2019 changed the way we shop forever. Brands are now more aware than ever that the model their using today may not work tomorrow. With ongoing economic uncertainty and a future that could throw anything at us, it's crucial to diversify marketing efforts. That way, no matter what happens, you have options to adjust your strategy quickly.
Shopify storyteller Dayna Winter writes how many businesses actually thrived during the pandemic, despite the unfortunate closure of others. It came as no surprise for Shopify researchers to learn that loungewear brands and home fitness companies experienced burgeoning success as more and more lockdown restrictions were implemented across the globe.
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Products from health and beauty brands, as well as subscription businesses, became more popular as consumers were instructed to stay at home and flatten the spread of the virus. Face scrubs and masks, soaps, and exercise equipment consequently became frequent purchases as consumers suddenly tried to recreate at-home experiences of what they’d normally find or buy outdoors.
Similarly, brands could no longer venture out to interesting locations or public spaces to shoot content for their social media channels. This is when businesses started relying on their brand ambassadors to produce unique at-home content promoting their products that they could repost across all of their socials.
We're looking at ways that brands successfully navigated the challenges of 2020 to help arm you with tactics to use in future periods of economic uncertainty.
How to Grow with Ambassador Marketing Through Economic Uncertainty
1. Take Advantage of Change
Some of the companies that embraced this turn in marketing moved their brand ambassador ‘missions’ indoors. Apparel brands, for instance, asked their ambassadors to create lookbooks or fashion diaries of WFH outfits featuring stylish semi-formal attire styled in three different ways.
Since people couldn’t dress up to go out, these lookbooks provided relevant, aspirational content. Although there was no place to go, lookbooks inspired viewers to buy clothing so that they could dress up at home in the same way.
2. Take a Tip From The Kase
Phone covers and accessories company, The Kase, is an example of a business that had to close all its retail outlets and rely solely on its webshop during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period. The Kase partnered with our platform to expand their customer base by gathering a pool of ambassadors to speak for the brand throughout Europe.
They encouraged ambassadors to join their UNIK Club so that a community of individuals could express their identity on social media through fashion, lifestyle, and smartphone cases using hashtags like #IAmUNIK and #UNIK_CLUB.
During the stay-home period, The Kase altered the missions and campaigns for their UNIK ambassador community by creating new discount codes, offering 70% off on all of their products, and sending ambassadors a free case if they featured the brand in an Instagram post.
This motivated their ambassadors to get creative at home, posting content that was relatable to viewers and therefore desirable from a consumer perspective.
3. Utilise Your Community
Marketing during a recession can be daunting. As major global events throw the world into times of economic uncertainty, we recommend brands encourage their ambassadors to create super relatable content. Potential customers will be keener to order your product online if your ambassadors show them how it can help them thrive through world events.
