Communication has always been an integral part of a brand. It echoes the clear, authentic and consistent tone of your brand to the consumers. It most often offers insights, the brands goals and values and creates an intimate relationship between the brand and its consumers. With consumers returning back to the new normal, markets being slowed down and few even being shut down, it becomes important to communicate in the most apt way possible to your consumers.
A few brands have successfully found their way to function in this ‘new normal.’
Tata:
Marketing Post-COVID, requires creativity and out of the box thinking. As seen in Tata Sampann campaign ‘Har Din Haldi, HarGhar Healthy,’ with an aim to promote Tata Sampann’s turmeric powder while still being in sync with the thoughts. Talking about the benefits of various Indian spices, including Turmeric that helps in boosting one’s immunity it launched the campaign. Additional collaboration with Pride of Cows mill in Mumbai, it stressed the importance of Haldi Doodh for immunity.
KFC:
Aligning themselves with the new communication normal, KFC along with DDB launched the ‘KFC You Soon’ playlist. This was a creative campaign that serenaded its customers through a playlist. This film highlighted barcode scanners, dispensers, chairs, etc exclaiming how they’ve missed their consumers, the campaign further delves into the new norms it would follow including social distancing.
Bacardi:
Having a consistent tone is always important in brand communication. Bacardi has seemed to have found that with its latest campaign ‘Roomates’. The film stays true to Bacardi’s light brand tone and features the story of three real roommates and how they make the most of their quarantine. Relatability is the emphasis of this campaign with the roommates doing at-home activities, the film further encourages people to do what makes them move even when the world takes a pause.
Big Bazaar:
Resonating with consumers, and creating a valuable message is what Big Bazaar does in it’s recent Ramadan Campaign. The Campaign titled as ‘Ibaadat Bhi, Hifaazat Bhi’ (prayers with safety), was created, shot and conceptualised during the lockdown. Echoing with the views of the consumers, Big bazaar further emphasised with its made at home campaign the importance to sanitize and maintain social distancing while still offering its festive greetings.
This pandemic has highlighted that consumer minds are ever-changing and brands need to adapt and adjust accordingly, thus, in order to strive in the Post-COVID era, brands need to invest and emphasize efforts on few things, they are:
- Social Media: Online activity has seen an increase and is being seen as a primary source of communication, marketers should note its advantage and create content accordingly.
- Remote customer service: Adjusting communication channels solely based on emails and apps will be important. Brands need to integrate their service team with online means to provide their consumers with seamless support.
- Educate your audience: educating the public about sensitive information, will help build and retain trust with the consumers.
- Communication needs to be empathetic- Being empathetic to consumers needs and fears will go a long way, messages and campaigns need to resonate with the thinking of the consumers to be successful post-COVID.
Post-COVID, brands more importantly than ever need to adapt and adopt new communication strategies that will render success. Brands need to stay connected to both consumers and employees and be vocal, consistent, and add value with each campaign that it communicates.