Branding weaves a wide web through every aspect of our lives during COVID-19. Whether you’re a business owner who has seen the good or the bad, or you’re a consumer trying to find your bi-weekly supply of toilet paper. Brands haven’t stopped because the world slowed down. Charmin’s factories are running 24/7 while the company is simultaneously running ads specialized for the times. So even though they’re selling through their product at a crazy rate, they know now is not the time to stay quiet. 

What Are You Doing to Adapt?

Different brands are going to have drastically different needs and strategies. If you’re a local mom and pop shop who is forced closed due to state or country regulations, how are you maintaining exposure? Have you thought of a unique way to sell your product within the current guidelines? Are you financially sound and able to focus your time on supporting other areas of your community through your brand? The possibilities to get creative are endless. We can help with that.

Meanwhile, larger brands and corporations struggle to look human in a world where our consumer needs (and income) have rapidly shrunk. I think we can all have a laugh at a car company still trying to sell cars to us through their humanized commercials. These brands will need to remember actions speak louder than words. What are they doing to help in a crisis? What are their day-to-day company values? No company should be out profiting off of emotions during a pandemic. 

Tread Carefully 

Most brands at some point will enter the arena of donating, supporting, and getting behind causes and organizations. When that happens, they’re opening the brand up to the possibility of rounds of applause or the cries of “fraud!”. Gen X, Y, and Z have all made it known that they have high standards for brands when it comes to social, corporate, and environmental responsibility. Being environmentally friendly isn’t a “nice-to-have” these days, it’s a requirement for conscious consumers. They want the product to come from a company that follows their values to a T. Consider this quote from a Clutch study on corporate responsibility: “It’s often not enough for companies to sell great products – people want to know what a company stands for and whether its brand is fueled by beliefs similar to theirs.”

Get Creative and Prepare for the Future

Maybe it wouldn’t be authentic for your brand to go full humanitarian, holding your community on your shoulders. That’s fine, too! No one was ready for daily life to change over the weekend. That means that those with the ability to think on their feet and get creative have reigned supreme during these times. Nearly every business still open now has curbside pickup, whether it was in place before the pandemic or not. Restaurants are selling dinner and dessert kits to keep you entertained at home. We’ve seen many industries take a full jump into technology due to the urgent need to adapt. I don’t think these changes will go away once the country starts to re-open. I think we’re looking at a shift in how brands charm their consumer. What are you going to offer when everything is lifted, and the market is fair game? How will people see your brand and interact with it?

Life will be different on the other side of COVID-19, at least for a little while, so what bold statement will you make?