Unconventional Thinking

Business leaders are feeling the impact of very long days and a hefty dollop of stress and anxiety whilst setting or implementing business continuity plans and managing cash flow currently - it falls to them to set the right path; to be the reassuring steadfast figure who is dealing with the situation, making decisions and sticking to them. It’s this approach that brands also need to adopt. They need to offer reassurance to customers - most vital element right now is to be consistent and build the brand. The reason for this is that like all crises, this too will pass. If there is a downturn in customers and therefore extra capacity in your team, then use this time to plan, plan and plan. Re-examine what your business stands for, how it is positioned and spend time understanding your customer and their needs.

Now, more than ever, you should consider investing in smart and innovative approaches to how you give clarity to your staff and your customers. Those messages need to be reflective of your brand.

It’s a relief to hear that some businesses have really thought through how they should react, and more importantly, how they can help.

Many supermarkets have begun opening at specific hours for those from at-risk groups. Businesses are attempting to protect society ahead of any government request to work from home, by investing in total infrastructure change to make this happen.

It was great to hear how LVMH managed to turn around a hand sanitiser within 72 hours and is on track to donate 12 tonnes of the hand sanitising gel to Paris hospitals. There are also simultaneous plans to change production lines at the Givenchy factory in l’Oise and the Guerlain brand near Chartres.

“LVMH will continue to honour this commitment as long as necessary”

LVMH press release

There is another brand that has also done the same, this time in the UK: Brewdog. They have changed production lines to make hand gel, and just like LVMH are giving away each bottle for free.

Interestingly, these two same concepts have entirely different sentiments:

LVMH received the call for help and turned dispatch around in 72 hours. They used pre-existing Christian Dior bottles and a quickly printed label that shows their logo, but focuses on instructions.

Brewdog has branded its bottle to the point that it feels like a marketing ploy. ‘Giving to get’ rather than an altruistic, emergency response. This, in my opinion, is likely damaging the perception of the brand.

One of the first movers in the food and beverage sector was Pret. You have to applaud them for maintaining such a strong brand, nailing their marketing every single time. By offering support of free hot drinks and reduction on food for those on the front line, they don’t even need to say, ‘we’re open for business as usual’.

This sentiment has now been picked up by many others in the food and beverage industry.

The current situation also acts as a reminder that an increasing number of people are going straight online to interact with businesses. Time spent using social media and the internet has spiked. Interestingly, Kaspr Datahaus - a Melbourne-based company that analyses the quality of global internet connection to glean economic and social insights - is monitoring how intense the Covid-19 virus is by tracking internet speed globally. Essentially, the slower the speed, the wider the impact Covid-19 appears to be having. This again is another reminder that brands need to immediately consider insights like these - whole businesses will have to shift temporarily to being online-only.

Look for smart and innovative ways to communicate with your customers; when things return to normal (and they will, eventually), your loyalty will be stronger than ever before.