A recent study from KantarThe survey asked more than 30,000 consumers in more than 50 countries how they expect companies to act during the coronavirus pandemic. According to the survey, 75% of respondents said that companies should not use this crisis opportunistically to promote their brand. At the same time, only 8% felt that companies should stop advertising altogether. On the other hand, the study reveals that 77% expect companies to be helpful during this pandemic.
These results should be taken into account by brands when approaching and adapting their communication and marketing strategies, and for this we propose a series of reflections.
The first is that we must not stop communicating. It is a time for action and nothing communicates more than facts. Given the data, companies' various audiences want to hear from them. While it is clear that many projects and plans have had to be postponed or put on hold, we must continue to find ways to remain relevant.
A lot of thought needs to be given to how we communicate at this juncture. Failure to do so could convey a certain insensitivity or even be detrimental. Virus tops everyone's priority list. So how can you share content and show respect and sensitivity to the current situation? Each company has its own strategy. Some brands combine their regular content with highlights about the coronavirus. This shows their audience that they are not living on the fringes of reality while still providing quality content. Other brands have decided to change their strategy and share specific tips related to the coronavirus to help their audience during these weeks and some have even created products and/or services for the containment. The key is to avoid silence and inaction. Although the coronavirus is the main story at the moment, it is not the only one. There are journalists who continue to write articles related to different sectors on a daily basis and now more than ever they need valuable information and content to do their job. Brands need to provide these journalists with stories of interest to their readers. It is advisable to identify those editors, often sectoral, who continue to publish news for a particular industry, and offer that content to them for assessment. However, the above notwithstanding, information about the virus cannibalises everything, so it is advisable to wait a while before making big announcements such as product launches or a rebranding.
Following on from the results of the KantarOnline browsing has increased by 70% and social media use by 61% since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The audience is more present than ever and has to be at the forefront of any strategy.. It is a fact that citizens' interests have changed in recent weeks. It is therefore necessary to analyse whether the content of the communication plans still makes sense and to decide which actions should be put on the back burner or modified.
We are at a time when aid and empathy permeate everything.. So let's use common sense to continue to engage our audience and ask ourselves the following questions:
- What would my audience like me to do?
- How can I help my audiences? How can I be sensitive?
- How is the pandemic affecting my audience?
- Have your priorities changed?
- How can I best communicate my product/service to that audience?
The study also reveals that 75% of people want to know how brands are reacting to the current pandemic. And a further 78% are urging brands to look after their employees during this time. How should this affect my brand? Rapid response coupled with timely information updates will help audiences increase trust. (companies reporting that teleworking has been decreed to protect the health of employees, news from department stores about measures being taken to keep their customers safe...). It is important not to fall behind and even more so if the competition is being agile. We are facing one of the most vulnerable and sensitive situations in recent times, and it is important not to be left behind, especially if the competition is being agile. any corporate move that might suggest that this situation is being exploited to benefit a business can have disastrous effects on the reputation of that brand.. It is time to carefully examine the strategy because the public will neither forgive nor forget. It is better to focus efforts on genuinely helping the audience. People will certainly remember the help and kindness long after this crisis has passed. We live in fragile and uncertain times and we have to begin to accept that this is not a hiatus, as it first looked like it was going to be. We are facing a great opportunity to communicate because there is a huge change of context and it is time to place and position your brand in this new reality. When everything is established and positions consolidated, it is more difficult to carve out a niche, but now there is a change and it must be perceived as an opportunity for brands. We are heading towards a scenario where purpose is more important than ever and society and our audiences will never forget what is done now. It won't be so much what the brands do as the soul they put into it when they do it. Behaviours and habits are forever changing and the mental levers that trigger audiences' behaviours will be different. As a consequence, communication has to adapt to this change and adapt.
This article has been published in Interactiva Digital. You can access it through the following link link.
Valvanuz Serna Ruiz
Managing Partner of Proa Comunicación