2020’s Impact on Marketing

As we enter the last quarter of a very different kind of year, we look back to help us plan ahead. The research-driven goals we set depend on a solid assessment of where we’ve been and what has changed. We were finishing up the planning for Older Americans Month when things started to shift in the world. It was the first major alteration we faced due to COVID-19 but it wouldn’t be the last. From that point on, changes in direction and priority became the new norm for 2020. We’re reaching out with our own experiences with marketing in 2020, and invite you to do the same.

• Older Americans Month 2020 was our first major shift. Our annual mission of keeping seniors connected with their communities had to fight the real risk of social isolation in a completely different way. Lesson learned: Pandemic-related risks are not solely restricted to infection rates. See more
• Introducing new ways of engaging virtually helped at-risk communities to stay connected while observing a safer social distance. Lesson learned: Introducing enrichment platforms to unfamiliar audiences can help bridge gaps. See more
• Environmental programs at the Port continued as usual, but the pandemic did present challenges in getting the word out to Port workers. Lesson learned: Participation from stakeholders is important in cross-promoting to defined audiences when face-to-face isn’t possible. See more
• Fraud prevention became a priority as it rapidly evolved over the course of the year. Lesson learned: With more eyes on social media these days, viral-friendly messaging helps spread the word even farther. See more
• Building and real estate sectors did well during 2020. Web and catalog updates help manage the uptick in client transactions. Lesson learned: ongoing updates to inventory-related communications can save money over less frequent overhauls. See more
• While many events were cancelled, some went virtual. The shift helped keep health stakeholders connected as they fought the fight of COVID-19. Lessons learned: In some cases, switching to virtual increased attendance. See more
• A larger focus on family caregiving took priority all throughout the year. This month is National Family Caregivers Month and we hope everyone supports the family caregivers in their lives. Lesson learned: Communications that supported families became more prevalent in 2020. See more

Of course COVID-19 wasn’t the only national priority that influenced communications. But as public health specialists, it was the one that impacted the projects we worked on the most. We hope to start a conversation among other public communications and marketing specialists on how the year impacted your work.