COVID-19 Part 1: Marketing through a pandemic – Responses and Reactions

It goes without saying that the past few months have been an adjustment for everyone. Around the globe, families, companies, and entire countries have had to alter the very nature of their days, tailoring how they operate to respond to the ever-changing climate. With so many factors outside of your control, it’s important to recognise the impact that marketing can have in overcoming these challenges, and positioning your business to emerge well-equipped and tailored to your audience’s evolving needs.

Brands worldwide are trying to continue operating but with an approach that has responded to the situation at hand, modifying their offering while still keeping to their strengths. Marketing that is emotionally resonant and speaks to people directly is always more effective: your brand needs to be aware of its place, and has to add

constructively to the conversation. Don’t try and be opportunistic, but rather, assist. Instead of raising prices on home gym equipment, consider offering complimentary virtual fitness classes to help your customers! It’s this kind of strategising that is far more impactful and beneficial in the long term to retain brand integrity and offer support to your community.

So how do you adjust your offering to provide timely and convenient relief? Take a look at Woolworths opening their stores an hour early exclusively for the elderly and disabled who would otherwise struggle in the now-crowded supermarkets. It is essential to look at your marketing and ensure that it instils trust in your consumers, while interacting sensitively with the global market.

In a rapidly unfolding world, it’s important that brands listen and respond appropriately. Find the bridge between what you offer and your audience’s new needs. In this unprecedented time, the focus should no longer be to just move product, but to help and support your community. After all, it’s a positive brand experience that will resonate with them in the long term.