Whew! 2020 has begun on a choppy note – protests, civil unrest, a shaky economy and high unemployment. Despite the cheerful note, most new years bring, this one has been a cold and hazy start.

Let me break the mould for you by giving you some hacks that can become high notes for your way ahead as communication professionals. Here’s a list of trends you need to mould as your own as you pitch for new campaigns and more clients.

1. Focus with a magnifying lens

Yes, it’s not a rosy world out there. The consumers are wary, waiting for the budget, sops and relief, and I don’t mean just with the weather. The clients are cautious as well, owing to the same reasons. So, how do we get specific, measurable wins in the New Year and Q4?

As strategic thinkers, may clear goals and short-term results first and then work back to plan executions. Don’t think just about brand value and creating ‘noise’. Focus on how this campaign, this approach and these results would accurately transform to rupee (and dollar) value for your client.

2. Pick your influencers well

Yes, influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere. However, don’t think that social media reach, Instagram numbers or likes are enough to pick the right one for your campaign.

At a time when local voices are killing it, brands have recently begun pairing up with music acts and rich content to ensure they’re heard. Need an example? Here are three – the ‘O YO YO’ by Knox Artiste, Pepsi’s ‘Har Ghoont Mein Swag’, which also starred Tiger Shroff and Disha Patani and Ritviz’s Liggi for Bacardi. Rustic, home voices and new music ensured that they were heard, loud and clear.

3. Regional media: Choose and use it well

Regional media platforms from conventional print, TV, radio to online, VOD and podcasts and more are being heard, seen and absorbed at a more aggressive pace than the more mainstream Hindi and English media. So, it pays to position your client here as well.

Sponsorships, in-content placements, associations and even product placements work wonders within these new arenas – the more integrated within rich content, the better it is for delivery, retention and influencing purchase decisions.

4. Empower your clients with information

It’s not the best of all times, or the worst. At this time, ensure that you’re grooming your clients to understand the market, their industry, and to leverage changing situations with the power of information.

Collect and routinely share data decks that work wonders for all of your clients and will ensure that they can capitalise on the changing scenario. Working with this knowledge-heavy approach also helps you build visibility, trust and partnership with the client, enabling you to pitch new campaigns and strategies through to the world seamlessly.

5. Build content within this world

When Pepsi thought of leveraging black protests with the horrifically gone wrong Kendall Jenner ad last year, their heart was at least in the right place. If you or your clients are wary about new launches, approaches or campaigns in the current climate don’t shy away from them.

Instead, work on strategically aimed content – create news that’s fresh or content approaches that would help you augment your product’s reach. Try to keep it digital-first, in any case. *Budgets, Budgets*.

It’s time to be smart, bold and perceptive. Take these cues and make the most of the world around you. You’d be amazed at the results you’ll see!

Author of this article is Sadiya Khan, Founder of Akund Communications