The Shift In Communication Strategies Of Major Brands In The Times Of Coronavirus Crisis.
Now, when the world is facing a huge health crisis, brands need to handle the situation by communicating with their consumers. The Corona Virus (COVID-19) health crisis is the moment that made all the brands swing into action. They have been communicating and crafting messages to convey to their consumers. They are aware and doing their bit in such an emergency.
Some brands have been in direct contact with the crisis while others indirectly. The brands that provide services like door to door delivery, transferring food, packages, and other essentials are the ones who are facing the most threat. Swiggy, for instance, has been reassuring customers on their app and through emails that they are taking all necessary preventive measures to ensure that the food that is delivered is untouched. They have also started a ‘leave your package’ campaign that prevents the customers from coming in direct contact with the delivery person.
Brands need to create flexible plans for responding to a crisis and to track the situation continues as they try to ensure safety. The health of all stakeholders including employees and customers is ensured. Corona, a beer brand from Mexico has nothing to do with the COVID-19 virus but it has quickly come in the limelight. It has seen its sales plunging due to it sharing its name with the virus.
All major brands are now focusing on producing content as per the times. These campaigns come under tactical marketing and are essential to staying in touch with your existing customers. This includes sharing any innovations that you might be doing to battle the crisis or any precautions or safety measures that you might be following. Some brands are also engaging in social campaigns or creating awareness about the crisis at hand.
A Vodka brand from Texas called Tito's has issued a video clarification for its consumers asking the public to not use vodka to kill germs since their Handmade Vodka is only 40% alcohol and will not be useful in wiping off germs. This video subsequently went viral proving that social media is playing a key role in crisis management. It is helping brands to engage in real-time conversations with the audience.
While some brands are creating innovative sensitive campaigns, others are halting campaigns that might look insensitive. Hershey’s replaced its ads featuring human interaction like handshakes and hugging. This was in the context of social distancing becoming an important practice to avoid the spread of the virus. Another brand Coors has stopped the launch of its new campaign titled “Official Beer of Working Remotely” over the concern that this campaign can come off as insensitive considering more and more companies are asking their employees to work remotely or work from home.
Amid the need for major brands to revisit their communication, Twitter recently came out with some key elements that could ensure these brands provide helpful and beneficial information. Also, help in navigating the disruption caused that is being caused due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Many integrated marketing communications might get halted or tweaked shortly. The popular deodorant brand Axe halted its campaign that featured a spectator in a basketball match imagining the crowd fleeing due to his armpits smell and masks dropping in the crowd like airplanes. It might not be easy to draw a line between the concerns of an outbreak and monitoring the performance of a campaign.
LinkedIn is making its courses about Working From Home available without any charges. Many brands are also giving a break to their campaigns and realigning the core messaging as per the sensitivities as the crisis is linked to human lives. KFC has also paid heed to the key message by the health bodies and stopped their popular Finger licking and hugs; campaign. The campaign had the idea of people licking their fingers when they ate the KFC chicken. This might have come across as unhygienic in recent times. Travel booking sites like Cleartrip are also sending active communication to their customers giving details about which flights are canceled and eligibility to fly. Retail giants like Walmart have sent a message to their customers where they are advising about the procedures that help customers continue operating amid the outbreak.
India based Oyo hotels founder has been responding to tweets suggesting the use of OyoRooms as quarantine centers. It has started the #CoronaConcierge campaign to educate travelers. Pornhub, the site that provides adult entertainment has offered free access to Pornhub Premium for the month to the Italians staying at home. The #staythefuckhome campaign by Tourism Estonia has become popular. Travel OTA platform Ixigo has also started #TravelLater campaign. They are also offering a “No questions asked” full refund policy for their international sector.
Some brands have also been communicating the unscientific claims that they are ‘anti-coronavirus’. The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has taken action against such communications. The top leaders and institutions have been pivotal in such times as people look at them for information and reassurance. They also give inspiration by communicating on Twitter. On twitter, the co-founder of Alibaba Jack Ma posted photos of China Eastern Airlines plane carrying face masks and coronavirus test kits that will be donated to the U.S. from Shanghai.
Leaders like the CEO of Google Sundar Pichai informed the company’s stakeholders that Google will be taking every possible step to help the community. Many companies that that were sponsoring IPL are diverting this money for COVID-19 prevention initiatives after an appeal from Manu Jain, MD of Xiaomi India. All these acts are making everyone aware that marketing can be used to save lives and spread awareness rather than risk lives by being irresponsible.
