6 examples of brands responding well to the coronavirus situation

There is no guide to tell us how we can navigate this unprecedented moment in business, and in life. It’s a situation new to all of us, whether that’s your brand, your employees, or your customers.

More than ever, we need to slow down and enable ourselves to reassess business priorities and change strategies accordingly. To give you an idea of how other brands are coping with recent changes, here are 6 effective and inspiring marketing campaigns that companies across the world have executed in response to the coronavirus situation. 

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Pret a Manger 

As a brand that’s generally focused on giving back to the community, Pret a Manger didn’t need to shift their focus too much to come up with a plan for handling the dynamic market. To show their gratitude to healthcare workers currently working round the clock, the sandwich chain offered all NHS staff free hot drinks and 50% of all other products. 

What’s more, it’s the brand's simple but impactful social advertising around the campaign that shows just how powerful it is when a brand shows that they care. And it’s not just heroes they care about: in response to loyal customers who just couldn’t live their life without their daily Pret sandwich, Pret has also started sharing their previously secret recipes to help people mimic their products at home!

Spotify

Streaming giant, Spotify, has launched COVID-19 Music Relief, a global fundraising campaign to help support musicians who are grappling with halted revenue streams. In addition, they’re developing a fundraising tool that will allow music fans to directly donate to their favourite artists. As part of this, artists will be able to drive listeners from their Spotify artist profile pages to a fundraising destination of their choice. A noteworthy initiative that shows just how much the streaming service cares about its community. 

Brewdog/Louis Vuitton

Beer brewer Brewdog and luxury design house Louis Vuitton may be operating in two very different markets, but they do have something in common. Keen to use their in-house machinery for good, both have decided to repurpose production lines to produce hand sanitizer, a product low in stock but high in demand across the globe. They’ve been donating their sanitizers to key workers and hospitals, who would otherwise have to continue working under dangerous and compromising conditions. Brewdog also shared a peek behind the scenes of the production process on their Instagram, which was incredibly well-received. 

Guinness

What does Ireland’s national beer brand do when St. Patrick’s Day falls through? Well, it brings people together in a different way. In a tear-jerking video ad, the brewery sent a caring message into the world by telling people to stay safe, and underscoring the importance of keeping each other sane, despite physical distances. It may not be quite the same as standing in a crowded pub, but it leaves you with an equally warm feeling. 

Deliveroo

Deliveroo was one of the first delivery services in the UK to offer a no-contact option to help prevent the spread of coronavirus. To announce the initiative, the brand sent out a personal email on behalf of founder Will Shu, explaining the different measures they were taking to protect both their customers and their own staff. In addition, the brand offers customers a 10% discount for any order placed with local companies. A great way to support small businesses, customers, and the environment all in one go. 

Ford

Having been around for over 100 years, this is not the first time multinational Ford has lent a hand to their community. In keeping with its commitment to customers and country, the American carmaker launched the ‘Build to lend a hand’ campaign, documenting the different times the company has been required to offer help and how, in these uncertain times, it has decided to do the same again. In addition to providing financial support for its customers by offering flexible hardship repayment plans, they are also manufacturing medical equipment that is currently in short supply. This highlights the importance of staying true to your origins, no matter how much you need to reassess your marketing campaigns. 

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Published by

Alexis Pratsides