Going into 2021, food and beverage brands face a stark challenge: adjust your marketing plan and maximize limited resources, or fall behind the competition. The good news: I’ve closely observed how brands are maximizing their resources during the COVID-19 pandemic. With this guidance, your brand can set a new marketing plan with confidence, optimize its social media content strategy, and identify the right influencer partnerships.

1. FOOD &
BEVERAGE BRANDS
MARKETING DURING CHANGE

2. Your customers have changed.
Shouldn’t your marketing strategy?
2020:

3. How do you pivot with your customer’s
changing behaviors and shopping habits?
Revisit brand basics.
2021:

4. 1. Ditch your marketing plan.
2. Focus on one target customer.
3. Get more personal.
Three tips to move with your customers during
change:

5. DITCH YOUR MARKETING PLAN

6. Ditch your
marketing plan.
Statements that are likely true about your customers now:
‣ The way your product fits into your customer’s life has changed.
‣ They want it faster.
‣ How they make purchasing decisions is being reprioritized.
‣ How they shop and how they consume media are changing.
‣ They are hyper-aware of their financial, mental well-being, and physical well-being.
‣ The expectations they have for brands and the values brands reflect are evolving.
‣

7. Statements that are likely true about your company now:
‣ You’re considering fundamental shifts to your delivery model or investing in tech
to meet customer behavior adjustments.
‣ You’re closely watching market trends and the moves your competitors make.
‣ You’re identifying the talent your team needs to continue scaling as the world
around you transforms.
‣
Ditch your
marketing plan.

8. Question absolutes. Start fresh. Test new ideas.
Before writing a new marketing plan, review your brand strategy.
‣ Has anything fundamental changed about your model?
‣ Has anything changed about your customer, and their expectations for you?
Answer brand strategy questions first, and then dig into marketing planning.
Ditch your
marketing plan.

9. FOCUS ON ONE TARGET CUSTOMER

10. Operate with focus and restraint. Clarity and consistency.
At this critical inflection point, do all you can to understand your primary target
and what’s affecting them.
‣ Conduct customer interviews and surveys.
‣ Practice social listening.
Don’t operate on assumptions. If you think you have an insight about your
customer but you haven’t asked, you need to ask.
Focus on one
target customer.

11. GET MORE PERSONAL

12. Leverage influencers. Stand out. Get personal.
Build your social strategy around getting more personal. Inspire customers to:
‣ Take action (recipes, tips, life hacks)
‣ Share their own ideas
‣ Engage in surprise-and-delight moments
Brand awareness won’t cut it anymore, especially during change. Interact with
your customers to connect with them.
Get more
personal.

13. STILL UNSURE WHERE TO START?

14. Six-Point Creative is partnering with the Lisa Ekus Group to
offer food and beverage brands Focused & Fit, a 90-minute
virtual workshop.
The session will guide attendees through frameworks that will
help them reset their marketing priorities, make improvements
to their social media presence, and follow best practices for
exploring influencer marketing opportunities.