“Necessity is the mother of invention”. Some of the finest innovations happened during crisis situations. Be it zippers getting mass produced during World War 1 to improve military uniform efficiency or Vitale Bramini inventing vulcanized rubber soles after six climbers were killed in the Italian Alps in 1935; tough times are always an opportunity (or may be necessity) for new ideas.
The COVID-19 pandemic led to tough times for brands. Plunging consumer confidence, loss of jobs, restricted mobility, and falling GDP created a recession-like situation. It was a scenario from an action-packed science fiction novel, which was probably a lifetime event! Marketers were worried, brands were in dilemma, and new launches came to a halt! But those who had a long-term vision innovated. What helped brands in such a situation-
1. Innovate & Adapt
Look for new opportunities for brand innovations. Expand your portfolio, address consumers’ pain points, and fulfill their unaddressed needs. Tough times force us to leave our comfort zones searching for new pastures. Dettol and Lifebuoy launched hand sanitizers during the 2009 swine flu scare, and Dettol launched disinfectant spray in 2019 during the COVID-19 spread. Dabur and Chik introduced their range of hand sanitizers. Dominos has launched a ‘touch-free’ delivery choice, promising safe pizza delivery to consumer homes. People adapted and discovered ‘WFH”. People were living healthy with less traffic and pollution and eating healthy home food amidst the Covid lockdown. These were the times for planning relevant brand extensions and extending product category portfolios.
2. Build Brand Equity
These are sensitive times, and brands can make or break destiny in these moments. Some brands could be desperate and resort to discounting and sales promotion to boost sales. However, consumers were locked inside and too unsure of tomorrow to fall for these promotions. They stocked necessities irrespective of price increase/ decrease to secure themselves. In fact, using ‘virus’ as an anchor and moment marketing could lead to negative brand sentiments. People do not want to be reminded of things they are scared of or avoid. The marketing investments should aim for long-term brand building wherein brands understand the consumers and be their friends. Living brand values and caring for the community will give brands an edge over the competition. Lifebuoy was distributing free handwashes and sanitizers to consumers with limited resources. Asian Paint had beautifully integrated the message of #stayhome into their advertisement to enhance brand equity and how this was an opportunity to spend more time inside and with your loved ones. These are the kinds of investments that could be ‘moment marketing’ and go a long way in building strong brands.
3. Be Sensitive
Content marketing around COVID could have cost heavily unless brands used them genuinely. Sensitive moments could hurt sentiments easily and turn the brand perceptions negative. Consumers’ perceptions of the world have changed, and it’s important that brands understand the fear and the concerns of the consumers and take a stand that can help build enduring relationships. Brands are like humans, and these are the moments to build an emotional connection with consumers, an alliance where both can complement and support each other.
4. Care (for employees and customers)
Everyone is distressed. It is a tough time for many sectors, including airlines and hotels. Companies have a choice to either lay off people or ask them to proceed on unpaid leave (read Virgin Airlines) or retain their people, care for them, and support them. Internal branding is not only on paper but also through some campaigns or promotions. It is practiced through the actions and behaviors of management, especially during crisis moments. People won’t remember companies and brands for campaigns they created, but for those silent steps, they took to prove that they ‘genuinely’ care. Influencers are critical at these times, and they emerge from your employee or customer pool. Let influencers talk about your initiatives and work. Don’t be skeptical of this silence; rather, find solace in it, as it would help brands build credibility and trust in the long term.
5. Have an Eagle Vision
Brands need to look at long-term gains. This was an opportunity for brands like Netflix and Hotstar to connect with people and expand their reach and clientele. Consumers had limited entertainment options. Stress due to uncertainty and loneliness made people vulnerable, and these brands could find a place in consumers’ lives by offering free or subsidized entertainment options. Online communication platforms like Skype, Blue Jeans, Google Hangouts, and Zoom, among others, saw an upsurge in demand. They could benefit from not looking at this scenario from a classical microeconomic perspective but take a more humane approach by providing their services at less rather than more. Online education companies like Byju’s, White Hat, etc. flourished. E-commerce platforms could be innovative in helping people stock necessities without the need to hoard yet maintain social distance. Zoom, which has suddenly seen the ‘hay days’ for business, removed the 40-minute restriction in its free plan. This was a small step to ensure that people were hooked and remained loyal to you even after times changed. We all need to change our perspective and look at the world with a different lens, and we shall for sure see some green pastures.
Marketers always find it tough to change habits. But these crisis situations are the stimulus that nudge consumers to change the ‘routines’ and the habits. Now the onus was on brands as to how they could find a place in these new routines.
After COVID was a passe’ and consumers were back on the streets, cafes, and malls, they carried memories of the brands that cared and reached out to people. Great brands create substantial brand equity if they handle these moments well. They stand out from others by living their core values, eschewing short-term gains in favor of caring for their employees and customers. They know how to use the brand-building media effectively to generate a share of voice to emerge not just as alive but as a winner in such situations.
Branding with Ashita 