The importance of communication

Andy Ball, marketing strategist and director of full-service marketing agency Balls2 Marketing, looks at how good communication has been the key to the ever-changing business landscape of Covid-19, and what to expect in 2021.

Twelve months ago, at the start of the second decade of the 21st century there was a feeling of optimism. Certainly, no-one predicted Covid-19 and the turn of world events that shaped the last year, nor the effects it would have on the industry.

To stem the spread, and to protect the NHS, factories shut completely and installers stayed at home. At that point, we stepped up. Details were changing not just day by day, but hour by hour, and we had to change the way we delivered information for customers.

Email communications and social media messaging were the quickest ways to connect customers with the latest information. As an agency we work closely with Certass, and we were able to keep bang up to date with changes as they were coming out of government.

To support Certass members, and ensure they had information in real time, we set up the Certass Trade Association Members forum. This worked brilliantly as members had instant access to Jon Vanstone, chair at Certass, as well as support and practical advice around membership from Danelle Kaukau.

I spent a big percentage of my time between calls on my mobile and conference calls via Zoom. Every day there were changes to be communicated, and it was up to us to get accurate messages out on behalf of clients quickly.

As customers came back to work, we had more communications to get out. Fabricators were often the first place installers were hearing information.

Supply chain issues have affected pretty much everyone in the industry, and that made up a lot of the latest round of communications. However, the industry has fared pretty well, with order intake at record levels for all of our customers.

What I’m taking from this year to next is the importance of keeping in touch with customers, and having flexibility in your actions with customers, to give the right support when they need it.