Why digital commerce marketers shouldn’t ‘go dark’ during COVID [Video]

“We were doing a lot of our own research and what we found is that brands that go dark during recession, depression or even crisis-type periods have a very difficult time climbing back up the mountain once things begin to normalize,” said Tony Verre, VP of e-commerce at Integer Group.

During our digital commerce marketing session of Live with Search Engine Land, Verre, Kaitlin McGrew, senior SEM strategist at PMG and Bryant Garvin, CMO of Groove Life, discussed why prioritizing marketing momentum is the right strategy for retail marketers — many of whom have seen demand skyrocket.

“We do not think that it’s best to go dark,” said Kaitlin McGrew, SEM strategist for PMG, “there is an opportunity — if you are doing well right now — to pull budget forward to support strong conversion volume.”

Why we care. By refining your marketing strategies during an economic downturn, instead of halting them all together, you’re more likely to succeed during and after a recession, studies have shown. You’re also able to cut through the noise and pay less while your competition sits on the sidelines.

This crisis is likely to have long-term, lasting effects on consumer shopping behaviors. Although some stores are re-opening, surveys suggest that a large proportion of consumers aren’t comfortable with the idea of going to shopping malls, department stores or other small local businesses.

Want more Live with Search Engine Land? Get it here:

• Click here for the full session.
• COVID-19 upheaval is actually speeding up some PPC campaigns [Video]
• Why businesses that prioritized martech, data and organization are faring better during COVID [Video]
• Why updating your messaging is the best strategy right now [Video]
• You can also find a full list of all our Live with Search Engine Land sessions on YouTube.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

George Nguyen

George Nguyen was an editor for Search Engine Land, covering organic and paid search. His background is in journalism and content marketing. Prior to entering the industry, he worked as a radio personality, writer, podcast host and public school teacher.