure habit.
So, why not take advantage of this attention while it lasts? Email marketing is nothing new, maybe you’ve even tried it before… But that was in the ‘old normal’. This is the new normal, and business as unusual has created a new field of play. People are using social media more, yes. But mainly for news or entertainment. If you truly want to engage with your customer, hit them where their attention has space. We did, check it out.
Momentum Social is proud to announce apartnership with Toby Trice Racing. Together helping capturing his journey of becominga professional racing driver and raising awareness for infertility through motorsport.
The Ginetta driver has ambitions to race in the World Endurance Series and Momentum will be looking to help him down every straight and through every hairpin along the way. With years of motorsport marketing experience, the team will look to help provide advice and coverage for Toby’s journey.
Momentum Co-Founder and Director Alex Wood stated “It’s a very proud moment for us to be able to forge this new partnership with Toby. An individual as driven as the Momentum team, it made sense to formthis new relationship as Toby sets his sights on progressing through the TOCA paddock. We look forward to seeing his motorsport career develop and providing media support along the way.”
Following the announcement, Toby said “This partnership is fantastic news, I am so proud to partner with the Momentum team. It is great to have their support in helping document my dream. But equally, they are right behind my goal of raising awareness for infertility.
Their work really stands out and I couldn’t bemore excited to get to work on our plans.”
The current global pandemic has turned the majority of people’s lives upside down. Unable to go to work, unable to have social interactions and unable to lead their everyday lives.
But in every seemingly dark situation, there is always glimmers of light with new industries thriving. This time, it’s the turn of the gaming industry, one that has been widely slated for decades.
Often pinned as a factor in causing childhood obesity and tenuously linked to mental health, parents have tried to limit the amount of time their children spend in front of their game’s consoles for years. But with current lockdown measures in place, children have flocked to gaming platforms to keep in touch with friends and engage in social interactions with people outside of their own four walls, much to the encouragement of their parents.
But it’s not just children that have picked up controllers and looked towards gaming to provide entertainment during this crisis. It appears to be people of all ages. In March, Steam reached a new record of 20.3 million concurrent players using its platform. While one of the biggest games of 2020 so far, Call of Duty Warzone; saw 15 million players in the first three days after launch. With people unable to leave their homes, these games now provide their main source of entertainment and interaction with friends, leading many through the crisis.
The rise of eSports
Similarly, the amount of people watching eSports has risen dramatically since the start of the year. Already a booming industry, experts had predicted a 15.7% growth in the esports industry before Covid-19 took hold, with the current crisis only looking to bolster this growth further.
There are several factors that have helped eSports thrive in recent months, most notably the influx of real-world sports stars now taking part in regular online leagues. Providing eSports with a new level of prestige, it has shaken the stigma that eSports was purely for teenagers and thrust the industry into the mainstream. With sports unable to take place, these eSports championships offer stars the chance to remain relevant, uphold agreements with sponsors and provide entertainment to thousands of fans all in one go.
With fans starved of real-world sporting activities, many who previously slated these championships and stated they would never “watch someone else play a video game” have been pleasantly surprised by the realism and competitiveness of these virtual alternatives.
Motorsport, in particular, has thrived off this idea. With drivers able to race in professional-grade simulators against their real-world rivals on a variety of racing platforms, at circuits around the world to offer fans a realistic replacement to tide us over. And it’s working.
ESports viewership jumped up 17% between January and March this year, with 1.75 billion minutes of content watched. Formula 1’s virtual Grand Prix average 350,000 live views per race. While across the Atlantic, Indycar and NASCAR have each broken viewership records, with the latter achieving 1.3 million views on a single race.
Is it more than just a game?
Aside from providing fans with a few hours of entertainment each week, is there any longevity in online gaming and streaming?
The answer seems to be a resounding yes. However, the industry appears to be at a crossroads. With the current unique situation, many new series and leagues have formed. Each vying for consumer attention, desperate to carve a corner of the market for themselves. But the danger lies in oversaturating the market. Since their introduction, and despite the previously stated records. Both Indycar and NASCAR have seen a fall in viewership week-on-week for their individual series.
