Really brands are to judge. ‘Companies that perform a Tightrope During COVID 19-pandemic

Like almost every Hotels.com had to change plans if the pandemic has arrived. This spring, the travel booking company had planned a series of commercials to run, which debuted last year and included a place called “My Dream”. In it, the company mascot, Captain Obvious will ride in an airplane; the arm pressed against a colleague and his fingers are, is the body and the soul dives into another bag of snacks offered. E ‘was nice enough to several months, in the old days. But it is not to cancel sync with the new times, where consumers were informed about vacation plans, fly avoided and usually stay two meters away from other people. So Hotels.com stopped, along with the campaign in flight and quickly together to create a new job. And again Captain Obvious is snacking, but this time uses first hand sanitizer before popcorn in peace and quiet to eat. “This is Captain Obvious,” reads the text on the screen. “It will be social distancing for a while ‘. And you should too.” The end of March The ad began airing, wearing a special motto. It was not. “TU bringing Rewarded” It ‘edict against public health that is so bad for the bottom line of the travel industry marodee :. Just stay at home ” We do not feel, the tone of our usual advertising directly for the current environment was, “said a Hotels.com spokesperson in a statement to TIME.” For the transmission time we had, we decided on a message remain manual reinforced house. “companies of all stripes are suddenly making such judgment calls in the middle of COVID-19 pandemic, an open disaster front, no apparent for the advertising world has parallels.” from an increasingly important task, only it moved quickly in an emergency. Now we are in a real crisis, “Patrick Strother, founder of the communications company headquartered in Minneapolis, SCG says.” And we do not even know the extent of the problem. “But companies, many dealing with many other problems the economy to fight to be in response to each individual case. And, overwhelmed stressed consumers have a long memory for how these companies make them feel at this time. the luxury goods company LVMH was relatively early that it would be better for the production of moving, churning out hand sanitizer for Parisere hospitals instead of high-end perfumes and cosmetics wealthy clients. This short movement of solidarity and helped prepare the ground for many companies use, the shifts would make their Ford (car fans ) New Balance (Footwear masks.) to the e-mail flood the market that many Americans has been received, now something of a running gag of social media. Mass oday less sensitive – such as textiles quarantined as “the perfect opportunity to get dressed up” spiders – have reactions showed how “You have my laptop lack of fire to me”, “Marks are really for a long time to be judged by the way by the behavior, “says Strother, who is advising its customers, as an exercise in good manners and good PR, taking care of its employees first. When companies react in a superficial way, say industry insiders, they do so at their own risk. A first step for brands such as the crisis in official pandemic barrel at March 11 status was to look at their existing campaigns through the lens of the new normal. Many did the same reputation Hotels.com. Hershey rolled back when touched ads that foreigners have shown the exchange of food and hugs, rather than opting for ads without the people in general. KFC has pulled a point that revels in people eating and licking her fingers and began “contactless” touting delivery. According to a survey conducted by Advertiser Perceptions, almost half of the advertisers is a campaign pulled or delayed the start of a campaign for the new coronavirus. A third say they stopped completely a pre-launch campaign. Even the seemingly bland for consumers eager Lockdown divided may interfere with the way a pizza commercial showing people the impossible to achieve now seem FOMO induce sporting event or a display at all for disinfectant wipes. If the “business as brands act as usual and continue to be running in front of her like advertising,” says Margaret Johnson Chief Creative Officer based in San Francisco ad agency Goodby Silverstein & Partners, “you immediately feel that this is a brand sound deaf. “Johnson says the company has” fast for all our large customer turnaround things, “Working with Comcast and PepsiCo. Rohit Bhargava, author of the Business Outlook megatrend is not obvious so that companies need to rethink everything, including their websites. As of April 2, for example, the page for Corona beer appeared unchanged, ads run, sexy people showed on the beach enjoying “the carefree state of mind.” Brooks Brothers, however, I added a splash page, announced the work of men’s clothing company do to make protective equipment such as masks and clothes “during the 19-COVID crisis.” “To even acknowledge a separation. This is a missed opportunity to show that you listen to, and that you’re human,” says Bhargava. This is what we are looking for companies in any case ‘Younger Americans in particular should be more moral leaders in business, their values ​​reflected. This feeling seems to be, if at all, during the reinforced epidemic. In a new communication relationship Edelman study, based on interviews with 12,000 people in different countries, 71% of respondents said that if during this time, “they realize that a brand is the profit on the people, have confidence in this losing brand is “committed and 77%,” for what they want brands to talk only of the products in a way that shows that they are aware of the crisis and the impact on people’s lives. “for the loss of this parade St. Patrick Day Guinness races, which showed toast the people at home a message. “Do not worry, there will be on the march again,” says a voiceover. “What matters is being with the people you care about.” After that sport is effectively canceled Budweiser has developed an ad that names of sports teams (the warriors, the Giants, the magic) the company as descriptions pins Lynch in health workers, first responders and rededicated teachers. Jeep started telling prospective buyers that “better days are ahead” and a loan at 0 percent for 84 months. In recognition of the pandemic in a way that resonates can be as simple as to why companies that go ahead despite the things sideways. “It might seem very inappropriate to show the clothes, for which you do not need right now,” British retailer Plan wrote in a note to clients. “But we have already made clothes. We already have the photos, we already printed catalogs. It was too late to stop. We hope that is not terribly insensitive.” But it’s also easy to put those aside. “Some of it, as if to annoy people,” says consumer culture of hyper-connected Strother today. “I’m kind of looking for them.” While the importance of social distancing became obvious, some companies have responded with new versions of their logos on mocking. McDonald’s in Brazil, the golden arches broke up. Volkswagen has put the space between the V and W. The efforts have not been widely praised. “E ‘to be seriously inauthentic,” says Strother. If such movements actually remind people help, that isolation is critical to the spread of COVID-19 to atrophy, then fine, says Zsolt Katona, associate professor at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. But it also runs the risk of seeming “a brief publicity stunt,” he says. to make jokes is a risky way for companies to meet the moment. Coors Light had planned some ‘time canceled March Madness positioning the beverage to run as a campaign, “the official der beer, Working’Remotely.” Despite the fact that millions of people working remotely than ever expected brand, has chosen to press the PAUSE button to appear on the campaign, fearing insensitive. “Humor is not simply something that is now really resonate with people,” Johnson said, stressing that it is not as clear as might be the case for long. Many companies are marketing products who now works for the vast population of their living rooms. If brands like Pottery Barn sending e-mail with advertisements for “the perfect WFH desk,” they “are dancing on a line,” says Katona. On the one hand there is the impression that brands make the crisis bearable with relevant products; on the other hand is the impression that they are using the outbreak as a vehicle for distribution. And ‘difficult when people change circumstances so strong drilled and just overwhelmed-with-children-and deadlines suddenly unemployed. “What could be could only damage the right message to another consumer for a consumer,” says Katona. There are clear cases in the middle of the largest e-mail marketing lightning crown. It makes sense to Eats Uber explosion an update on new sanitation protocols for drivers who are fighting for the restaurant industry as a lifeline; or aim to let everyone know the lists of companies, new working hours for vulnerable customers. But photo printing service, providing customers that offers the same advantages as always, along with a reminder to “practice of mindfulness” and reminded TOGETHER Use Code? to the living room or a company with water hydrogen-enriched “funky flavors such as honeydew” hydrated as a way to clear the throat, if you are diagnosed with COVID-19? “They want to sell me stuff, especially now that they have no money to pay the rent,” Katona says that consumer mentality. “This brand images and memories of May in the long term.” The surest way for brands to respond to mitigate the crisis, it is, industry experts agree. There is much overlap between doing good and looks good. Bhargava summarizes moves performed by LVMH and Ford as “a production shift by relevance.” But such moves do not require factory, or even the bill as they did. It operates according to Bloomberg, Aimbridge Hospitality, Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt Hotels to make rooms available to home workers and health quarantine service; New York pays. crenellated cruise lines such as Carnival Corporation have offered ships as a makeshift hospitals that seems particularly victims since it says only help to cement the association between their boats and disease, Strother. A growing number of companies promise not to lay off employees or to offer paid leave. (TIME is one of them.) Banks are defer mortgage payments. can also offer a free trial, now it helps students learn to be at home or in the gym visitors who feel stuck inside useful enough to pass the smell test. “The action is the name of the game,” said Johnson, whose new messaging for Comcast is probably to some of the offers empathetic society, such as providing free hotspots around the country or overdue fines chorus warning consumers. It is a good company when the economic actions is running ads or send out press releases about them? Could be. But it can also help the pressure on other companies and individuals to follow their example. When he announced the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation today facing donate in the fight against the crown pandemic, “they say to other wealthy individuals that it is something that can be connected next to a sing-along” $100 million, says Strother. The report backs up this advice Edelman: respondents do not tilt it supports the idea of ​​free society or low-priced products for health professionals do or people whose jobs are affected, offer as well do what they can to protect their employees and suppliers, “even if it means significant financial losses until the end of the pandemic.” Of course, many companies are feeling the squeeze of the economic crisis. advertising budgets are cut. It is not obvious that the “significant shift” for each brand. What happens if a company can not afford, consumers say nothing, but that send e-mail that “we are in this together,”? Perhaps, says Johnson, do not post at all. “It can only be for a time, down to duck,” he says, “and try to ride out the storm.”
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