Even though we’re seeing lockdown measures beginning to ease throughout the world, the long-term impact of what Coronavirus will have on businesses is still yet to be determined. While some companies may flourish once everything blows over, others may see a significant downturn in their success, or even never recover at all.
Although understandably, many businesses have opted to pull back on their marketing spend to preserve their funds, others have seen it as an opportunity to adapt their marketing to the current times we’re in and ensure they still stay relevant and in the minds of consumers even in time of uncertainty.
There have been innovative ways that businesses have marketed their business to help out their consumers but also make sure they can still access their products or services if they need them. Here are five ways they’ve accomplished this.
Contact-free Delivery
To adapt to the new social distancing measures, businesses such as Pizza Hut and Deliveroo announced through their marketing channels that they’ll be offering ‘contact-free’ delivery services, which have been a trend adopted for the majority of the food industry. This is to reassure customers that contact with their driver would be kept to a minimum where possible.
This involved the driver dropping off their delivery at their doorstep, ringing the bell or knocking on the door, and allowing the customer to collect their order from there rather than the driver passing it over. This enables the maintenance of social distancing measures and mitigates the risk of the virus spreading.
Live Streaming Events
As soon as the Coronavirus hit, events that had been scheduled within the year immediately became postponed, disappointing the general public due to fears of social gatherings quickly spreading the virus. In some cases, events were called entirely off such event companies abided by the strict rules.
To adapt to current events, musicians and event hosters were quick to provide alternatives through live streaming. This involved platforms such as live streaming platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch streaming performances from artists for fans to engage in and request small donations in the process.
Social Media Response
Naturally, in times of crisis, many people would be reverting to social media platforms for information, entertainment, and keeping in touch with their loved ones. In response, many social media networks responded by introducing COVID-19 related tools to cope throughout the pandemic.
Youtube limited the monetization of videos that were being published on the site related to COVID-19 to prevent the spread of misinformation. Also, Snapchat introduced a “Here For You” feature, which was a mental health tool to support those that produced posts related to ‘depression,’ ‘anxiety’ or ‘mental health.’ This was particularly useful during strict lockdown times.
Home Delivery
Restaurants and cafes were one of the worst-hit businesses from the Coronavirus as governments aimed to close these immediately due to their social gathering risk. These included large brands to small family-run businesses that still needed to pay their rental fees and business rates.
To cater to the restrictions, restaurants who rarely offered takeaways were quick to put in place a process that allowed this so they could retain their business for the short and long term. They took to their social media channels to let their customers know that it was now available. These methods will be sure to help the footfall of these small businesses in the long run and potentially enable them to grow when they eventually re-open properly.
Final thoughts
It’s essential that brands adapt their methods during these challenging times. Any brand design agency you work with will advise that during this time if businesses don’t, they can see themselves falling behind or potentially collapsing completely. Marketing channels can be a core source for ways companies can help to promote and adapt to their new services.
