Welcome to AdNews Asks, a regular series connecting the media, marketing and advertising industries.
The video series features questions generated around topics AdNews readers are engaging with most.
This week, Country Road marketing manager for channels Paul Conti, Carat head of strategy Danni Wright and Klarna ANZ head of marketing Andrea Darling discuss social media strategy in 2020.
Darling revealed a bold mandate from Klarna HQ entering the year, as the pandemic caused disruption to consumers globally.
“As a business, we actually got the directive to go dark on our social because it just wasn’t appropriate to be blasting out to the base that they should be spending,” she said.
“People were going through a tough time.”
As channels reignited in April, Klarna reported a significant lift in engagement. Collaborations have played a core role in driving awareness, including a brand campaign in partnership with Universal Music.
A video featuring The Inspired Unemployed saw one video reach over 100,000 views in 24 hours.
“That was really born to us really having to pivot due to COVID and lockdown. Social is playing a huge, huge part in reaching the right audiences,” Darling said.
Conti also acknowledges a shift in social media communication, from growing social activism to increased support for regional businesses.
In acquisition, Conti said there have been more first-time shoppers to Country Road online than any other period in history.
While prompted by store lockdowns, the growth in digital is likely to continue with 70% of Country Road customers reporting a digital touchpoint in their transaction journey.
“Despite all the changes and disruptions, it’s still most important to maintain focus on the things that haven’t changed," Conti said.
“Social is just one element of a complementary marketing mix that ideally comprises both online and offline channels.
“It’s just one touchpoint in a complex customer journey.”
Looking forward, Carat head of strategy Danni Wright predicts further disruption in the next six to 12 months as channel mix diversifies.
“I’m a big believer in the promise of programmatic,” she said.
“I think we’re going to start to see a really interesting shift in the landscape whereby programmatic is going to play a much greater role in being the infrastructure that powers the entire ecosystem.”
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