The pros and cons
While some experts claim this is due to fatigue from watching too many series. It can be said that there are now too many to choose from. Time is always a limiting factor, and it could quite simply be due to their being too many conflicting sessions that people are unable to commit to watching everyone. The industry is in danger of cannibalising itself before it really becomes mainstream. That’s before you even begin to think about external issues such as internet connections…
But on the other hand, this lockdown period has opened the eyes of many. Not just individuals, but also major brands. If a year ago, you had approached many and suggested that they become a title sponsor of an online gaming league. In most cases, they would not have even considered this as a viable marketing opportunity to reach mass audiences.
Fast forward to now, and with the ability brand these sporting leagues as professionally as the TV broadcasts from which they originate, and with viewing figures that rival some TV channels. Brands have been awakening to a new form of advertising that will help them connect with many of the key audiences that they have been trying to reach.
You only have to look as far as how the Supercars Championship has positioned itself alongside BP and other major sponsors to realise that this is no longer teenagers in their bedrooms streaming their favourite game. This is an industry on the brink of exploding. With many sports stars having regular downtime in-between their commitments, the ability to give their sponsors additional coverage. Whilst simultaneously building their personal brand during this time presents a significant new opportunity for all involved.
Will eSports win over the masses?
With its significant growth and new global audiences, combined with a newfound legitimacy from real-world sports stars competing against their fans. It appears esports, and gaming as a whole has surged in popularity.
It is no longer seen as just a ‘game’, in most cases. Many now see it as a sport like any other. In fact, there has been a 20% weekly rise in gaming betting since lockdown. In March, Fifa 2020 had more total bets than Overwatch, StarCraft 2 and Call of Duty combined. With the Nevada Gaming Control Board also rushing through approval for betting on League of Legends, Call of Duty and Overwatch leagues. As soon as gambling is involved, it creates a new dynamic for the industry. While some may not welcome it, it will bring much-needed benefits.
In order for gambling to be allowed, the games that are utilised will have to face rigorous checks to ensure no cheating, or rigging can take place. With hackers so prevalent in many of these games. New measures will have to be put in place to ensure that this is eradicated. Although the developers will be doing these with pro leagues in mind, this will also benefit the end consumer. With patches and updates that should improve the overall quality of gameplay.
So, what’s your thought on the gaming and eSports industry? At Momentum Social we see this as a great opportunity for brands and consumers alike to benefit through many avenues. Whether it’s creating new opportunities through sponsorship, or simply curing boredom.
You can find out more about our views by listening to our podcast with TIE Group members Slingshot Sponsorship, and Ranieri, both of which have extensive knowledge of the industry and the various opportunities available.
At Momentum, we understand that design can be tricky for small businesses and beginners. Making graphic and animations that POP can be time-consuming, energy-sapping and, above all else, difficult.
With this in mind, the team has produced a short guide to help all you aspiring creatives along the way.
1. Be careful with margins and spacing
Clean design requires attention-to-detail. Visualise your design beforehand and plan out where you want each of your elements to sit on the canvas. Is it easy to understand? Does it look clean? Ask yourself these questions and even get a second pair of eyes to check it works.
As a rule of thumb, make sure to leave a 50 pixel/12mm margin at the edges of the canvas so nothing is too close to the edge.
2. Use complementary colours
Using contrasting and complementary colours are crucial to good design. Pick a group of colours to use as a palette and stick to it. A simple guide for picking a colour guide can be found here. Once decided, make sure to contrast between different elements and highlight the key features of the graphic with a stand out colour.
3. Pay attention to typography
Different fonts work with different graphics. For example, bold fonts will work for headlines and strong graphics. Whilst thin, handwritten fonts will provide a more delicate feel to the overall design.
As another rule of thumb, try using no more than two fonts/weights to keep the design simple and easy to understand.
4. Don’t be afraid to include visual textures
Our favourite part of striking graphic design is adding textures. Textures like broken glass, lens flares and vintage paper all help bring a graphic together. These are key to creating compelling and lifelike designs. It creates a visual illusion that invokes an emotive response from the viewer. Making your graphics eye-catching and ultimately, more memorable.
5. Ask for help
Don’t be averse to asking for help. Everybody has their own skillsets, a limited amount of resources and time. If you find you’re struggling to create content for your channels – simply ask for help. There’s plenty of experts that know what makes good design and what doesn’t.
