COVID-19 Part 2: Tailoring Your Tone

So the world has been in lockdown for longer than feels real, your workplace is virtual, and the last time you socialised was via Zoom. We’re more isolated than ever, and sometimes it’s hard not to feel despondent. As a brand, you can play an essential role in rallying your respective community, spreading positivity and hope through your unique offering.

When looking at your communications, assess your upcoming content, promotions and advertising from a new, COVID-19 perspective. Will your previous strategy appear tone deaf, or worse, completely insensitive? Are you offering something that is essential and valuable? The last thing that you need is to be viewed as trying to cash in on the situation, especially when there are so many who are left vulnerable in the face of the pandemic.

Adjusting your brand tone of voice can be challenging, especially if it’s established and has earned string recognition or trust. However: what consumers are craving most right now is authenticity. There’s nothing more admirable than a brand that takes a stance that strikes the balance between optimistic, sombre, and most importantly, relevant. In a time where individuals are more physically alone than ever before, your communication with them is the sincerity that we all are craving.

Nike recently tweeted a campaign, encouraging people to ‘#playinside’ and enforce social distancing measures. As usual, their copy was heartfelt, to the point, and hopeful: “If you ever dreamed of playing for millions around the world, now is your chance.”

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.

Barry’s Bootcamp has also addressed their community through social media, dubbing their followers who can no longer attend classes as their ‘fitfam’. It’s another great example of addressing and uniting an audience in such a time of isolation.

The bar for authenticity has never been higher: while we all may be struggling, there’s never been a better opportunity for true and genuine connection.