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                    “Necessity is the mother of all invention. If you can’t think about something the way you normally would, you’re forced to rethink the entire process,” she says. “The pandemic forced a lot of marketers to adapt creatively or suffer the consequences of being left behind.”
The QR code is a prime example. Overnight it went from something people would “hardly bat an eyelid” at or use, to becoming an every- day necessity as governments began to mandate their use as a safe, touch-free way to track people’s movements and stop the spread of COVID-19. Restaurants now use it as a way for customers to view the menu and make orders.
“In a few short weeks, the rules of typical consumer behaviour were completely rewritten, and we had to think differently about how we were now going to approach this new breed of consumer,” says Crocker. “Through this, creative thinking and implementation were what kept us in front of this new individual — one who is now oversaturated with digital offers and promotions. We looked at this as a chance to try new things and really push the boundaries, all of which has led to great results for our partners.”
Make it meaningful, not mediocre
Pre-COVID-19, experiential marketing was having its own boom as brands sought to engage in a more meaningful and interactive way with customers. But with everyone trying to jump on the band- wagon, it became cluttered.
One thing many experiential marketers agree upon during COVID-19 is that these meaningless experiences and activations have, mostly, been bid adieu.
Vinny Panchal, senior vice president, general manager of global brand experience company Jack Morton Worldwide, says for too long consumers
Borat madness on Sydney’s Bondi Beach.
have been subjected to a “tsunami of mediocre content” but this is starting to change as brands care- fully plan out strategy.
“A lot of the crap is gone, half- baked ideas,” says Panchal. “We’re not in the business of doing pull-up banners and those kinds of things. For me, those things don’t exist anymore — not in the near future anyway. And I think that’s a good thing for us.”
One of his clients, consulting firm EY, is a regular sponsor of the arts, including the annual Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of NSW. In a normal year, the company would invite C-suite clients along for a special viewing but in 2020 didn’t see the value in having a gathering of any kind.
Instead, Panchal and his team worked with EY to design a new kind of experience: a sneak peek behind the prestigious art exhibi- tion. David Gonski, who is the president of the Gallery’s Board of Trustees, was involved in the
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