PART I: How Your Brand Needs to Shift Due to the Coronavirus
If you weren’t prepared for COVID-19, you’re certainly not the only one. And managing your brand in the midst of this crisis will take a mix of patience and flexibility. If handled appropriately, there is a definite opportunity to rise to the occasion and have a measurable impact. The following provides our thoughts for how your brand needs to pivot to achieve this kind of impact.
Brand Message
It’s safe to say that you, your brand and/or your company likely feel under fire. Consumers are nervous, and may be quick to harshly judge any entity that they feel is trying to profit off this pandemic. Because it’s important to ensure that your message carries the right tone, we offer a few observations for your consideration as you plan your ongoing messaging and content strategy during this time:
Be transparent. Customers are looking for authentic leadership from the brands and companies that they care about.
Be empathetic. They want reassurance that you care about them and are taking the right steps to address this crisis, from implementing new cleaning procedures to waiving change and cancellation fees to updating your products or services. And don’t forget your employees. They are not only the front line of your brand, but customers will want to know that you care about their safety and well-being too. We’re all in this together, and brands need to react accordingly.
Avoid the hard sell. Now is the time to provide them with more value. Consider how their needs have shifted and how your message could reflect that. Is there a deeper brand story that you can share now that they actually have more time to engage with it? Or can you entertain them during this stressful time with a quiz, game or contest?
Paid Advertising and Media Selection
Unless you simply have no other choice (or your brand happens to be Purell), now is not the time to go dark with your communications or marketing spend – we’ll share more about this in our blog post next week. In the meantime, however, we can say that it does make sense to re-evaluate your paid advertising plans and media selection. Your channel mix and ad spend likely need to shift to accommodate the evolving consumer behaviors caused by this pandemic.
For example, a March 2020 GWI survey showed that 39% of US consumers say they are reading the news more frequently, while 29% say they are checking social media more frequently. And 28% say they are shopping more online in light of the virus. The folks at Russell Research are also keeping an eye on these changing media consumption habits. They recently shared the following relevant results from their ongoing COVID-19 Monitor:
Russell Research in a March 2020 survey showed that Digital and TV have increased attention while podcast attention declined.
As we all shelter in place, it appears that our massive decline in commuting is negatively impacting podcast listening, while TV and web attention have increased. As the situation continues to evolve, you should also be monitoring for any change in consumer behavior on the ads you are running. And keep in mind that you may need to pause the ads, shift your budget or even revise the creative based on the response you see.
Product or Service Offering
Invention is often born from necessity. Restaurants have arguably been one of the hardest hit business segments due to the Coronavirus. As they navigate the need to shift to a fully takeout and delivery model, they have also found new ways to shift their product and service offerings to better meet the needs of their customers (and to ultimately stay afloat):
Pre-packed quarantine staples – Restaurants are offering a variety of items from coveted fresh produce to in-demand non-perishables like toilet paper
Freezer foods – From bread dough to soups to individual servings of signature dishes, restaurants are filling the gap that consumers have found in empty grocery store aisles
Take-and-bake family style – Consumers are looking for easy ways to feed their families, and restaurants are answering with a variety of take-and-bake family style dishes
This kind of innovation should be carried to other business categories as well. Brands should be asking how their customers can use their current products or services in a new way. For example, a food manufacturer could share kid-friendly recipes that can be made at home as a family. Or a brand in another category might think of a way that their product or service can serve as a stress reducer or at least a distraction.
Brands like Orange Theory have shifted quickly over the past couple of weeks to bring operations fully digital. They determined that the best way to bring their in-gym interval training to their customers was by developing at-home workouts that utilize commonly found household items and are delivered through their app. Social media sentiment for this brand shift on their part has been wildly enthusiastic. As with these examples, being ready and willing to make these kinds of changes can create connection and community with your customers and brand advocates.
We know that much change is likely to come from the current disruption to our everyday lives. Experts are projecting that new norms and adaptive behaviors will be long-term and far-reaching. But taking the right steps to build your brand and community now will not only help you succeed in the short run – they may just set you up for continued success as well.
Check out Part II of this blog series to learn the importance of marketing in a downturn economy.
