Corona Virus Responses on Company Websites: List
If you have more than a passing interest in seeing how companies and brands use their websites to respond to the novel Corona Virus pandemic 2019-2020, particularly when it comes to using their own specific lens, here is a list.
Some industries are dramatically affected, others not so much. Whichever business you’re in, you can’t ignore it; neither can you go overboard given the overall sentiment around this pandemic.
What’s the difference between companies and brands that choose to communicate, and those who don’t? You tell me.
Standout:
Google does what it alone can do: https://blog.google/inside-google/company-announcements/coronavirus-covid19-response/
It’s the best I’ve seen, that’s why it’s at the top of the list. Learn from it, even if you’re not Google.
I'm also plugging my employer here, a heartfelt message from the Chairman: https://www.tata.com/newsroom/n-chandrasekaran-statement-covid-19
Airlines:
- Qatar Airways is superlative: https://www.qatarairways.com/en/travel-with-confidence.html
- Emirates: https://www.emirates.com/in/english/help/travel-updates/
- Indigo: https://www.goindigo.in/information/corona-virus-travel-restrictions.html
- Delta: has video: https://www.delta.com/us/en/coronavirus-update-center/overview
- Qantas: same: https://www.qantas.com/in/en/travel-info/travel-updates/coronavirus.html
- Singapore Airlines: has video: https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/sg/travel-info/precautionary-measures/
- British Airways: https://www.britishairways.com/en-us/information/incident/coronavirus/latest-information
- Vistara: https://www.airvistara.com/trip/coronavirus-update
- AirAsia: https://support.airasia.com/s/article/Covid-19-Refund-Request-Guide?language=en_GB
- Cleartrip: https://www.cleartrip.com/coronahelp/
Notable absentee: Booking.com. Update on March 21 - they have a generic message asking you to contact the property you've booked, a link to the help center and request to take it easy on their customer service.
Hospitality:
Most have only refund and cancellation policies, and requests asking for customers to call only if they’re planning to stay in the next 72 hours – and use forms instead of calling or social media.
- Hyatt: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/info/coronavirus-statement
- Marriott: https://marriott-re-2019ncovc.com/
- IHG: https://www.ihg.com/content/gb/en/customer-care/travel-advisory
- Hilton: https://www.hilton.com/en/corporate/coronavirus/
- Oberoi: https://www.oberoihotels.com/covid19-update/
- Taj: https://www.tajhotels.com/en-in/coronavirus-update/
Notable absentee: Oyo. It's March 21, and many cities in India are in partial or total lockdown. There's nothing on the Oyo website.
Retail
- Big Bazaar: Prominent, with large format pictures showing customers what they need to expect while visiting. What else do you need to say? https://www.bigbazaar.com/corona-preventive-measures/
- Walmart: https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2020/03/10/the-latest-on-walmarts-response-to-the-coronavirus
- Starbucks: https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/
- ASDA: https://corporate.asda.com/20200309/steps-we-have-taken-in-response-to-the-coronavirus-outbreak
- Albert Heijn: The Dutch retailer addresses stocking and supply chain issues in a fairly transparent manner (content is in Dutch) https://www.ah.nl/samen-thuis
- CVS, the US pharma retail giant: https://www.cvs.com/content/coronavirus
- Walgreens: https://www.walgreens.com/topic/findcare/coronavirus.jsp?ban=covid_hp_discretionary
Pharma and wellness:
The standout is Johnson and Johnson: https://www.jnj.com/coronavirus
All others have stock pictures of germs. Some have even animated it.
