On 4th of May’20, School of Communications and Reputation (SCoRe), hosted Deeptie Sethi for a masterclass on the Impact of Digital Learning and How is it evolving. Having headed corporate communications at companies like Ford Motor Company and BBC World, Deepti is currently the founder of a company called CompliMentors, a purpose-driven technology platform.

Deeptie kicked off the session with a look at the global digital growth. There are 55cr. Internet users in the country. In the wake of digital media in the country, the mediums and markets that will gain more popularity than ever are voice search, OTT platforms and VOD, VR and Chatbots, and Regional and Video based content.

The second thing that she mentioned was the P-O-E-M framework of Digital Marketing. This framework refers to Paid, Owned and Earned Media. This framework includes everything starting from Media Integration, Incentives, Content to Publicity, Influencer Engagement and Partnerships. In this context, she shared with us the case study of Ford’s Ecosport where the global reveal of the model was done through auto shows in India and China. The case study is a perfect example of how a brand achieved paid, owned and earned media through various media platforms and activities. 

The next part of her session focused on how consumer behavior has changed in the past 5-7 weeks. Here are the seven characteristics of change that she mentioned:

1. Proactive Health-Minded Buying: This was the first change in the behaviour of consumers where people started focusing more on buying masks, hand sanitizers, and soaps in order to stay safe and healthy from the incoming virus. Prior to this situation, hand sanitizers and masks were not a regular product for consumers. The last few months have seen a huge rise in the sale of such products which ensure health and hygiene.
2. Reactive Health Management: This was the second change where consumers started prioritizing essential goods over luxurious ones. “People will focus more on the availability of products now rather than searching for those that they specifically like.”, mentioned Deeptie.
3. Pantry Preparation: When consumers realized that a wave of crisis approaching, the market saw a huge rise in the sale of essential food products such as rice, oil, pulses, breads and even snacking items. The situation very quickly escalated to panic buying where consumers started stocking shelf-stable foods and health-safety products. 
4. Quarantined Living Preparation: Once the idea of lockdown was proposed, online shopping sites recorded a spike in their sales. There was a decline in store visits due to the scare of health. As a result of this, a disbalance in the demand and supply chain was noticed. People wanted to stock as much as they can.
5. Restricted Living: Now that the entire country is under lockdown, physical buying and selling of products have subsequently decreased whereas online buying and selling have been increasing in spite of the rising price concerns. 
6. Living a New Normal: This situation hasn’t arrived yet but when people get back to their usual lifestyle, there will be a newfound importance for health and hygiene. Online transactions are expected to rise to new heights.

We, as consumers, right now are somewhere between restricted living and approaching towards living a new normal life. There will be changes in all the verticals of life as people will focus more on healthcare. According to a report by Nielsen, 16% of respondents intend to stop taking public transportations. There is also a huge paradigm shift happening in Media consumption. There is increased viewership in television, there is an increase in the usage of smartphones, an increase in video streaming, social networking, and gaming. The vertices of media which are witnessing a decrease are mediums like Out of Home Advertising (OOH), experiential events, and transport. In such a situation, brands should focus on:

• Showing up and supporting because this is a time when consumers are eager to hear from brands 
• Creating useful strategies to help their customers
• Speaking to their consumers as people, as a part of the brand family
• Building up trust in order to help people heal and feel better
• Empathizing with their consumers

Also, people are looking for de-stressing entertainment. According to reports, 74% of people are deliberately choosing media content that will help them relax and de-stress at the moment.

She concluded the session by talking about some fastest-growing trends such as Work From Home, Webinars, Remote Working, Online Collaboration, Business Continuity, and so on. “Marketing shouldn’t stop even during a crisis. Digital is the need of the hour and is going to be the new normal.”, signed off Ms. Sethi

– Baishali Banerjee

Some interesting Read:

Public Relations is becoming more Digital!

Digital Psychology

Digital Economy

Baishali Banerjee is a part of the Class of 2020 of PG Programme in PR and Corporate Communications at SCoRe, Mumbai. She completed her winter internship with Genesis BCW, Mumbai.

She is from Kolkata. She did her graduation in Media Science with a specialization in Public Relations and Advertising from NSHM Knowledge Campus, Kolkata. She has always been curious about the corporate world and how all these huge brands function and connect with their consumers on a day to day basis. She interned with Ketchum Sampark for a period of three months under the Brands & Lifestyle team. This experience made her more curious about the PR fraternity. Also, she is a person very open to learning and her interests lie in corporate, entertainment and lifestyle.
She can be reached at @baishalibanerj5 on Twitter and as Baishali Banerjee on LinkedIn