Page 7 - FPGA NovDec20

Marketing in New Normal:

Meeting the Needs of Today’s Propane Customers

By: BPNews

or the past several
years, the “new
Fnormal” in marketing
has centered around digital
communications and new
opportunities presented by
technology, especially with the
dawn of smartphone use, to
communicate with customers.
What propane retailers
need to know about Marketing
in the new covid normal article
by bpn the propane industrys
leading source for news since
1939 11-20In the year 2020, the
availability of digital marketing
brought a lot of new adopters
as COVID-19 became a threat to service and the ability to pay New York Times has eliminated
people around the world. bills online. The companies who their highly influential Travel
“Suddenly, my father, who can best meet these needs section and replaced it with a
was used to ordering food by will gain new customers. The new section called At Home.”
phone to pick up, was using social-distancing lifestyle is “Even now that things
DoorDash to order and pay for presenting new opportunities.” are trending toward ‘normal,’
food with contactless delivery,” Corbett’s presentation noted spending time at home will be
said Gary Corbett of Warm that internet usage has spiked part of the new normal,” Corbett
Thoughts Communications. during the coronavirus outbreak. said. “During the recovery from
Corbett presented a webinar “Social media, texting, video the 2008 recession, we saw
titled “Marketing in the New chatting via Zoom, Facebook, an increase in expenditures
Normal” during the Virtual and Houseparty have become on ‘home comfort’ as people
Propane Expo in late June. people’s connection to the opted to focus on their homes,
“For those who were behind world outside their homes.” updating inefficient equipment
in technology usage, the Key changes due to the and improving their comfort.
pandemic presented real pandemic include a return For most people, spending
benefits to getting caught up to price awareness, lost jobs, more time at home means a
fast.” reduced wages, fuel prices at desire to have your home more
record lows, and competitors comfortable and more efficient.”
Boosting Digital Use hunting for new accounts. He noted that this year, in
“With the COVID-19 Corbett noted that people the month of March, Rinnai sold
pandemic, there are many are focused on home time a record number of tankless
ways providers of home more than ever. “Vacations are water heaters as homeowners
services are seeing new habits becoming staycations,” he said. faced the reality of increased
in customers and many ways “E-commerce spending is up hot water demand while
technology can help meet 30% over last year. Sales are up everyone in the family is home.
the need,” Corbett told BPN. 220% in the furniture category Other observations included a
“Many people want contactless amongst online sellers. The continued on next page

November/December 2020 Propane Magazine 7