The massive disruption of COVID-19 is forcing many of us to rethink everything we do. For many, that includes pivoting service and product offerings. 

We have noticed businesses in every vertical: local, regional and national; service and product or fee based – it doesn’t matter – have gotten extremely creative with their marketing efforts to continue to stay afloat, and in some cases, thrive. 

New partnerships, giving back to the community, free services and front door delivery are just some of the ways businesses have pivoted to produce value-added opportunities for their customers and gain loyalty during this time. Here are a few of the most innovative ideas, in our humble opinion, to come out of COVID-19, so far:

Schools may be closed, but your children can keep learning

  • Tune into Facebook Live every day at 3:00 PM and join hundreds of people from around the world as you get to know Cincicatti Zoo animal favorites, such as Fiona, the famous hippopotamus. The segments are short, very informative, interactive and fun for kids of all ages. 
  • Mo Willems, the author of the famous Pigeon books and the Piggy and Elephant series created 15 episodes of a show called “Lunch Doodles”. He teaches kids how to draw and be creative, while making them laugh as well. 
  • Project Gutenberg is an online library with more than 60,000 free eBooks of literature. These great works are available at no cost online because they are older works for which U.S. copyright has expired. Settle in and read!  

Gyms are closed, now what? 

  • Local gyms and fitness studios such as Inner Bliss, T3, Fitness Revolution and Ride & Workout are offering free or donation based workouts on Facebook Live. Not only are these extending community health and happiness, but it is a great way for them to stay connected with existing clients, but also grow new potential clients when they re-open. 
  • Big brands like Peloton and Nike are waiving fees for their monthly online subscription service to ensure customers stay physically active while under quarantine. This also allows for new trials of their apps, likely resulting in more memberships when trial periods end. 

Tired of cooking? No problem!

  • Bay Village restaurant Thyme Table adjusted their entire menu to offer family style meals for $50. Each meal feeds 4 people and can be picked up at their front door and reheated at home.
  • In addition to take out, Danny Boys in Rocky River is now offering Pizza Dough Kits! Each kit contains pizza dough, flour for rolling, parmesan cheese, sauce and pepperoni. The instructions are easy to follow and the pizza is delicious! Such a fun treat for kids. 
  • Honey Hut is offering a “Sunday Party Pack” via Door Dash. The pack includes two quarts, hot fudge, caramel, sprinkles, chopped nuts and cones. Dessert is served! 

Spa delivery, the Easter Bunny, and more

  • Sacred Hour is offering free delivery of their spa products! Even better, each day they are partnering with local restaurants and delivering their food as well. Pizza and a face mask? How could you say no to that?
  • Rocky River retail stores Babycakes and Lovely Paperie moved all of their products online, and are offering free drop off or delivery. As a way to give back, they also brought the Easter Bunny to Rocky River this weekend, driving him down every single (really!) street in the city. 

How will you pivot today to help grow your business? 

Start small, by connecting with a friend, partner or a competitor – start a conversation, ask how they are doing and see if you can help. Sometimes the best ideas come from a simple conversation! 

If you need somewhere to start, give us a call. We would be happy to connect and as always, happy to help grow your business in any way that we can. 

Now it’s your turn!

Have you successfully used creative thinking to pivot your marketing/business strategy? It can be client-facing or something you’ve tried with your staff. Click here to send it over. We’ll round up some of the best and share them!