The Truth About Marketing and COVID-19
We are in uncharted waters. There have been disease outbreaks before, of course, but COVID-19 is affecting the entire world in a way that none of us have seen in our lifetimes. The analogy that everyone seems to be looking at is the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, but the reality is that no one really knows how 2020 is going to end. In North America, what was originally projected as a 2-3 week disruption is quickly becoming a more serious—and much longer—shutdown.
At the same time, companies are still doing everything they can to function smoothly and efficiently. It’s not easy with most people working from home, but for now we’re all trying to continue along the “business as usual” trajectory. This is our new reality, and most likely it will persist at least into June. So how does this affect marketing? And how should marketing professionals handle this difficult time?
#1 Be Empathetic.
People are dying. People are losing loved ones. People are worried about their friends and relatives. People are trying to manage work, their kids, and their day-to-day lives. Against that backdrop, marketers need to stay away from anything that comes across as frivolous or dismissive. We’ve all seen the spam emails for “COVID specials” (or some variant). That’s a really crass approach to making a buck from human suffering. Responsible companies need to avoid that approach.
#2 Be Helpful.
The business world is in chaos, and people are looking for ways to keep their companies up and running. If you’re going to market a product or service, it needs to fill a legitimate need. This is not the time to be selling vacation packages or snowmobiles. Companies need to find a way to make sure that what they’re offering is relevant and meaningful. Banks should be focusing on how they can help people who can’t physically visit a branch. Software companies should showcase how their systems will keep businesses up and running, even when everyone is working remotely. This isn’t a time to talk about how great your company is: it’s a time to talk about how you can help people who need it.
#3 Be Humble.
Over the last two weeks I’ve seen a lot of press releases and statements from companies talking about how much they’re helping, either by donating money, products, or services. In most cases, this comes across as crass and opportunistic. It’s one thing to provide ventilators or medical supplies, but coming out and announcing that you’re making a donation is a bad idea that comes across as “Charity Bragging.” There are so many people trying to help out right now, and most of them will never get any recognition for it. Marketers need to resist the impulse to publicize the positive things they’re doing.
#4 Be Relevant.
VerbFactory works with a lot of amazing companies, and we’re really proud of them for pivoting their businesses to help overcome the coronavirus epidemic. One of our clients is making a key piece of software available for free so that IT professionals can monitor their networks from home without having to visit a data centre. Another is repurposing its technology to help grocery stores and government agencies manage their lines. And yet another has launched a free online COVID diagnostic tool. All of these offer legitimate ways to keep people safe and businesses functioning. But we’ve also seen companies try to jump on the “coronavirus bandwagon” by trying to promote their products as relevant to the current crisis. If your company isn’t directly able to help out in the current crisis, stand down. No one cares about swimsuits or SUVs right now… unless those swimsuits can be turned into masks or the SUVs are being given to doctors to provide medical services.
#5 Be Honest.
This is not the time for hype or BS. Marketing people are always looking for creative ways to promote products and services, but what matters now is integrity. We need to have the conviction to tell internal and external decision makers the truth. We need to push back when business leaders push us to “newsjack” COVID in a way that feels disingenuous or opportunistic. We need to avoid promoting things that are irrelevant or misleading. We need to come across as straightforward and honest. Because when the current crisis passes, that’s going to be what people remember.