In the early stages of the pandemic, businesses were fighting for survival. Some closed their doors, while others pivoted in order to stay afloat. As we all start to lift our heads above the parapet as the country starts to slowly move again, the question on everyone’s lips is: What do we do now?

The truth is none of us truly know – but there are steps we can take to safeguard our brand, our story and to communicate what we’re doing with our audiences, to keep the relationships alive that we have worked so hard to cultivate.

Hospitality and tourism businesses look set to open from early July. Communications and marketing have never been more important to organisations as they seek to get the message out there that they’re open for business, while navigating the social changes that have come during this ‘new normal.’

Customers are focusing on local and ethical organisations, and are prioritising wellness and health

This period of lockdown has seen many changes in customers attitudes and behaviours, and as a business it is important to recognise these and adjust your marketing messages to reflect this. According to a recent YouGov poll, only 9% of people want life to return to normal following the lockdown – the cleaner air, the slower pace of life, shopping locally and regular exercise have seen Britons focus more fully on their quality of life.. Wellness, health and physical and mental wellbeing are top priorities for many people who want to continue these social changes even after life returns to some kind of normal.

How will your business reflect this? How do you reflect their wish for more ethical and socially conscious choices?

There is also going to be a continued desire for information about how you will be keeping your customers safe. Communication about the measures you are taking to protect them is essential and should be an integral part of your messaging in the coming months.

What are you doing about customer flow around your site? How has your car parking changed? What cleanliness measures are in place? What activities can you create to ensure you don’t create hotspots of groups in one place?

Evaluate your brand and messaging

Your organisation will have worked hard to establish an identity – who are you, what are your values and how they speak to your key audiences? What does the world around you want right now? In light of the changes to customers mindsets, are you still communicating with them in the right way?

Communicate regularly and openly with your audience. Take time to review how your potential audiences view you, and whether your brand messaging says about who you are. Focus on what your customer needs right now, and how you are going to give it to them.

Keep communicating with your local community

Local audiences are going to be a vital part of the South West tourism economy getting going again, as staycations and nearcations become a reality. International travel is unlikely to be on the agenda for UK citizens during 2020, and anxiety over the pandemic means domestic travel – especially close to your own home – is likely to be the norm for holidaymakers this year. This means it’s even more vital to keep your local community on side.

There needs to be a balance between opening the South West up to visitors again, without placing a strain on our resources and a risk to our residents. Be mindful of this in your messaging.

Be open and honest in all communications, ensure every step is in line with Government guidelines and emphasise your focus on the safeguarding of health for all concerned. Make sure that you are managing your social media channels and responding in a calm and measured way to all questions or criticisms as you reopen the business.

Produce meaningful content

All organisations have customer data and research available to them – but are you using it to inform your decision making? Look at your customer data, tidy up any contact lists that are out of date, ensure GDPR compliance, and then drill down into who your audiences really are. Where are they? Who are they? What do they want? Use what you already know about them to inform your campaigns moving forward. Keep in touch with your audiences via email marketing. Share your content with them.

Many businesses – including theatres and large visitor attractions - have streamed content online. With the increased website traffic and social media usage, make sure you’re using video, photography and virtual or augmented reality. These things showcase your offer, have a huge part to play in the planning and inspiration stage of any trip planning, and remind your most loyal customers of the best you have to offer.

Keep sharing your voice and your story – make sure your business is still visible during these strange times. Keep those relationships going that you’ve worked so hard to cultivate.

Reviewing strategy, collateral and campaigns

You will have had your plans in place for 2020 – but what do they look like now things have changed? What is your marketing strategy moving forward? People are using websites and social media more than ever before – are your digital platforms fit for purpose or do they need reviewing and improving? How do your 2020 campaigns need to change to reflect the change in focus of your audience?

Collaborations and partnerships

It will take time for the South West tourism industry to recover from this – a recent report from the National Coastal Tourism Academy (NCTA) says that coastal tourism in the UK will need investment for the next three years to help us to bounce back. The pandemic has shown that as a community, we are stronger together. Utilise your relationships with other tourism businesses to collaborate.

Use the regional bodies that are there to support you – Cornwall Association of Tourist Attractions (CATA), Visit Cornwall, Cornwall Chamber of Commerce and Cornwall and IoS LEP to name a few. South West Tourism Alliance is another great industry partner. These organisations exist to support SW tourism businesses, to lobby for their needs and to help to forge working relationships. Use them! They’re invaluable sources of support.

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Now is not the time to pause your marketing – now is the time to make sure people know who you are. Use this period to review your brand, your messaging, your campaigns and your story. Become the organisation you’ve always wanted to be and that your audiences need you to be. Use the lemons that 2020 has given us and try to make lemonade. We can emerge from this stronger and more focused.

This article also appeared in the June edition of Building Brands magazine, a regional marketing and communications publication targeting South West businesses.

What now for the marketing of South West tourism businesses?