Vijay Kumar Mikkilineni has over 10 years of experience working with companies like Skyworth India, Sony India, and TCL India. He moved to TCL India when planning the offline business. His Journey started with 10k tv per month to 1 lakh tv per month. He now takes care of Marketing, Strategic Planning, New region business development, Future business opportunities for brand AI X IOT, multi-product connectivity, and heads the Appliances business in India.
In recent memory, Electronics Marketing has been facing its most challenging times. Since the beginning of 2020, businesses, irrespective of their size, experience or financial power, have been facing supply chain disruptions, product development issues, and shortages of crucial parts like chips and manufacturing delays.
In fact, the global chip shortage crisis took such a drastic turn that Hyundai, a South Korean multinational automotive manufacturer, had to suspend production in its main factory. Similarly, the worldwide dearth of semiconductors that started in 2020 has still not been able to balance out the demand. This insufficiency has drastically affected the entire electronics industry, forcing them to ramp up the current strategies and approaches to meet this exceeding demand.
Having said that, marketers, irrespective of the industry, have always been able to adapt swiftly, even during the toughest of times. They are known for extreme agility that helps them navigate the ups and downs of any given situation. In this context, here are a few key ways marketers can overcome the pandemic-induced challenges and create strategies to cater to the fast-changing electronics consumer landscape:
- Upscale Website: The digital mirror of your company
Start with the basics, upgrade the company’s website and present personalized and contextualized content. Unlike social media platforms that are subjected to public opinions and an ever-changing political landscape, a business has the sole power to decide the narrative of its website. Upgrade your website in accordance with what your target audience expects and demands. Ensure that your website is extremely user-friendly. Consumers looking for an electronic product that you are also offering should be able to access the information around it instantly.
Identify the latest consumer trends and demands and push the relevant products at the centre of your website to increase its visibility. Ensure that your website is supported with substantial content that can easily connect with your target audience. Also, don’t forget to fill it with WOW factors that drive consumers to visit it repeatedly.
- Create bundles: Let the new-age engagement game begin
As work-from-home and hybrid work cultures replace the traditional office paradigm, entertainment plus office electronics accessories packs are gaining immense popularity. Create smart bundles of your best-in-class products, group them, and provide them to customers at discounted prices. This way, customers will be able to engage with new and exciting products while you, the manufacturer, can showcase your wide range of products in the limelight.
- Delayed shipping: Not the end of the world
Given the supply chain disruptions and manufacturing delays caused by the global pandemic, it is not surprising that sometimes there can be shipping delays. Even consumers understand that given the restrictions and obstacles incurred by the pandemic, it is possible that some orders might not get delivered on time. However, suppose a business starts promising unrealistic deadlines just to attract customers and not deliver on them. In that case, customers are likely to get frustrated and upset to a point where the business might even lose them. Stay honest with your customers about shipping delays. They will appreciate the honesty. Tell them how you are trying to accelerate the shipping process instead of pacifying them with improbable timelines.
- Back-in-Stock and No-contact: Two powerful weapons
In the era of smart and safe shopping, customers appreciate it when businesses keep their safety on priority while also providing them with meaningful insights. In the current circumstances, the two most potent arrows in a company’s quiver are back-in-stock notifications and no-contact deliveries. Considering the increasing demand for high-end electronic products is easily outnumbering the supply, many customers are often left disheartened due to ‘out-of-stock’ listings. However, with the option to choose back-in-stock notifications, they can immediately get information and buy the desired product. Similarly, the no-contact delivery option gives customers a choice to have a comfortable and secure delivery without fearing the unease of contacting any virus or bacteria from an outsider.
For now and beyond
The global pandemic has impacted almost every aspect of our lives. The businesses as we knew have completely transformed their operational strategies to overcome these tough times. However, this goes without saying that the current circumstances have created a niche space for consumer electronics. The aforementioned four key steps can help companies/brands to connect with consumers in a relevant, efficient and convenient manner. Hopefully, these strategies/ways will assist you in creating better customer-engagement plans and boost the company’s growth even further.