What happened to Digital Marketing in the Philippines after COVID-19 Pandemic?
The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes in the way people live. Likewise, it affected business activities nationally, regionally, and globally. The pandemic has pushed more than 6.2 million people across countries to a worldwide standstill. This resulted in some serious issues and concerns in terms of health and the economy.
The Philippines took swift action in combating and containing the effects of the pandemic. However, this move still led to disruption in the domestic economy. Community restrictions were implemented, resulting in limited mobilization and reduced operation of businesses. Hence, there was a need for businesses in the country to adapt to the new normal by pursuing digital marketing strategies and transforming their business model.
As we live in the age of the new normal, the rise of digital technologies is to be expected. This led to the growth of digital marketing in the Philippines after the COVID-19 pandemic. The rapid adoption of digital technologies will be used to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Digital technologies will serve as the pivotal mechanism to recover from the crisis and its impact.
Digital Marketing in the Philippines after COVID-19 Pandemic: Impact of the Pandemic
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic presented an alarming crisis that the world is struggling with. It affected not only mobilization but also gave rise to significant changes in the business sectors and market industry globally.
1. Decline in Economy
According to the International Monetary Fund, the global economy has a significant drop in output in the year 2020. It put the global GDP to fall to a low percentage below the baseline.
In the Philippines, there have been major economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the most affected sectors in the market industry were manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, and transport or communication sectors.
2. Reduced Manufacturing and Retail Activities
To keep the COVID-19 pandemic under control, governments implemented measures at various levels such as lockdown protocols and quarantine.
Consequently, most business establishments are compelled to limit their operations due to the imposed health measures. One of the most affected sectors in the market industry is the retail and service industries, with most of their workers forced to stay at home.
3. Disruption in Global Supply Chain and Stock Markets
As a consequence of the slow economy due to the pandemic, the global supply chain was gravely disrupted because of the limited highly essential commodities. Industries are starting to experience supply shortages which only got worst as countries continue to implement flight restrictions and travel bans.
Additionally, the global stock market was hit hard. It suffered significant downfalls which is also a result of the looming pandemic.
4. Digital Shift
Businesses and companies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic were transitioning from the traditional marketing strategy to digital marketing. Its purpose is to ride out the effects of the pandemic. Businesses are exploring various solutions for marketing strategies to maintain the sustainability of their business amidst the pandemic.
Business sectors implemented mechanisms to adapt to the age of new normal such as the work-from-home set-up, the use of digital wallets, and utilizing the advantages of digital platforms such as social media in implementing their marketing strategies.
Furthermore, there has been a notable acceleration in terms of the migration of businesses. Digital marketing in the Philippines after COVID-19 had considerable growth because of the shift from traditional to digital.
According to a survey conducted by EPSON, 55 percent of the small and medium enterprises in the Philippines are currently at the early stage of their digital transformation as a way to develop their business processes, particularly customer experiences. While other businesses adopted this digital transformation journey to boost their marketing and sales as well as their interaction with their customers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, as indicated in a survey conducted by Alibaba Cloud, the majority of the businesses in the countries view digital transformations as an important variable in mitigating the effects of the pandemic. Thus, there is no doubt that there is an unprecedented growth in digital technology adoption in the Philippines since the emergence of the pandemic.
Digital Marketing and Its Importance
Digital Marketing is a part of digital innovation which is primarily involved in the creation and the distribution of content through various digital platforms such as websites, social media, email, pages, and mobile applications. It is also used in the promotion of content using a variety of strategies across various digital channels.
Digital marketing strategies are remarkable aspects of the marketing industry as they help marketers to determine their goals, build a connection with their target audience, and establish a digital marketing plan that best maintains the growth of their businesses. Furthermore, these strategies provide a useful direction and marketing framework for businesses amidst innumerable crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the Philippines, digital marketing serves as the determining factor for the futures of a lot of businesses amidst the pandemic. Hence, digital marketing plays a crucial role in maintaining the sustainability of the businesses which was adversely affected by the pandemic.
Challenges in the Age of New Normal
Due to the impact of the pandemic, businesses are compelled to shift and pivot their businesses to a digital transformation. There is no doubt that the shift from traditional to digital led to several benefits for the business sector. However, the use of digital technologies in the Philippines is still below its potential leading to more serious concerns in the digital transformation of the market industry. Some of these challenges are the following:
1. Internet Connectivity
The digital economy is primarily based on internet connectivity. In the case of the Philippines, the internet connection is limited in rural areas, relatively expensive, and of weak quality.
2. Limited Digital Infrastructure
Digital infrastructure in the country is still lacking as Filipino consumers experience slow download speed in terms of their internet connection. The limitation in digital infrastructure is also caused by the lack of competition and restrictions on investment in telecommunication markets.
3. Government Cooperation
According to World Bank economist Kevin Chua, to improve the digital adoption of the business sectors and the citizens amidst the pandemic, the government should take the lead by implementing e-governance projects which will help promote efficiency and greater inclusion.
Strategies in Marketing in the Age of New Normal
Businesses are one of the most affected sectors by the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, there is an urgent need for them to devise strategies to lessen the challenges brought by the pandemic. Here are some examples of strategies that can be utilized by businesses:
1. Increase Presence on Digital Platforms
Due to the restrictions, most people are staying at home which resulted in high consumption of media content. Marketers can take this as an opportunity to raise awareness about their business, and to connect with their target audiences.
2. Reassess your Brand Messaging
Businesses should think of new and creative methods to engage their target audiences. It is important to relay a message about the values and the impact of their business in the community. This will ensure that target audiences can relate to their business. As a result, their business can be a brand that the target customers can remember even amidst the global crisis.
3. Make Use of Analytics
An immersive analytics program can help businesses have an insight into their marketing operations and ensure that every penny spent on marketing is worth it. Analytics programs should be flexible to identify the variables that create the bigger impact. It should secure data that can be utilized for building the plans of the business.
Digital Marketing in the Philippines after COVID-19 Pandemic: The Take-Away
The COVID-19 pandemic brought out significant shifts in society, from the mobilization of the people, and imposition of health protocols, to the adoption of digital marketing in the Philippines after COVID-19. As a result, businesses were compelled to devise marketing strategies to contain the ill effects of the pandemic.
A convenient way for businesses to ensure the sustainability of their brands amidst the COVID-19 pandemic is by cooperating with a digital marketing agency, an agency dedicated to helping businesses to succeed in the age of the new normal. Infinity Web Solutions is a digital marketing agency based in Batangas which is fully operational amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It is committed to assisting businesses with digital transformation. Infinity Web Solutions is an agency that offers COVID-19 digital marketing services that will enable businesses to prosper amidst the pandemic.
