How Businesses Can Promote Post-COVID Recovery Right Now

Brands need to be addressing the emotions that consumers are feeling strongly now: fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Brands that speak to consumers and help them feel better about the world are going to come out on top. Notable examples of brands who are doing this are Nordstrom, which is sewing over 100,000 face masks for health workers or McDonald’s, which donated over 1 million masks to healthcare professionals.

In addition, brands that openly address how they’re keeping their employees and customers safe are the ones who will be most likely to win after the pandemic winds down as people remember the companies that eased their fears.

Consumers aren’t likely to immediately change their behavior once shelter in place and social distancing requirements are relaxed. There’s going to be a period where consumers are wary about going into public spaces and potentially frugal with their dollars. Brands should be collecting data about what consumers will want from them when that time comes.

If it’s a retail or restaurant brand, what cues will consumers want so they feel they’re not taking unnecessary health risks? Will they need to see employees wearing rubber gloves or want signage about what the company has done to ensure the safety of customers and employees? Some of the companies we’re working with are actively asking consumers what they currently need and what they will need in the future.

There are different strategies that businesses need to put in place for the short-term and for the long-term. The short-term strategies should address what consumers need right now by addressing their fear, anxiety and uncertainty. Changing how the products or services are delivered will be paramount because consumers will still want to purchase the things that matter to them during this time period.

Brands should also be offering the opportunity to buy online, order delivery, obtain via telephone, etc. Obviously, the reason to do this is to drive sales, but more importantly, changes in consumer behavior could be long-term, and the brands that are most adaptable and streamlined for consumers will be at an advantage when the pandemic is over.

• Brands should be communicating with customers to help them navigate the situation—have management and staff describe their commitment to customers.
• Explain how the company is changing to address the current needs and emotions of the consumer.
• The long-term strategy will be about being flexible, communicating often and creating a dialogue with customers. These actions will create a strong emotional connection and build loyalty moving forward.

Keep communicating with customers—going dark right now is a mistake. Many companies think that by staying quiet, they’re avoiding drama or being associated with something that’s painful. But the fact is that people want companies to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Evidence suggests that ads with direct mentions of COVID-19 are doing better than those that do not. Engaging with consumers and addressing COVID-19 directly will build trust among those who are feeling anxious.

• Explaining what the company’s current policies or procedures are for this unprecedented time will be appreciated.
• For example, explaining what the company’s current policies or procedures are for this unprecedented time will be appreciated. A good example is Starbucks, which has a page on its website about all the changes that have occurred, how to find a store nearby and what the brand is doing to address customer and employee safety.

Brands should be tracking how consumers are feeling, how likely they are to return to purchasing the product/service, when that will occur and what will propel them to buy. For example, if the company is a retailer, it needs to understand what specific practices and information will be important to encourage consumers to shop there again. Brands need to identify any new needs consumers have for their product or service, and what they want to see when they go into a retail store.

If it’s a restaurant, the brand needs to know what customers will want in order to feel safe to dine in again. Companies that we’re working with now are actively obtaining the information about what their customers want and need, and are now putting new procedures in place in preparation for the end of the pandemic.