Marketing During A World Crisis
Marketing During A World Crisis
The outbreak of and
subsequent panic following COVID-19 has turned the entire world on its head. Brands
and businesses are frantically trying to regroup to deal with the strain that
the virus and the worldwide call for quarantine are placing on the economy. We’re
no exception – we’ve had to re-evaluate our business model, our contingency
plans and general morale. We know that there are thousands of other SMEs that
might benefit from hearing our advice, even if it's just to confirm their own beliefs.
Here are a few things that we’d like our peers, clients and competitors to keep
in mind in the midst of COVID-19.
Have a Contingency
Plan
Most businesses have a
plan in place to deal with emergencies – although few if any of them could have
planned for a world-wide quarantine without an end in sight. We
suggest that businesses treat this like they would a severe blow to their nation’s
economy. Cut all unnecessary costs and expenses and communicate with your staff
about any changes or restructuring happening within your business.
Don’t Exploit the
Situation
You might be remembered
for a witty COVID-19 ad that you shared on Facebook – but not for the right
reasons. Although South Africans seem to approach stressful or worrying times
with humour and community, it doesn’t mean that your business should make light
of a situation that has cost thousands of people their lives. Using a world
crisis like COVID-19 to draw attention to your brand for profit is distasteful
and according to us, simply unethical. Avoid making jokes, mocking or trying to
leverage your brand through the coronavirus.
Roll with The
Punches
The first thing that a
business should do to survive and hopefully recover from a crisis like this is
to accept that the way you do business is about to change drastically. There are no concrete plans or strategies that can prepare your business for every
challenge that this virus brings, but you can control how you approach these
challenges. Play open cards with your clients, employees and stakeholders about
what’s going on in your business at the moment and let them know what you plan
on doing about it. We know that a positive attitude might not change the world,
but it could make it easier to face new challenges in the morning.
Do Your Part to
Help
This crisis affects us
all – whether you’re the owner of the business or the person cleaning the
building. The only way to make sure that we can all get through it is to work
together to educate others on good sanitation and safety precautions. Take a
look at how your brand can help the public get through this a little bit easier.
For example, you could share an information post, video or article on the
coronavirus, or you could reach out to your local shelters and communities to
help those in need during this difficult time. We wish our readers good health and
patience – we know that we’ll come out stronger because of it.
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