- Roche: https://www.roche.com/research_and_development/what_we_are_working_on/infectious_diseases/coronavirus.htm
- Pfizer: https://www.pfizer.com/health/coronavirus
- Novartis: https://www.novartis.com/news/coronavirus-disease-covid-19-update
- Bayer: https://www.bayer.com/en/coronavirus-covid-19-update.aspx
- GSK: An animated germ isn’t what you put on the home page, GSK, Covid19 or not. https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/resource-centre/our-contribution-to-the-fight-against-2019-ncov/
- P&G Professional: https://pgpro.com/solutions/coronavirus/
FMCG:
- Unilever: https://www.unilever.com/news/news-and-features/Feature-article/2020/unilever-announces-covid-19-actions-for-all-employees.html
- Lego. It’s just a letter, but Lego could’ve just pretended not to notice and no one would have missed a thing: https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2020/march/a-letter-from-niels-b-christiansen
Notable absentees: P&G, Mondelez, Mars, Pepsico, Coca Cola et al.
Manufacturing:
- DuPont: https://www.dupont.com/news/dupont-response-novel-coronavirus-prevention-and-control.html
- 3M: https://news.3m.com/blog/3m-stories/3m-responds-2019-novel-coronavirus
- Boeing: Very employee-focused: https://www.boeing.com/covid19
- Airbus: just a press release: https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2020/03/airbus-provides-update-on-covid19-related-measures.html
Tech:
- Microsoft: Microsoft highlights the Teams product but it’s a product pitch. I think they could have addressed additional concerns, especially when your product goes down when people need it the most. They do have some WFH tips though. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/
- Adobe: Matter-of-fact. https://www.adobe.com/trust/info-covid-19.html Adobe later set up this page https://www.adobe.com/in/covid-19-response.html. What I like is the way they're speaking to their community and offering solutions that can help you materially during extended WFH or quarantine. Much to learn.
Missing IBM here.
B2B:
- Accenture, a very point-of-view approach: https://www.accenture.com/in-en/about/company/coronavirus-solution-elastic-digital-workplace
- Cognizant: Not bad. https://www.cognizant.com/perspectives/contending-with-the-covid-19-pandemic-keeping-your-business-running-and-people-healthy
- Wipro: Just a note on the home page www.wipro.com. But glad they’ve redesigned – the earlier underline + black and white pictures + random color dots website was ghastly.
None of the other Indian competitors have anything on their websites. Surprising, given their very large employee footprint. It's important for the public to know what large - and really large - employers are telling the workforce. Social media updates are great, but having an authentic space to keep updated information is very important.
Finance:
- JP Morgan: The moneybags are always worried about money. But good content: https://www.jpmorgan.com/global/research/coronavirus-impact
Consulting
Great content, lots of gyaan, and all the motherhood statements and consulting jargon the world doesn’t need right now.
- McKinsey was on it before everyone else, I think: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/risk/our-insights/covid-19-implications-for-business
- BCG: https://www.bcg.com/featured-insights/coronavirus.aspx
- Deloitte: https://www2.deloitte.com/global/en/pages/about-deloitte/topics/combating-covid-19-with-resilience.html
- KPMG: https://home.kpmg/xx/en/home/insights/2020/03/the-business-implications-of-coronavirus.html
- PWC: https://www.pwc.com/gx/en/issues/crisis-solutions/covid-19.html
- E&Y: Resilience? Check. Uncertain world? Check. Black Swan? Check. https://www.ey.com/en_in/transactions/companies-can-reshape-results-and-plan-for-covid-19-recovery
Insurance
Insurance companies have fairly to-the-point communication.
- United Health Care: https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/covid-19
- Chubb: https://www.chubb.com/us-en/chubb-statement-on-the-covid-19-outbreak.aspx
- USAA: https://communities.usaa.com/t5/USAA-News/How-USAA-is-Responding-to-Concerns-about-Coronavirus-COVID-19/ba-p/226066
- AIG: https://www.aig.com/about-us/coronavirus-updates
Indian insurance companies may have a regulatory bottleneck to navigate before they put up anything related to Covid-19 pandemic out.
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Caveat: this is not an exhaustive list by any means. I’ve kept out government, NGO, ecommerce and news websites as well.
Hope you found this useful and if there's any worthwile website that we can learn from, let me know.