Marketing Your Business During a Crisis

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If you are struggling with how to market your business in the current environment of uncertainty, you aren’t alone. Many members want to get the word out that their businesses are once again open for trade. However, some don’t quite know how to advertise without seeming insensitive to the realities of the global pandemic. Fortunately, small business owners can look to big brands for guidance and inspiration.

Evaluate Your Imagery and Language

Visual communication speaks as loudly as spoken words when you advertise your brand. Here are a few tips to help you avoid insensitivity in your messaging:

  • Change your visuals to avoid pictures of crowds, people working closely together and social gatherings.
  • Reframe marketing language to the new norm. Reconsider phrases like “keep in touch,” or “get closer to your clients.” These messages may be misconstrued.
  • Revise imagery on current and upcoming campaigns to reflect the reality of quarantine, social distancing and other precautions.

Stay Positive — but Aware

Although people are concerned, your brand message doesn’t have to be grim. Look to your brand voice to guide you through your campaign planning. Your ads should reflect what’s going on in the world without being sad. The purpose, mission and vision of your brand will guide you. What does it mean in terms of COVID-19 and how you can still serve your clients?

Now is the time to be human and personable. Offer real emotion and hope in relation to how your product can still fulfill its function. A reminder of life beyond COVID-19 may inspire hope in your audience.

Highlight Your Efforts to Help

Create brand stories if your product can make life in quarantine better. Does you product provide entertainment at home? Will it help people maintain no-contact transactions? Clarify what your brand can do.

Even if your product or service can’t directly alleviate life in quarantine, you can still educate and encourage people to stay home and stay safe.

Big Brand Examples

We chose three examples of big brands that turned a negative into a positive and focused on supporting customers concerned about the coronavirus. Use these examples to motivate your rebranding throughout the global pandemic and economic crisis.

Market Your Business Thoughtfully

With compassion and humanity, you can come up with creative ways to connect with clients focused on their health and well-being. Inspirational, well-informed ads can help you get your products to customers that can still benefit from them.