The Present of Marketing: Hybrid Events and New Sales Channels

Confinement measures, the decrease of purchases at physical stores, new sales models and the increase in consumption through the internet have put on alert the main marketing agencies, which are looking for ways to remain relevant in the so-called new normality. According to Puro Marketing, the big world fairs in the sector have been suspended in 2020 and only small or medium sized events have and will take place. In this situation, which is complicated for a sector where intercommunication between companies is key for growth, the search for new communication models has become a priority. Virtual meetings have proven to be efficient during the pandemic. For this reason, several analysts foresee an increase in this type of sessions during the new normality. On the other side of the scenario, changes are also expected in the status quo that had governed the marketing industry, as multi-channel strategies have become the holy grail that all companies seek to sell their products in the post-COVID-19 world.

“In the current context, the user has assumed a much more digital role and we must be up to that task if companies want to offer a fast, efficient and personalized service that takes into account the client’s opinion, situation and preferences,” Rafael Romero, from Selligent Marketing Cloud, told Muy Pymes. To achieve this, it is necessary, according to IEBS School, to re-imagine the present to offer a good product in the new normality to future clients. The first step can be an internal audit to find out where the company is, how the customer profile has changed during the pandemic and what can be done internally to recover sales. Social media and digital advertising campaigns can boost sales and engagement, as well as an aggressive SEO policy that gives the product visibility in Internet search engines.

For IESE, one of the most important business schools in Spain and Latin America, the concept of phygital, or the mix between physical and digital sales, has become essential in the new normality, as well as data management, the application of artificial intelligence in sales processes and personalization when offering products. “Digitalization must be accelerated to the maximum: either you are digital or you're dead”, says IESE in its report ‘Marketing Trends in the Post-COVID-19 Era’, in which it specifies that attracting and retaining customers is one of the key movements in the post-COVID-19 world.