The COVID-19 pandemic has created mass turmoil not only across entire societies but also business sectors, one of which happens to be FMCG manufacturers, who are particularly hit hard and face a number of commercial operational challenges.

They’ve had to scrap a good portion of their marketing plans as retailers are now focusing only on core service, product availability and the safety of their customers as well as employees. 

How FMCG manufacturers can effectively go to market amid the COVID-19 recession

COVID-19 pandemic and shoppers’ responses to this, both pragmatic and emotional, has created a drastic shift in shopper behaviour. Many shoppers have moved to online shopping as part of their repertoire, others have moved from omni-channel to online exclusively (especially those shielding). Some shoppers have increased their trips to local convenience stores, and others still have moved “back” to “weekly big shops” as shopping has become a more planned purchase occasion. This is before the radical changes in the food-to-go and food service market are accounted for, as consumers are commuting less, working from home and navigating their own personal journeys through the pandemic.

In this context, FMCG suppliers have had to literally take stock, focus on supply and re-plan their marketing activity and spend in line with the new changed world.  Key events such as Euros and Olympics have been pushed back to next year, new product launches postponed and activations of seasonal activity radically modified on the fly as circumstances change daily.

As we emerge from major lockdown, and face an uncertain future of increasing “R” rates and regional lockdowns, brand owners find themselves evaluating their structures, processes and capabilities to be “set fair” to survive and thrive in our ‘new world’.

BASE Brands can help in a HUGE way

There’s no denying the fact that success in today’s world must be a combination of focusing exclusively on the shoppers’ needs, understanding their motivations and underlying goals, as well as their emotional state and attitudes – so that businesses understand how to plan their spending in the new normal.

They need to target investments towards places and times that have an immensely positive impact on the shoppers’ journey, and encourage them to add that extra product to their basket or make that extra shopping trip.  

BASE offers a unique marketing, planning and management platform which many retailers and FMCG suppliers are benefitting from today. Major players in the industry like Heineken, Birds Eye, Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Morrisons, to name a few, have benefitted from our suite of go-to-market software and management solutions – in order to plan out, deliver and measure their integrated marketing activities swiftly, profitably and effectively.

We are on a mission to help retailers and brands become more agile and digitise their go-to-market operations through a simple and intuitive suite of online applications.

Our modular software platform for CPG brands is designed so all commercial functions can work on one system, remotely, giving you full visibility and control of your plans, spend and impact of this activity on results … driving efficiency, effectiveness and ROI.

In the post-COVID19 environment, a single marketing planning, management and measurement platform like BASE gives you full operational control for unparalleled commercial success.