The spread and impact of COVID-19 have been unprecedented both in terms of geography and the number of people affected. The pandemic has impacted not just our health but also the social and commercial aspects of our lives. The damaging consequences on individual businesses and the overall economy have cascaded down to the field of marketing, advertising, and public relations too.
In the wake of a crisis like this, all our strategies, plans and statements of intent become irrelevant or secondary to the implementation of a contingency plan for overcoming the challenges. The question now is, can the business or brand survive the period of isolation? And for how long?
These testing times call for a rethink of our strategies, with particular emphasis on what to say and what not to say. This is a delicate period, wherefore it is imperative that we tread carefully.
A health crisis of national and global ramifications is not the opportune time for ramping up your marketing and social media campaigns. Instead, try and put your finger on the pulse of the customer’s current mood. With the atmosphere being rife with fear and people feeling vulnerable and isolated, it is advisable to desist from running marketing campaigns or make aggressive efforts to push your business. Remember, you will be judged by how sensibly and sensitively you have conducted yourself at this time.
There’s always the temptation to ride the virus wave. Instead, it’s advisable to refrain from embarking on marketing or any commercial initiatives that might be construed as taking unethical advantage of the crisis. It is better to err on the side of caution and not say anything rather than to precipitate the hype. This period of isolation will separate the professional practitioners from the rank amateurs out to capitalize on a crisis.
This is a time to carefully evaluate what to post and when, or indeed whether to post anything at all. If you have to, now is the time to amplify your service angle or even special offers.
The best thing to do would be to utilise this time to revisit your PR and Branding strategy and pull out all those PR projects which were previously put on the backburner for want of time and focus and start implementing them.
Set up a studio-like environment and you’re on. Or you can do Skype interviews with the media from the comfort of your home.
Now is the time to take a long hard look at your website and see how you can make it read and look better. Whilst you’re there you can tidy up the content too.
This is your most attractive business card so can you jazz it up a bit more? Or you can refine your presentation material and the bios of your key personnel.
Yes, not the time to have one but you can brainstorm on ideas and themes. Also, organize all those thousands of photos you’ve taken over the past year or so. How about creating a dedicated new events presentation?
Perhaps look at this area of your social media as well. You might want to review your analytics, change keywords, etc.
The idea is to invest your time and resources and not waste them during this period of social distancing. The point is that if your brand is in isolation and you utilize the time to focus on strategy and a bit of corporate homework, then it is time well spent.
For any assistance, we would be happy to help.
