10 steps to rethink your brand during Corona Times

Brands have a role to play during and after Covid-19 crisis. Consumers expect brands to be part of the global conversation and act. That needs to be done thoughtfully and with purpose, readjusting the business as usual and looking for new ways of doing things.

This is the guide to rethinking your brand communication strategy during this unique and challenging Corona times:

1. Rethink your plan.

By now you know that all plans must be shelved. Brands need to adapt quickly to the new environment and rethink plans thoughtfully. Marketeers must move forward taking in consideration the changes in the environment. What is the impact, speed and magnitude of these changes? What are the opportunities? And threats? After analyzing the wider context, it is time to reflect on the brand and business strategy and redefine it. Adjust your company’s objectives to the context and review what you are going to do different, in terms of resource allocation. Execute your new plan (3–6–12 months?), hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.

2. Find your silver lining.

Focus on the problems at hand and, at the same time, take the opportunity to open doors. This could be the opportunity to revamp your brand and restructure the way you communicate.

My advice is to listen. Really listen. Listen to society, your clients, your partners, your suppliers, listen to your competition and take the time to ask yourself the questions you coundn’t find the time before. Starting from there, you will find your silver lining. Who knew this was time to speed up your brand’s digital transformation path or cherry picking your marketing partners?

3. Focus on utility.

There is a global loss of meaning, a feeling of unpreparedness and uncertainty rules. And humanity seems to be growing, despite social distance and confinement.

So, what should brands communicate during Corona times? Some brands are choosing to be quiet and doing nothing. Well, I believe that can be risky. Consumers are paying attention to brands actions and they have high expectations. On the other hand, communicating during Corona times levels up the brand responsibility. So, what is the right balance?

Brands should evaluate how they can be useful to people. If their industry has no relation with the crisis or they have nothing useful to say (and to do), choosing not to communicate can the right answer. However, if there is an opportunity to communicate, the brand image and consideration will most probably benefit enormously.

When deciding your brand communication strategy, ask these questions:

· What do our clients expect from us?

· How can our brand be useful during Corona crisis?

· Does it relate to the unique brand purpose?

4. Think like a journalist would.

Bring the truth and, whenever possible, bring the good news. The good side of the crisis is being glorified: appreciation and gratefulness are taken to a whole new level now.

As a brand, your communication should create these thoughts on people: “Well, I needed this today” or “This helped me today” or “Other people needed that”.

5. Don’t be a sheep.

People are having global conversations and there is a more shared vision of the world. That can be an opportunity if your communication takes over people’s minds, but there is an obvious threat that your brand is one of the pack.

That is why brand purpose is so important, now more than ever. Find an angle, within your brand’s purpose or go home and take care of your employees and business.

6. Be legit.

Brands must have the legitimacy to communicate during Corona times. If not, they must find creative ways of creating it.

Opportunistic approaches will not be tolerated. Every act is politized, in a global crisis. People will ban brands in the era of conscious consumerism.

7. If you chose to communicate, take authenticity seriously.

Brands should be focusing on building trust rather than trying to create selling opportunities. This is the hard true.

We are living in a unique “life parenthesis” where authenticity is taking a greater stage. Suddenly, Instagram stars are not that glamourous and their self-made home photos are more relatable. Even that TV journalist looks more natural when you see his home office.

Brands should bring this new authenticity, vulnerability and super strength to their communication during Corona Times. This new attitude will be more relatable.

8. Adjust your segmentation.

Listen to your clients, research their new habits, interests, worries and segment your communication accordingly. The channel mix also probably needs to be adjusted.

Please don’t go on broadcast national TV advertising you have an APP for your clients. That is only useful to your clients now and your “non clients” are not going to considerate you now. You will be throwing money out the window.

Reanalyzing your stakeholders and looking for new opportunities might lead you to new communication paths. Who knew the CEO LinkedIn posts could have such an impact? Or that salespeople could turn into micro-influencers instead of laid-off? Finally, prioritize your employees. Your brand will have amazingly positive word of mouth if you do so.

9. Experiment and iterate.

Take this time to try new things. Expectations for brands are higher and it is the perfect opportunity to come up with new ideas, new formats, new ways. People are more open and very curious, they will like you more, considerate you more and talk more about you if your brands actions and communications are original, useful and thoughtful.

10. Listen, Learn and Prepare.

After the lock down period, you shouldn’t take your brand back to where it was. Enjoy this challenging crisis to reshape your brand, the connection with clients and your company ways of work.

#stayhome #savelives

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