As we look ahead in the spring of 2020, are we seeing light at the end of the tunnel or just the beginning of the new normal? I spoke to a very close colleague and mentor recently about social media content creation and how CMP was refocusing our efforts on becoming a trusted content creation option for brands in the outdoors industries. My colleague offered that our timing is spot on as companies are going to need these services now more than ever. Now keep in mind this was not a gleeful conformation that soon we will all be super busy and rolling in the money. Instead it was more of a somber statement that brands will be forced to adapt, embrace and rely on social media interaction to market their products. The outdoors industry lost many spring consumer shows where customers typically get a chance to checkout new products and book fishing trips. With open fishing seasons less than a month away in many areas, we do not even know if many sporting good stores will be open? Sure, customers have the option to purchase online but many anglers prefer to touch and feel rods, reels, lures and outdoor clothing before buying. This lack of retail store options is realistically going to happen in my home state of Minnesota as we are mandated to shelter in place until at least May 4th and our fishing opener is only 5-days later.

So what can brands do in this new normal? Looking around Facebook I see some retailers are running virtual sales which is great adaptation. Smart brands will also be looking for any content they can post daily to their social media platforms to keep their customer base engaged and excited. Brands with large pro-staff may be able to squeeze some extra content from their ranks but many of these staffers will face their own obstacles for creating content especially in some areas with more strict restrictions. This is where a content creation company such as Chris Munchow Productions can produce months of content in a very short period. Also, this content can be very timely and tailored to the specific needs a brand has in the weeks ahead versus random pro-staff submissions that may or may not be relevant.

A new normal is adaptable if we allow ourselves to remain versatile and consider looking to new options in advertising.