Learn from these companies how to maintain your message in a crisis

This post was originally published in April 2020.

Let’s talk about communicating in a crisis. Think of yourself as a brand and how others perceive you. Whether you as an individual or a company, and whether you are self-employed or entry level and just trying to make a difference, we want to think about the long-term effect of a crisis. This post will be a little longer because I will be analyzing four companies’ mass communication messages to the COVID-19 crisis to discover tips about how we as individuals, leaders in our work place and communities, can craft our message in unpredictable times. We are positioned as experts in our fields, so how we handle messages, good or bad, is an extension of ourselves.

Unfortunately, crises should be expected. They are hard to react to because the nature and size of the crisis is unpredictable. Whether it affects an individual, a company, government, or the entire globe, a strong brand understands its core value and knows how to message that to its target audience. If a brand’s messaging comes across as trying to make a buck of off a crisis, the backlash will damage a brand’s good reputation in an instant.

1. Focus on brand message – how does your audience perceive you? What are three words you want people to recall when they think of you?

A few companies came out with national ads within weeks of the first cases of COVID-19 in Washington and California. Brands that can make these ads so quickly know exactly how their audience sees them and understands their audience’s pain point. The first ad I saw to acknowledge the crisis was Chevy’s What We Do commercial, part of their Chevy Cares campaign. It does not specifically mention their products; instead, it focuses on everyday heroes doing what needs to be done to move forward. This speaks to Chevy’s target audience that sees themselves as independent, selfless, rugged, and caring.

The first tip is to understand how others see you. Is it how you want to be perceived?

2. Focus on your audience’s pain point – what are they most concerned about? – and what you’re doing to continue your product or service so that your customer’s life is not disrupted.

Next is Publix. Publix is a much-beloved Florida-based grocery store that is expanding north along the east coast. This company is known for excellent customer service, clean and bright stores, and a fun shopping experience. Shoppers refer to their local store as “my Publix,” a sign of ownership by the individual, and they swear by Publix’s fresh sandwiches, nicknamed the Pub sub. The Publix commercial, Working Together, acknowledges the crisis and recognizes the audience’s pain point: their concerns about taking care of their families. This commercial reassures their customers that Publix’s supply chain is strong and that stores are still open and stocked. It also reminds them to be kind and take what they need so their neighbors can provide for their families, too. The video shows employees cleaning the store and rushing to move deliveries from the truck to the shelves. The company also acknowledges that their effort is “not going to be perfect” to help manage expectations for customers at the store level when mistakes happen. The ad ends on a call to action to visit their website for the latest information. Publix not only assures their customers of continued operations, but positions itself as a source of information.

The second tip is to understand your customers' pain point. What are they most concerned about?

3. Focus on authenticity. What about your brand can you use to leverage the current crisis?

The third company that made a smart message to increase their brand’s reputation is Dove. Dove has built their current reputation for over 10 years through their Real Beauty campaign. That campaign changed a struggling company into a brand that audiences perceive as empowering women. They feature many different skin colors, body shapes, and levels of abilities and disabilities. For the COVID-19 pandemic, Dove has two campaigns. The first is the Courage is Beautiful campaign which thanks healthcare workers and shows photos of front-line health workers with bruises and rashes from their facial personal proactive equipment. Their second campaign, #WashToCare, leverages their core product: soap. They get a lot done in 30 seconds. It reminds viewers that to properly cleanse hands, they should wash them for at least 20 seconds and counts down with a timer. In the time it takes to countdown, Dove shares the message that they don’t care whose soap people use and that Dove cares about people. It’s a very quick, clean, and minimal message that smartly connects preventative care with their core product. This is particularly successful for Dove because the company has a 10 year history of a positive brand reputation. The message lands softly because Dove’s commitment to the Real Beauty campaign is authentic. I don’t believe this simple message would be as impactful if used by other soap company.

The third tip is is to identify how your company meets the customers' pain point. How do you authentically meet their concern?

4. Do not repurpose a message to fit a crisis. If an audience did not trust you before, this will only reinforce that belief.

The final company is one whose message feels like it was completed before the crisis and they changed a few words to fit the situation. Even the title is just a reminder to shop online: Shop online at Sprint.com. Sprint attempts to frame shopping online as way to protect their customers, employees, and community. Sprint does not have a history of convenience or customer protection. Compare this to Dove’s simple reminder to wash your hands.

The fourth tip is to know what you do best. It's best not to react when a crisis is still immediate. Continue to do your best and be there for your customers and don't try to use a crisis as a promotion.

Putting a brand behind a cause is complicated. Audiences now expect brands to take a stand but can identify when a brand is not doing it authentically. Did the companies make these commercials to make money? Of course, but a company’s most valuable asset it their reputation. It takes years to build a positive reputation and a bad reaction to even a small crisis can quickly undo all the good will they created.

We only focused on the messaging today. Words have to be backed up by action. I hope these examples of how these companies’ successful mass communication can help you to best define your brand and align it for your customers’ pain points.

Have you seen commercials that had a great impact? Which ones fell short? Have you seen advertisements from local companies addressing the crisis? I’d love to hear your thoughts.