The COVID-19 crisis would not only change how companies engage with their consumers but also how they organize their products and services and the value propositions they bring together around them.
The best digital campaigns continue to tell the story of the brand while remaining informative and offering guidance, keeping your brand in the mind during a period when your audience may have more time to consume good content digitally.
In the current situation, financial institutions can be seen as an ally, this is an opportunity for marketers. These are unparalleled, but also short-lived, times. Companies must adapt their business plans but acknowledge the powerful role that differentiated marketing and compelling communication can play in sales.
Financial institutions also have a special role in the lives of their clients and enjoy a degree of built-in trust. If there's ever been a time for friendly check-ins, that's right now. In a conversational, compassionate tone, express good wishes for people and their families, empathize with the possible concerns about the physical and financial health of their families and reassure them that the organization is open to business.
As a result of the economic fallout from the corona-virus pandemic, many businesses are hemorrhaging cash and therefore their employees (and recently-made former employees) are suffering, too.
Individuals and companies will be looking at financial institutions as a source of trusted financial information during a time of hardship. There’s never been a better moment to be the financial thought leader people seek.
Your communication strategy should focus on facts, not hype. It is important not to over-claim or brag, not to speculate, not to use obfuscating jargon. Bring genuine authenticity to the fore.
The goal shouldn’t be just to raise brand awareness (i.e. look at us doing the right thing) but to initiate dialogue and advance solutions. If your communication can help consumers deal with the personal economic issues they are experiencing, the message will be welcome.
If communication is specific and provides a way to relieve stress it will stand out from the rest. The key is to achieve brand-oriented goals with personalized ‘what’s in it for me’ messaging.
Differentiate and personalize where possible. Don’t add noise. So, is your organization ready for business?