Marketing When People Are Afraid.

Here is the truth. The world is going to be different going forward, events may not come back at scale, we may not work in offices anymore and who knows if restaurants will ever have seats again. These are all guesses and honestly no one knows 100% the changes we are facing but one thing that I can guarantee you is that this is the most important time for companies big and small to be vocal, advertising and building strong bonds with their customers through engaging content and clear communication.

The thing is while you should be talking to your customers more the way you speak to them has to change. From an advertising standpoint now (as always) you should never come off as tone deaf. KFC has stopped using the tagline “Finger Licking Good” because it is insensitive right now but they also missed a great opportunity to be apart of the Covid-19 conversation in a positive way by repurposing their tagline to “Finger Washing Good” and make it a PSA of sorts. KFC could get away with this because they have invested years in building a personality for their brand that people would not be shocked by such a statement.

Nike came out with an amazing piece of creative reminding people we are all on the same team and to stay inside. There was no selling but it stayed very true to their messaging since the company began.

Trying to hard sell right now isn’t going to work in anyone’s favor right now. Brands need to use a portion of advertising investment to be focused on building and maintaining a meaningful relationship with consumers rather than driving near term sales. 

When advertising goes dark, you can and will lose brand equity.

Great brands will see this as an opportunity to build and reinforce a brand’s relationship with their customers and prospects. Reach out to people. Ask them what they are looking for right now. You may be surprised by what they tell you.

Once you know what your customers want make sure you respond using the following formula:

Keep your message valuable – you know what they want to hear so don’t confuse the message and never have a COVID-19 sale offering 19% off.

• Be Optimistic – never add to the misery, use optimism as a differentiator and show people how things could be at the end of this. Humans are adaptable, we have learned to live through hard times but as a brand you should never specifically point these hardships out.
• Use Humor – Finger Washing Good is perfect. Why? Cause I thought of it but beyond that it speaks to the situation, doesn’t pretend things are ok but at the same time it will make people smile and probably share it with a friend making KFC seem more human through a inhumane situation. People with amplified voices have a responsibility to create a little happiness right now.
• Patriotism – Doesn’t matter if you support or believe in the people running the country you live in, in times like this companies need to be patriotic and support the people. If your company supports a local or national economy explain how but mostly make sure you are doing things to help the people around you…even if it is just your immediate staff.
• Create new and remind people of old memories – Similar to being optimistic you should offer comfort by reminding your customers of how you were before all this happened. Times you shared and remind them that you are looking forward to when they will return.

Finally and maybe the most important is to…

• Include your customers in discussions and give them choices – in times like this people want to be heard. Honestly it is the role of the brand to listen, they don’t have to do everything suggested but they will be far closer to getting things right the first time when they have a lot of information and if you are going to offer things to your customers like opportunities or price reductions etc always offer a few options. Your customers are not one size fits all so you need to offer something (or a few things) for most people and not assume one offer will make everything better.

If this isn't clear or you think you need help with this reach out to me. I can help you.