In a very short time the world has changed with COVID-19. There is less money circulating in the economy, consumers are hyper-cautious and their spending patterns have changed. More organisations are online competing for mindshare. Brands that are not offering clear, compelling and value relevant to the post-COVID economy will not stand out and will be left behind.

How do you plan for the post COVID world when there is no guidebook? While the unknowns are currently challenging many organisations as they plan ahead, there are also knowns that you can work with.

For instance, brands that are authentic, have a clearly defined purpose and live it every day will be advantaged over those who don’t. Brands with unique offerings that fulfill a new need or an old need in a new way will be in demand.

Brands that are consistently expressed with ‘one look, one feel, one voice’ – across all touch points and are backed up by ‘onbrand’ and reliable delivery of their products and services by all their staff, will be a step ahead. Brands with a strong digital presence will also be advantaged.

Is your brand ready to embrace the brave new world? Here are a few tips to make your journey out of COVID-19 a success:

1. Know your customer, in particular their position on COVID-19

Make sure you understand the mindset of your audiences (are they ready for commercial conversations or are they still scrambling and trying just to survive?). Don’t make assumptions. If you treat your audiences like a mass market, they will treat you like a mass marketer! Is your offering still / more relevant now? What can you learn from your customers, perhaps through conversations or some simple research, that may help you shape your brand and products to serve them better / be more competitive in the post COVID-19 world?

2. Be authentic and sincere in your brand communications.

Say what you mean and mean what you say. Make sure your entire organisation understands the promises you are making and what your team members – personally and collectively – need to do to deliver them.

3. Be distinctive and vital.

This is not a time for beige or being inconsistent. Reconnect with your purpose, review and refine your visual brand and messaging to focus on your uniqueness and what makes you valuable.

4. Tool up digitally

There is no denying that brands will need to be more ‘digitally enabled’ in the post COVID-19 world. Do you have the current digital assets and digital marketing approach to competently engage your audiences in this way? Do you have the tools, the internal capability and the external support in place to ensure your brand is performing optimally online, now and into the future?

If your brand wasn’t performing optimally prior to COVID-19, the effects are likely to be more pronounced on the other side.

Is it time for a rebrand? Maybe, maybe not. But it is certainly a good time to reflect on and possibly hone your brand so that it isn’t ignored in the recovery.

To help out organisations who need to work on their brand now but don’t perhaps have the resources to invest, Taylor & Grace is currently hosting a competition for an Australian organisation to win $50,000 worth of brand work by responding in 50 words to the question : ‘What value does your brand bring to the world?’ More information on their website.