How Should You Respond To The Pandemic? Your Customers Know.

Receiving more information on the pandemic is the last thing we imagine you want to hear right now. However, we are a digital agency and providing you with valuable data that facilitates educated decision-making is what we do. You'd want to know if your customers have definitive ideas on what they expect your brand to be doing. According to the Global Web Index’s latest multi-market research - they do. We’ve collated the following quick stats and what this tells us. 

01. Consumers feel that local companies are doing more than larger corporations despite their financial power and influence.

Customers hold the expectation that all companies should contribute support for the local, national or global community. Right now, they feel that bigger businesses aren't doing enough. It’s a natural reaction when customers are exposing themselves to local businesses more than ever due to travel restrictions. 

What does this mean for your brand? 

• Create a genuine impact on your brand community - customers will identify with the authenticity.

• Explore the micro-communities within your brand to magnify the ‘local feel’ - a franchisee’s local store or your local industry network. 

• Explore your resources - what can be used to benefit society at this time whilst strengthening your brand.

• Explore new ways of connecting with consumers that provide some assurance or entertainment during unprecedented, troublesome times.

Case Study: A simple Thank You

Local Brisbane restaurant One Fish Two Fish creates a genuine impact by means of a simple 'Thank you'.Takeaway orders include a handwritten card thanking the customer for support and further encouraging social sharing for local business support. 

02. One-third of consumers believe that advertising should carry on as normal. Two-thirds feel it needs to be adjusted to fit our new purchasing landscape. 

What does this mean for your brand? 

• Brands are needing to interact with customers in a new manner. 

• The pandemic needs to be recognised and responded to. Customers require reassurance on new policies or precautions in place and will search for this information digitally.

• Communication with your consumers goes beyond normal messaging - demonstrate your brand purpose during this time. 

Case Study: I Stay Home

Ikea cemented the personal impact of their brand during COVID-19 through an English-Spanish video campaign. Whilst many are feeling isolated and restricted in their house, the video reminds customers of the memories created within a home and inspires activities that limit social contact. The video indirectly identifies the pandemic, but focuses on a positive approach to home isolation that can be easily identified by consumers. 

03. Baby boomers have the highest level of concern, followed by GenZ. 

To no surprise, Baby Boomers report the highest concern for the current situation on a national scale. It is called the Boomer Doomer after all.  

What does this mean for your business?

• Know your customer segments and how they're feeling. 

• Adjust your marketing strategy to align with their emotional state. 

• Integrate new measures to provide reassurance of your business's adaptation to COVID-19.

Case Study: The Art of Quarantine

The Ministry of Culture in Ukraine has released a COVID-19 digital campaign 'The Art of Quarantine'. This draws upon renowned paintings to reflect health and safety measures during the pandemic. This speaks to their general target audience and clearly reflects the core values of the organisation during this time.

When the world stops and lockdowns are enforced, the relationship your customers have with your brand changes. 

Within the coming months, the global community will merge back to (somewhat) normal society. What you do with your brand right now, dictates the leaders post-pandemic.