It has now been nearly 1 month since the U.S. declared a national emergency on March 13th due to the coronavirus pandemic which was swiftly paralyzing nations and beginning to make inroads in America. Since then, brands around the world and in the U.S. have struggled to determine what message they should share to consumers – or if they should share anything at all?
Research firm Kantar attempts to answer this question by finding from a survey of 35,000 people in March that 92% of consumers believe that brands should continue to advertise during the coronavirus pandemic. We at Nativa looked this week for specific coronavirus communications from brands to their consumers and wanted to share some of the best examples we found. Read on.
The Message from Global Brands
As the crisis of COVID-19 rises, many brands are obviously being affected. We have seen many brands address the situation in their social media communications and some brands that don’t. Among the brands that do address the difficult topic, many discuss measures they are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Others released statements of what their coronavirus plan is, while some brands show how they are working to bring the best products to their consumers in a challenging work environment. Most brands included a message asking their audience to take measures to stay safe during this uncertain time.
Multinational beverage company Coca-Cola has always been known for its amazing marketing strategies, and during this time of coronavirus was no different. The Atlanta-based firm this time among other efforts globally opted to place a billboard at Times Square asking people to social distance. The message reads, “Staying apart is the best way to stay united.”
Emphasizing Staying Home
Another global consumer packaged goods brand, got2b, created a campaign called #got2bHOME where they shared content on their Instagram page using this hashtag. The beauty brand shows different hairstyles that their youthful target audience can achieve with their hair products right from their own home. On a global scale, the brand even created the #got2bHOME festival, which occurred on Friday, April 3rd, in which consumers could connect online with global influencers from their own home.
As got2b shows, in this uncertain time, brands can stick to their same marketing plan or they can adapt the way they communicate to new realities.
How Food Manufacturers are Responding to the Pandemic
Popular Mexican-American meats and cheeses brand V&V Supremo addressed the coronavirus situation on their Instagram page with multiple postings showing their response to the global concern. One of their strongest responses was this image below where the brand reminds their audience the correct way to wash their hands.
The world’s second-largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork, Tyson Foods, created a video (below) where they show how their production team is continuing to provide the best quality product for their customers.
How Retail Restaurants Manage the Coronavirus Outbreak:
American doughnut powerhouse Krispy Kreme posted on their popular Instagram profile that they are taking significant measures to keep their community and employees safe.
International pizza favorite, Pizza Hut, also addressed the dangerous situation by telling consumers how they are keeping their products safe, see their post below.
Made for Coronavirus – What are brands Live Streaming during Coronavirus?
We have seen brands around the world take to live-streaming during a time where in-person events are strictly off-limits. Among the different types of content, we have seen the following campaigns as the most common;
- Virtual Festivals
- Live stream concerts
- Virtual Interviews
- Live streaming productions
- Educational content
- Questions and Answers
- Workouts
Among many examples, we have seen workout studios begin to create on-demand classes or even offer free classes through Instagram Live. CorePower Yoga, a yoga studio with studios around the U.S., has been promoting their on-demand subscription for consumers to keep working out from home.
Conclusion for Brands Considering their Response
For brands, we focus on how their consumers would like for them to address the global situation. From our research, we suggest to use the right mix of standard content mixed with coronavirus specific updates as this was found to be the most successful strategy among brands who are taking action in response to coronavirus. For additional insights on how to respond, see these 5 tips from a consumer psychologist on how to respond to the pandemic.
Bonus Info: If you are working from home and are struggling to find a routine read, our latest blog post on tips to work from home.
