Context. Converse. Connect. A holy trinity of brand communication during crises.

“Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next.” – Arundhati Roy.

Let us date back to World War II, an event of economic turmoil and distress; a time when post war countries bounced back and USA in particular, had an intriguing turnaround maneuver when it came to brands and business.

During the time of World War II, USA was driven by the aspiration of victory which instilled a purpose of being innovative in the country. Thus, sparked many ideas in the field of medicine, computing, materials and of course, weapons. Consequently, the industry experienced a boom. But the life during war was characterized by consumption on need basis, rationed, sacrifices and minimalism. It was an environment that, technically and conceptually, was not conducive for any form of brand building or marketing since what clients and agencies advertised was not available for the common people. The crisis of war had left both clients and agencies in a predicament of how to sell to the consumer when they had nothing to sell. Thus, they sold the idea of a future. Both, the clients, and agencies back then, knew that the advent of peace would be the beginning of prosperity. While the war continued, towards its end, brands were determined to stay in public consciousness by promoting hope. 

A maneuver like this is a proof of optimism; a testimony to insight during crises. It is also an indicator of how every time humankind suffered a crisis, the first sacrifice at its altar has been that of consumption which directly affected the businesses and brands. When a manmade crisis like war can have this impact, nature led crises and their sheer characteristic of being beyond absolute control makes them events of greater concern. It’s a phenomenon that makes brand communication during a crisis, an imperative. While each crisis has its own unique effect, there exists a common thread which runs across and forms the basis of brand communication.

Assimilating these common nuances, BigBrandTheory constructs a comprehensible and actionable framework that enables brands to maintain and strengthen its consumer relations in the wake of a crisis. Each framework operates in a premise which elucidates the very need for it and this holy trinity is born out of a paradox and a crater of limitations. Let us explore these.

The Paradoxical Relation:

The brand-consumer relationship is interestingly paradoxical. Just like fishes live in water, brands live in the hearts and minds of the consumers. This chemistry makes the relationship between a brand and a consumer an intimate one. It is built on trust, emotions and aspirations. Brands are owned because they are a philosophy that either fuels or satisfies an aspiration for the consumer or it helps define them or express who they are. They are not just bought because they are products.

Whilst this intimate relation is also very fragile, the brand that sells dreams is also a business, a business of products. This relationship is very harshly put to test by the same brand-loving consumer in the time of a crisis. The paradox in this relation comes alive when the consumer goes through a major crisis. The first thing the consumer does when a crisis hits is scrutinizing all their choices, their shopping carts and their buys. They will redefine their priorities, needs will take over wants, shopping lists will become shorter and convincing them will get harder.

Think of this as a sensitivity barometer. Consumers during the time of crisis experience a surge of emotions and are erred easy. Extra attention or a bit of inattentiveness can turn them off.

Along with this paradoxical relation, the next aspect that adds to the premise is what we call a ‘crisis crater’.

The Crisis Crater:

An occurrence of a crisis leaves a dent in the consumers’ confidence. When an uncertainty strikes, that too of a magnitude that affects every life irrespective of the social strata, the consumer undergoes an overnight change. And this change is a frenzy. The key emotions that become the consumer mood and sentiment are fear, reduced confidence, panic, and skepticism, resulting in irrational extremes of either hoarding things or stripping away from wants. It takes time for the consumer to recover from this dent –either to get back to their original confidence or to change into a new outlook forever.

The crisis crater becomes a canvas of limitations. Literally put, it is the boundaries that a brand cannot cross in its expectations. For instance, the consumer will not be easy to convince, may not actively engage and will postpone buying.

Now, as a brand, imagine this premise of paradox and crater to be your playing field. The court is yours, but the rules are defined by the consumers. It is here that BBT’s Holy Trinity can be a ready reckoner.  

The Holy Trinity of Brand Communication During Crises: 

Context:

Remember the English grammar exercise ‘reference to context’ where understanding literature in a context led to understanding a hidden meaning or layered philosophy well cooped up in a story? It is an exercise whose logic is pretty much applicable to life. We are contextual beings because our conscious mind keeps operating out of the ‘current currency’ of our circumstances. We may know and believe in permanent meanings and purposes, but we operate completely out of contextual realities. And this aspect is no different for brands either.

