How should your brand communicate in the coronavirus crisis?

With the advance of the pandemic, measures to contain the coronavirus need to be the priority of brands and society in general. Among them, we can highlight the relevance of adhering to social isolation, to reduce the number of infected. But, unfortunately, this has a high cost for companies, which need to close their doors or work with a very reduced operation for an indefinite period.

In this scenario, several brands focused their crisis management on ensuring, as far as possible, a positive cash flow. And, to maintain this financial health, it is necessary to contain expenses. But it is also important that companies find ways to make themselves present now, because if not, they may be forgotten by consumers when the situation normalizes. Thus, it is essential that communication strategies are not ignored at this time. Find out how to make this possible in this article!

Communication in the coronavirus era

A survey conducted by Kantar, in March this year, found that more than 80% of respondents agree that brands should communicate, mainly, their efforts to face the pandemic and how they can be useful for consumers in this new reality. However, the same study concluded that most Brazilians believe that brands should avoid exploiting the situation to promote themselves.

So, you must be asking yourself how to build an appropriate communication strategy for a crisis situation, right? It is necessary to emphasize that, for this, there is no single formula and each company needs to find the model that most connects with its purpose. However, some points must be considered in order for your brand to communicate more efficiently.

Be transparent

To remain present in the lives of consumers, your brand needs to keep its stakeholders well informed about the position and the decisions made by your company during the pandemic. To do this, communicate, transparently, what measures are being taken by your company to ensure the safety of employees and customers. Inform your operating model and opening hours during this period and disclose the actions that your brand is developing in order to contribute to the fight against COVID-19.

The fast-food chain McDonald’s, for example, decided to communicate the closure of its shops through a video, in which it explains all the measures taken by the company to continue serving its customers during the pandemic.

Communicate responsibly

AWhen producing content about the pandemic, caution is needed. The “Saúde sem fake news” (“Health without fake news” in english) project was created by the brazilian Ministry of Health with the aim of combating the transmission of fake news about the new coronavirus. This was necessary because, only in February, 85% of the messages received and analyzed on the subject were not true.

Therefore, check the sources and the accuracy of each information shared by your brand. In addition, be responsible and comply with the recommendations established by the World Health Organization (WHO). Another important initiative is also to communicate with agility, to combat fake news that may be linked to your business.

Stay in

Because of the uncertainties generated by the spread of the new coronavirus, the information published by the media is frequently renewed. Thus, keeping up to date and attentive to official communications is very important. Therefore, before posting any action or news on your channels (whether internal or external), make sure that this is consistent with the current moment.

Review whenever necessary

To maintain the relevance of your brand in times of coronavirus, continuing to deliver content that goes beyond the context of the crisis is essential. After all, the daily problems of your audience will still be there, waiting for a solution.

So, Before putting your communication strategy into practice, make a rigorous analysis of the elements that comprise it. Investigate images, colors, words and symbols that may be considered inappropriate for the current moment, such as pieces that show handshakes, agglomerations and other attitudes that go against the recommendations to combat COVID-19.

A good example is the Mercado Livre platform, which went viral by changing its logo in a campaign to encourage disease prevention. For this, he created a new icon in which the hands – which previously greeted each other making an allusion to the brand’s commitment – are now not touching.

Reconsider the tone of voice of your brand

Another element that needs to be adapted to the current reality is the language that your brand uses in its communication channels. Try to keep your voice calm, so that messages do not cause more panic and anxiety in your audience.

In addition, excessive humor may convey the idea that your company is not committed to the situation. So it is important to find a balance between staying positive and being responsible. One tip is to prevent lighter and more fun content from being directly related to the pandemic.

It is necessary to adapt to the new reality

With the difficulties generated by COVID-19, the buying patterns and behavior of consumers can change a lot. Thus, it is important that your brand is attentive to new demands and tries to adapt to them.

To do this, map the actions of your competitors, follow the trends of your segment and make researches to find out how to be useful to your audience at this moment. We have seen more and more companies using digital resources. The adoption of online delivery and sales systems, the intensification of remote service channels and the creation of virtual events are some of the practices found in the market.

As seen, the importance of communication cannot be overlooked. After all, brands forgotten during the pandemic are less likely to regain their place in consumer preference when this crisis ends. Following our suggestions, it is possible to develop an efficient communication aligned with your business objectives. To stay on top of the actions that brands are taking in favor of combating COVID-19, follow our social networks: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn!