Now is the time...

In our last blog post we reflected on 2020, what it meant for us as a business, our customers and our approach to the ever changing situation surrounding us all. It was a year that twisted and turned beyond what anybody could have expected, and one which created that lifelong enemy of the business world – uncertainty. It was a devastating year on a professional and personal level for so many, but now that we have turned the page into 2021 there are changes emerging that will facilitate a long-awaited return to strategic forward planning.

Several positives are beginning to play out that have great potential to provide stability. For example, in the UK and the wider European Union the conclusion of a Brexit trade and security deal will give businesses the clarity they have lacked since 2016. Those with ties extending in both directions have found it near impossible to plan ahead, and business and industry leaders across the continent will welcome some concrete guidelines to work within alongside support for the current levels of fluidity in trade.

Then there is the US political situation. Many have prospered and many have suffered under the extraordinary tenure of President Donald Trump, and while his approach has been almost entirely pro-business in America, his policies on issues such as immigration and the imposition of various tariffs on countries such as China, for example, have made life very uncomfortable for many. The inauguration of President-Elect Joe Biden on 20 January is set to induce a collective sigh of relief in certain camps - not least because his is expected to be an orthodox presidency that will bring greater levels of stability and certainty to global trade.

Stepping back from the political stage, 2020 also forced many businesses globally to assess and re-evaluate their approach to various elements of what we refer to as ‘normal operations’. If we take business development as an example, many in the B2B space have relied on the trade show and event circuit for networking and the creation of leads and opportunities. Today, the digital element has been moved centre-stage in the form of more virtual platforms, such as online exhibitions, conferences, webinars and even award ceremonies and, while it is an entirely different approach, our clients at Dragonbridge have found it to be highly effective at a far lower cost.

This transition to virtual platforms has encouraged marketers to look for quality of contact and opportunity over quantity, and this has led to many requests for more targeted digital campaigns that better pinpoint decision makers at the various stages of the sales funnel. As budgets have inevitably been squeezed in the wake of the uncertainties of 2020, this ability to save and become more focused will almost certainly be carried forward into this year and beyond as the benefits have been largely positive.

That is not to say that face-to-face interaction will be a thing of the past, as many still highly value the ability to look a person in the eye when forging business relationships. The hope is that a return to an element of face-to-face contact will be possible in 2021, in light of the rollout of a global COVID-19 vaccination programme, with a more hybrid way of working emerging that balances the quality of personal interaction with the wider reach of a digital format. As such, we anticipate a significant increase in hybrid events this year - where major events will be limited in terms of actual attendees and much of their global audience will attend digitally. This is the new future - and therefore the quality of contact, rather than quantity, needs to be the focus now as we go forward.

While some certainty will inevitably come in 2021, there will of course be elements that are less concrete in a fast-changing environment. The so-called ‘new normal’ is yet to be defined in any great detail in the B2B world and beyond, and as such the smart companies will take an approach to business, and especially to PR and marketing, that is agile, flexible and versatile. The benefits of working with a full-service agency with a global reach means those elements can be incorporated into any company brand, PR or marketing campaign, ensuring proactive steps can be taken to keep companies close to and engaged with their existing customers and new prospects alike.

We know that brands that prosper in the long-term always need to work at making sure that they remain relevant, credible and trustworthy to their stakeholders, so in 2021 companies need to make sure that their brand and product messaging is still relevant to a changed world – where the focus of their customers and prospects may well be very different than that of a year ago. To ensure these messages are communicated in the most accessible way to target audiences, a message and media health check is a great way to get an accurate picture of how a company is perceived in the markets it serves - and how best to proceed to ensure greater audience engagement going forward.

After a year of uncertainty, now is the time to plan, execute and achieve great results and the team here at Dragonbridge look forward to helping you realise your goals. We look forward to working with you in 2021 and hope that you have a prosperous and happy New Year.