Context can be derived by evaluating and articulating the situation.

Introspect to evaluate:

1. How is my consumer feeling?
2. Who am I as a brand?
3. What do my consumers perceive me as, like me for?
4. Where do they usually buy me?
5. Am I life or lifestyle for the consumer during a crisis?
6. How do they feel about me during a crisis?
7. What should I be to them during a crisis?

Keep your consumer at the core and ask yourself these seven simple questions. Attempt to keep the answers short, precise, and crystallized. The answers to these questions will give you the context that will deliver clarity for your brand and its current standing with respect to consumers amidst the crisis.

Example Answers:

1. My consumer is feeling scared, low on confidence and agitated because of helplessness and yet is determined to emerge. 
2. I am a brand that sells foot gears and endorses a healthy lifestyle. 
3. My consumer perceives me as a fit lifestyle, fitness expert and foot gear innovator. 
4. During the time of a crisis, I am lifestyle - often scrutinized, postponed and reconsidered.
5. During a crisis they feel guilty to have owned me. 
6. In a crisis, I can be a co-traveler that assures and endures. 

Write to Articulate: Now further crystallize the insights from the evaluation and put them into a contextual sentence. Keep the sentence pointed, short and goal oriented. 

“My Context: My consumers are in a shock, busy adapting to a new normal and reconsidering their choices. They are unclear, sensitive yet determined and their love for our brand is intact but not currently important"

Converse:

You have the context. It is time to relate it to a conversation strategy. Simply put, a conversation strategy is a comprehensive contextual communication plan which is anchored to five key anchors that ensure your consumer views you in the right perspective during crisis.

The blanket insight is to keep your communication human, think of it as talking to your best friend or a family member.

The Five Conversation Commandments During Crises. 

1.      Responsible - As a brand, respond to the crisis, not react. Roll out agile adaptive measure and pivot to service your consumers seamlessly. If the crisis is an obstacle to your services, communicate the same with compassion.

2.      Assuring - Make your consumers feel that they are not alone in these trying times. Keep in touch regularly via digital channels. Do not spam but be there. If consumers have invested in you, assure them that their investment is not forgotten. For example, you are an airline whose tickets they had bought and could not use, assure that their invested ticket money will not go waste.

3.      Engage meaningfully - Weave yourself through content and ideas in their new, changed lifestyle. Do small things that are relevant in the current times. For example, the salon B-Blunt shared DIY haircut videos during lockdown. Being one of the most affected categories, the brand engaged meaningfully and ensured a relevant way of being in consumers mind.

4.      Go Beyond Crisis - Consumers are being fed enough stress through news and information, so induce some neutrality and normalcy. Let their reason to love you be a communication peg. If they were looking forward to that event you endorsed every year, don’t take it away from them, pivot it virtually.

5.      Be about Hope - Consumers are suffering from a loss of confidence. Build it back by painting a better future, sharing news updates and possibilities which will tell them that this too, shall pass.

Connect:

Never forget that it is a human crisis that often brings together the whole species and ties them into one immensely powerful feeling. Carl Jung’s concept of ‘collective unconscious’ becomes somewhat relevant here because humans, irrespective of their social existence, experience a singular emotion. The solidarity acts that move us so deeply are just an example of this oneness.

What is interesting about this power is that when you connect in this window, you live in the consumers’ minds forever. This is not led by any tactic, but is sheer compassion. As a brand who has a certain influence and power, leverage that for making a difference. Commit to a purpose that contributes to the situation in a positive way. This doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the consumer, but is about humanity. 

Propel a cause, initiate a change, and allow your consumers to be a part of it. Connect!

A crisis is unfortunate for all of us. It is threatening and can almost seem insurmountable. But it is also a point of inflection that sets a new course of future, as a brand rides this change. While empathy and compassion are the prerequisites, a genuine intent is the key.

Simply, Context, Converse

?and Connect!

Article Co-Authored by -

Pravin Shah, Founder, BigBrandTheory & Reena Mehta, Sr. Partner, BigBrandTheory.