If you find yourself struggling, speak to our experienced design team and discover the power of visual design.
This isn’t another coronavirus blog. Because the time has now come for solutions, not statements… Let’s be honest, currently people feel like sh*t and nobody really knows what the f*ck is going on, or what to do next. So, setting coronavirus aside, the Momentum team decided it was time to become a voice of reason; sharing knowledge that we know will help people during uncertainty, now and in the future.
Pivot away from uncertainty
Ever heard the expression, one door closes, another door opens? During and after every major or global event, good or bad. There are always economic winners and losers. Whether you’re a short-seller that’s now sitting on a Caribbean Island, or a pub landlord that’s completely out of work. Just because the external factors were out of your control, doesn’t mean the solution is. In fact, if you can pivot fast enough. You may even find yourself thriving and we’re here to help you do it.
Sell with integrity
Uncertainty causes panic, especially when cash flow is involved. But blatantly profiteering from a crisis or employing crass sales tactics will completely demolish brand credibility. When approaching cash flow look within, and determine what internal changes or cut backs you can temporarily make to either free up cash or make your reserves last longer. Then with the short term problem under control; develop a long term narrative, that’s empathetic to the external situation and your customers – who are likely also struggling. This will build a positive reputation and increase brand credibility long term, which will be far more valuable to your business than a few short term cash wins.
Yes, cash is king during uncertain times, we’d never dispute that. However, it’s also vital to look past the short term problem and focus on what your business, and most importantly your brand; will look like in 12 weeks and 12 months time.
Build brand resilience
Let’s face it, a crisis is often an excellent kick up the a*se for many of us, both personally and in business. But crisis or no crisis, brand resilience should always be a focus point in your business plan. The best way to know if you’ve built resilience is to ask yourself; how fast can my business pivot? For example; the bars and cafes that survive uncertainty are those with the nouse to become temporary-boutique supermarkets or delivery services…
With that in mind, ask yourself… If my business was forced to close tomorrow, what could I do to keep operating?
Hindsight is bad for longevity, building brand resilience is how you win long term.
Digital transformation
Marketing while your business is closed actually makes perfect sense; even if you weren’t an online business before. Why? Because once the crisis period passes, your products or services will be needed again and business owners who are vocal online during this time will be the businesses consumers buy from first when it’s all over. But don’t worry about doing it alone, we are here to help.
We’ve made a completely free 12-week digital action plan:
As time ticks on, more and more brands are figuring out how to make the most of the coronavirus crisis. As a result, we are seeing plenty of varied campaigns that have helped form communities and bridge the huge gaps left in the world as we know it.
Here are some of the brands that are doing it RIGHT:
P.E with Joe Wicks
As part of the crisis, Joe Wicks deployed a simple yet extremely effective Coronavirus marketing strategy. Starting Monday 23rd March, he hosted a free workout aimed at kids live on his YouTube Channel.
He stated, “With the schools closed and with us all spending more time at home, it’s more important than ever that we keep moving and stay healthy and positive.” And how right was he…
The first live show peaked at over 806,000 live views, earning his channel 30,000 new followers and 51 years of view time! Truly unprecedented numbers in unprecedented times.
Brewgel: BrewDog begins making hand sanitiser
BrewDog began making hand sanitiser at one of its distilleries in Aberdeen, due to shortages driven by the coronavirus. The brand said it would be providing the sanitiser free of charge for those who need it the most.
BrewDog’s founder, James Watt, said: “We are determined to do everything we can to try and help as many people as possible stay safe.”
Like other brands, BrewDog’s selflessness will have a huge effect on a wide community.
Apple offers unlimited sick leave to employees
Tech giant Apple Co. let its employees all around the globe work from home. CEO, Tim Cook stated that “the company’s retail and hourly workers are getting unlimited sick leave if they experience the pneumonia-like symptoms linked to the disease.”
Therefore giving them peace of mind when it comes to making serious financial decisions as a result of the coronavirus crisis.
F1 eSports Series
As mentioned before, there’s always an opportunity in crisis. F1 has taken this saying by the horns with its Virtual Grand Prix. Celebrities, fans and drivers all competed from the comfort of their own homes around the Bahrain circuit last weekend.
Although there were no championship points at stake, it didn’t stop the competitiveness of all involved. Resulting in a massive amount of live viewers and some much-needed enjoyment.
How your brand can create coronavirus marketing campaigns
If you’re stuck wondering how and where your brand fits into the ever-changing industries. It’s important to know that you’re not alone. Companies, big and small, are looking for ways to make an impact.
At Momentum, we are here to help. Let’s have that virtual coffee and chat about what you can do to make a difference to your customers and the wider community.
Uncertain times lead to uncertain decisions. Uncertain decisions make for wrong decisions; and with wrong decisions comes failure. But not all of us are destined for failure. Uncertain times can also lead to opportunities, as long as you sell with integrity.
Take Joe Wicks for example; the fitness expert understood that everyone was self-isolating and unable to enter the gym. So, he used his social channels to host a live fitness session this week which had over 1 million people watching simultaneously. Making him the #1 trend on Twitter (ahead of Coronavirus no less).
Opportunities are everywhere
There’s opportunities for all of us. Re-pitching new opportunities to your existing and new clients will be the key to helping them show their character and building long-term value with customers.
Live streaming figures have increased 10x on average this week, so replacing live events with live streams could help fill the void left in the events industry. This is just one of the opportunities that has arisen over the past few weeks. We’re certain there’s hundreds more.
Top 5 social platforms right now
As more and more people work from home, social media platforms continue to rise in users and subsequent viewers. This makes standing out from the crowd even more important. Now more so than ever. One basic rule for any platform is to ask questions. Because:
Questions = Comments = Engagement = Relevance
Relevance = Reach + Growth
With all this in mind, there are 5 channels that are absolutely crucial for businesses and individuals alike:
Community.com – Soon to be launching in the UK, this platform is SMS in power and SMS in nature. Celebrities/Brands can speak directly to their audience without algorithms blocking their advances: allowing leaders to text with direct, organic and meaningful communication at massive scale
Podcasting – One of the best ways to create a meaningful connections with your audience is to use a podcast. This can be done in the comfort of your own room with pretty much any laptop or computer. Podcasts stimulate deeper conversations and quite simply create more leads
Facebook Groups – As more people and brands saturate the newsfeed, time will eventually come where groups lead the way for business interaction and lead generation. Facebook is focusing on connecting people in a real way. So, now is the time to create sub-networks that bring the community closer to you and your brand
Instagram – Gone are the days of short, snappy captions. The algorithm now determines if a post is useful by ‘view time’. Meaning longer captions = more view time. But as always with Instagram, Consistency is key. Make sure you’re active daily to achieve the best results
LinkedIn – This is quite simply the golden era. The channel is yet to be completely monetised like Facebook and so rewards users who are active daily. Always respond to every comment to help play the algorithm and increase your engagement with other users. It’s also quite clear that company pages don’t perform as well as individuals. Therefore making it important to ensure all your employees are active and commenting on each other’s posts to increase reach tenfold
If you’re wondering which opportunities to capitalise on, our experienced team is always on-hand to offer support. Chat to us today!
This Tuesday Facebook announced that it was to launch a cash grant program that provides $100 million in cash grants and advertising credits. Helping small businesses trying to cope with the uncertainty surrounding the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced on her Facebook page that it will be “investing $100 million to help 30,000 small businesses in over 30 countries”.
Whilst the site hasn’t directly stated when this will be put into practice; it is a significant step to help support small businesses all around the world. Covering operational costs like employee wages, rent and bills is sure to help them survive in these turbulent times. Facebook also state that it will use ad credits to boost business services.
Last year, we listed reasons why investing in a social advertising strategy was important for businesses and it is now more important than ever before. As more and more people self-isolate and work from home, digital spaces will become even further crowded. Making getting your business heard critical, not only for survival but thriving as well.
Getting through it together
The company also introduced a ‘Business Resource Hub’ with official information about COVID-19 and how businesses can manage the outbreak. Whilst also providing them with downloadable content with best practices in staying connected to their audience network.
“We want to do more” said Sheryl Sandberg. A simple message showing how companies, big and small, can pull together to help one another get back to normality. It could be a different type of normal, but let’s try and get there together.
We’ll continue to update you all in the coming weeks with any further developments. If you would like to see if you are eligible, please contact us and we can look into this on your behalf
