Marketing and Strategies in Times of Coronavirus

Campaigns had to be reinvented, but certain trends have been repeated recurrently in creativity.

The pandemic and quarantine we have faced recently led brands to change their marketing and advertising strategies. Companies around the world were forced to react to this situation and redefine their next steps. Moreover, they had to adopt new actions and deliver messages that fit the reality, the companies needed to be careful, so as not to appear to misunderstand the importance of the situation.

But, how has the Coronavirus impacted on creativity? How did the messages change? The current context requires new messages that respect the situation we are living in. In response to this situation, companies launched themselves into a new marketing and advertising campaign focused on this pandemic time.

What ingenious strategies did the companies apply?

• Pandemic logos

This was one of the first trends in design that emerged in this pandemic. By the way, it attracted the attention of consumers as logos were compatible with the established measures of social distancing. The letters and drawings of some of the logos also practiced this distancing.

• Used Files

Several companies continue to launch advertising campaigns these days, even if they do not have the option to use the same resources, such as shooting to get new images or being able to travel to get those ideal spaces for backstage.

That’s why they chose to search their archives and use previous images or even content generated by their own consumers. They just need to add a good montage and good background music and Voila!

• Solidarity actions and donations

One of the measures in this confinement was the distancing, but one of the strategies of the companies was the solidarity support as campaigns through the social networks with different hashtags like, #stayhome, #staysafe, #socialdistancing, etc. and also diverse donations for the hospitals with implements of security like antibacterial gel or the masks.

At this time, companies wanted to move from a sales-oriented business model to achieving user loyalty and trust through solidarity and empathy.

In this video, Ikea reminds us that our home has always been our refuge, a place to enjoy our downtime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=30&v=VaMQe0RO5PM&feature=emb_logo

• Free entertainment

It seemed that to spend this quarantine without stress, one of the main aspects was to keep yourself busy and I am not talking about watching Netflix, or just doing sports nor creating lots of new recipes, that as we already saw in our social networks; the bread, the desserts and even a new way to enjoy coffee were shared constantly in our Instagram stories or on the Facebook wall.

But not only these activities could be done in quarantine, there were also excellent opportunities provided by companies to exercise the mind. For example Coursera, a virtual platform provided access to free courses and several websites offered free access to normally paid resources like computer courses even language courses. This was a smart move to engage the consumer and attract new users.

• Games and challenges to entertain and expose your brand

Probably in this quarantine you have tried to download some games to your cell phone to avoid being bored, you have participated in Tiktok challenges or surely you have completed and shared these templates by Instagram where you mentioned your favorite things or countries you already visited, right?

Some brands adjusted their marketing strategies and offered dynamics that involved challenges, this is known as gamification. These games are customized to the brand to capture your attention and increase engagement.

• Draws and engagement in social networks

These days, many companies do not want to pass unnoticed. One of the most important objectives of marketing in any business is the generation of new leads to expand the database. And the best excuse for users to share their data is through promotional activities, such as raffles and contests. For example, some restaurants applied this strategy and started raffling off dinners, of course, the prize will be claimed by the time the quarantine is over and everything returns to normality.

In a situation such as COVID-19 it is ideal for companies to have this in mind:

– Recognize the situation and adapt to it.

– Adjust your company’s marketing strategy to the current needs.

– To deal with an unexpected situation, implement quick solutions.

– Don’t let your brand pass unnoticed

Sources:

15 creativas campañas de marketing en torno al coronavirus, By Susana Galeano

7 maneras ingeniosas de hacer marketing en época de confinamiento