As part of our new series, ‘Marketers Playbook for 2020 Post COVID--19?, Elizabeth Venkataraman, Joint President and Head of Marketing, Kotak Mahindra Bank says empathy, creative thinking and agility are the three pillars with which marketers need to support customers The world as a whole is facing an unparalleled challenge in the form of Covid-19. Our frontline warriors like healthcare professionals, enforcement services, bankers and food providers are selflessly fighting the nation’s war against Covid-19 whilst facing great challenges and a possible threat to their own lives. At the same time, as people retreat into isolation due to the virus, there is a growing sense of uncertainty amongst customers. At such a sensitive time, empathy, creative thinking and agility are the three pillars with which marketers need to support customers and warriors through the rigours of Covid-19. The new homebound economy is driving significant shifts in people’s motivation and behaviour. There is a massive increase in media consumption with patterns differing across age groups. Predictably, categories such as groceries, healthcare essentials and entertainment have seen a jump, whereas luxury products have been virtually abandoned. While there is a general cautious sense of optimism about recovery post Covid-19, our warriors are facing unprecedented pressures of working in tough environments with overstretched resources. Marketers need to monitor the emerging needs and expectations through socially intelligent listening tools to stay relevant, offer support and communicate authentically in times like these. Due to the pandemic enforced physical distancing, online is becoming the preferred medium of interaction even amongst the most ‘digitally impervious’ segment. As customers are confined at homes, virtual initiatives such as contactless commerce are growing in popularity. Even digital delivery models such as app-based medical consultation, online delivery and knowledge-sharing platforms will prove immensely valuable for our customers, forging stronger bonds with them. Agile brands mobilizing such innovative digital solutions to alleviate the stress of the current situation will leave a long lasting impact on the customer’s mind and will broaden the brand’s reach to new audiences. With spends trending lower due to the lockdown, brands should ideally prioritize and optimize their product mix with agile marketing practices to ensure cost effective but high quality customer experiences. Brands will also need to rethink marketing and media strategies with continuous performance tracking to cater to the constantly evolving market dynamics. Recent increase in media consumption patterns hints at the huge opportunity to engage meaningfully with a captive audience across multiple formats. While the younger generation is more inclined towards music and online games, millennials - as the foodie generation - are likely searching for healthy cooking recipes, while for Baby Boomers and Gen X, broadcast TV seems to be medium of choice. Although online videos and broadcast TV are the primary mediums across all generations, marketers will need to reassess the choice of media delivery to maximize the impact and drive positive brand metrics. Marketers must also plan for the ‘new normal’ – the phase post-Covid. The economic impact of the virus will affect incomes and savings of many, ultimately lowering buying power. Social monitoring tools will be crucial to gain insights on the new mindsets of people and to develop capabilities and provide support to overcome the impending challenges. Brands driving positive and empathetic interactions will also strengthen psychological wellbeing of customers as they navigate the post Covid-19 world. While there is a lot of uncertainty, marketers will need to cultivate agile innovative methods to understand, address and resolve the new pain points. Marketers are the vital link between an organization and its customers, playing the role of a catalyst in meeting the new needs of its customers. It’s a daily job that needs one to demonstrate empathy and support in equal measure. Especially now.