How Major Corporations Can Advertise During a Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has shaken up the world in ways that most haven’t seen throughout their lifetimes. College campuses are empty, major sporting events have been cancelled, and work-places around the globe have been disrupted. While employees may not be reporting to their offices, their work still must get done. Though many different facets of business have been impacted by the pandemic, one of the biggest on the business side is how companies can market themselves during this time.

Kathy Bachmann, general manager of Americas with the consultancy Analytic Partners Inc., discussed how exactly corporations can go about that during this period in an article with Forbes. 

Bachmann focussed on how she expects the pandemic will impact the marketing approach of the standard corporation. She noted that the pandemic will likely force companies to shy away from advertising extreme luxury items, because those are the least of most people’s worries at this time. Instead, they should shift their efforts towards promoting more “everyday” goods. Also, companies will have to find different ways to promote themselves in person since sports events and concerts are cancelled. Advertisements displayed in stadiums or shown during commercial breaks of games bring tons of attention to specific brands. Without people attending and watching these events, Bachmann explained that companies will be forced to find an alternative. 

‘With sporting events being cancelled or played without fans, many advertisers are formulating new plans for those budgets – often holding the investments for later use – or scenario planning for how to redeploy their dollars if a large advertising event such as the Olympics is cancelled or postponed,” Bachmann said. 

Another big aspect that Bachmann considers in her interview is the idea of appropriateness. It is so easy, especially in the age we live in, for a company to release an untimely ad. Perhaps a scheduled post is forgotten about and released to the public, or wording in an advertisement is insensitive to people impacted by the outbreak. If these things occur, these posts can be instantly screenshotted and go viral within minutes. Bachmann stresses the idea that corporations must find a way to advertise during this tough time, while doing so with caution and making sure these ads are appropriate. 

“In a crisis, it is necessary to ask: What advertising messaging is appropriate and how do you most effectively engage with customers during the outbreak? How can you leverage analytics to understand and meet their needs,” Bachmann asked. “Data surrounding consumer behavior, spending trends and channel effectiveness should all be considered, as well as crisis-specific information.” 

Many companies are trying to find answers to a plethora of different questions during this crisis. If they are asking questions about digital marketing, the words of Kathy Bachmann can help get them on the right path. Those interested in the article can read the full version here.