Brand Communication Cues: Staying True to the Pandemic Tone

Buying remains an emotional decision more than a logical one, explaining why marketing efforts are focused on ensuring and retaining brand loyalty. In uncertain times like this, marketing can only be effective when the brand makes life easier for the clients it serves.

The pandemic has seen a shift in the way we do business, live, and play. That change came rapidly, uprooting the lives and livelihoods of many. The affected individuals and brands will look to other brands they trust as a beacon of hope.

Pivoting

In the early days of the Covid-19 spread; many brands sought to take advantage of the entire situation.

We saw a dramatic increase in the prices of essential items. Those retailers and brands who upped the prices of face masks and hand sanitizers, for example, are not in the headlines anymore today, with good reason.

There is a thick line (not fine, thick!) between helping and taking advantage.

The latter wants to reap all the benefits in the short term and does not care about what happens in the long term. Brands that go the way of the former are more interested in what they can gain in the long term and will give selflessly in the short term. That is what makes them stand the test of time.

Of course, that does not mean that the long-term thinking brands won’t gain anything in the short term. To quote our new B2B marketing playbook , “crisis… brings opportunities, as well as significant challenges.” These brands are reacting well to the challenges others face, while also identifying opportunities.

Improving Business Communication

As a B2B brand with a focus on businesses, it is not uncommon to forget the human side of things.

We throw around facts and figures, play with the numbers and try to get an emotional buying response out of the charts. Now is the time to rethink all that.

See every business and client you interact with for the human(s) that they are. Without them, the business would cease to exist.

Remember that their business is not the only one facing challenges. The pandemic has caused some changes to their personal lives too – and they have to deal with that.

In your business communications, lead with empathy. Let your clients know that you are there for them. Let them see that you are doing all you can to ensure their business gets back to scale while weathering the storm.

The sun is coming out on the horizon again with vaccines in the market. Times will get better; despite the obvious hardship and heartache this pandemic has brought. During the transition period to the new sense of normality that lies ahead, let your business communications keep your clients company and guide them along the way.

The Hard Truth

Not all businesses will emerge stronger from the pandemic. In fact, some businesses will not emerge at all.

As explained in the Ten P’s of Marketing for the 2020s , there are currently three kinds of businesses:

The businesses experiencing delayed demand and those with lost demand will still find their feet. However, those businesses that will undergo a deeper structural change to catch up with the emerging world will struggle at first. Thus, a lot of closures in certain niches should, unfortunately, be expected.

While you should be there for all your clients, the possibility of a shrinking client base and target markets is inevitable: it is too soon to say in many cases if this will be a short- or long-term situation. As a business-to-business service provider, you should be there to ease the transition. When (or if) they do come back, those businesses will remember what you did for them.