An average of 40 to 50 ships go through the Suez Canal everyday. This route is a cornerstone of the global supply chain system, and in March of 2021, this vital passage was blocked. For days the transport of valuable raw materials and products became inaccessible in a supply chain shockwave that was felt throughout the world.
This event personified the supply chain challenges that businesses continue to wrestle with today. These challenges have led to a very interesting question, should businesses continue with marketing efforts even when going through supply chain issues? Continue reading to understand why businesses shouldn’t stop marketing in lieu of supply chain woes.
Even if your business is experiencing a disruption in the supply chain, you can still build stronger relationships with your customer base. For example, many businesses now have their email marketing campaigns sent from a consistent contact, allowing for a more personal touch. That way, customers can start to link your brand to a real person instead of an automated system.
It’s also important to give your customers credit when it comes to understanding the current supply chain challenges. Marketing is a tool that your brand can use to reward customers for understanding any supply chain issues your business may be facing. For example, if you’re in the building products industry, this could mean pulling back the curtain and showing customers everything that goes into making your products. Customers will feel rewarded by getting a behind-the-scenes look while gaining a better understanding of how hard your business is working to fulfill orders.
It’s natural for businesses to be hesitant about communicating supply chain issues with their customer base. However, not being transparent oftentimes does more harm than good. Marketing presents a great opportunity for businesses to practice transparency. Think about it as a way to set the right expectations.
For example, let’s say you’re a building products brand that is experiencing supply chain trouble with one of your product lines. Your marketing communications should be upfront and honest about this challenge. This will also allow you to take a collaborative approach with your customers and offer other products that might not be normally considered.
Once your customer purchases a product, you’ll want to practice clear and transparent marketing communication. Don’t make a customer have to do the heavy lifting when it comes to finding updates on your brand or products. By having consistent marketing touch points like an email drip campaign, customers can start to feel more valued by your brand.
In the world of supply chain, shortages of raw materials or products can happen at any time. Wired recently reported that the shortage of microchips is expected to drag on well into this year. When your business has a marketing program in place, you’ll have more flexibility to navigate sudden changes in your supply chain.
Let’s say you’re an auto parts manufacturer, and there’s been a recent supply chain issue holding up your brake pad production. With a marketing program already in place, getting the word out to your customers becomes much easier. You could use this as an opportunity to effectively communicate current inventory levels and use digital advertising to recommend other products that might be relevant to brake pad customers. If your marketing isn’t streamlined during an event like this, your business could be forced to scramble to get the word out.
At True Digital Communications, we make digital marketing simple. From digital advertising to content strategy and public relations, TeamTrue is dedicated to helping our clients reach their goals. If your business is interested in building out a marketing program, True can help. Contact us today to get started.
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