The world as we knew in 2019 has changed drastically. It’s a new life for each and every person across the globe better known as the ‘new normal’. The World Happiness Report 2020 complied by experts says that the world is moving towards a collective behavioural pattern. Its’ all about ‘WE’ now. To cope with the crisis people are moving towards greater social responsibility, empathy, togetherness and trust. So, when brands are trying to connect with people during these times they need to take the que.
There are lot of inspiration to be found across the globe. Many big brands have taken the lead in adapting their communication in this changed environment. Many brands are taking an empathetic approach around Covid19.
Informative interactions, safety, health, immunity boosters, FAQs, mental health, help-the-poor are some of the popular content pegs. The idea is to build a brand immunity against a vulnerable, uncertain environment. Consumer behaviour is also unpredictable during this time. So there are unseen threats that need to be fought to keep the bond between the brand and the customers intact. A brand needs to be stronger from within and strengthen its natural immunity just like human beings.
Some big brands and products have the ‘natural immunity’ to survive this phase. Every business needs to survive this and hence it is important to build a marketing and branding strategy which makes it immune to these threats.
So, what are the few things that contribute towards a brand’s natural immunity?
- Brand Image
- Product
- Customer Experience
- Relevant & Engaging content
- Engage customers
- Conversations
- Dialogues
- Interactivity & Gamification
- Creating Immersive Experience
This will help build a relationship with the customers during trying times by breaking the monotony of life during this Covid 19 pandemic. Brands need to erase any mistrust and gain a long-term trust and loyalty of the customers.
All brands/products or businesses will not have the natural immunity and hence they need to acquire the immunity. They must have a definitive strategy for the same. Let us check some of the things that a brand needs to adapt and focus on during this period to acquire this external immunity and sustain through.
- Focus on customer expectations
- Tell more, Sell less
- Engage through stories
- Educate the customers
- Increase ‘share of empathy’
- Smaller experiential campaigns
- Build transparent authentic communication
Overall a sense of solidarity with the community has to be built. Customers will stick to brands that stand for values and a higher purpose. The messaging needs to be that the brand stands for people over profit.
The story that will be remembered long after the pandemic is over is how we survived the crisis together. The brands need to be part of this story and express a feeling of togetherness, a feeling of solidarity. The new world requires a new thought process and brands would do well to adapt quickly to stave off the new challenges with a new defence mechanism that will not only help them survive the new normal but excel.
