{"id":7821,"date":"2020-05-01T16:03:55","date_gmt":"2020-05-01T20:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?p=7821"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:32:00","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:32:00","slug":"human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/","title":{"rendered":"The Human Touch: Brand Responses to Coronavirus and the Future of Marketing"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\">4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<p>In the past eight weeks of sheltering in place and shutdowns across the country, every brand and blog has felt the pressure to come up with a strong public response to COVID-19. You might remember those first uncertain weeks when your inbox was flooding with newsletters and brand responses to coronavirus, from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sweetgreen.com\/covid-19-response\/\">Sweetgreen on employee safety<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.apple.com\/newsroom\/2020\/03\/apples-covid-19-response\/\">Apple on store closures<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In many ways the coronavirus pandemic has created opportunities for brands and companies to speak to their consumers in new ways. Digital marketing efforts have taken on a new importance, and because of working from home and other distancing measures, they\u2019ve taken on some creative approaches, too. Everyone is experiencing the pandemic together, and as a result, there\u2019s been a trend toward transparency and empathy. The value of authenticity predates the pandemic, but the pandemic has made it more essential than ever\u2014the only marketing strategies that seem to matter are the ones that can be self-aware and emulate a human touch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what a few COVID-19 strategies and assets can tell us about the future of marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Steak-umm: Authenticity above all<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Frozen meat company Steak-umm has recently gotten attention for dropping<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/steak_umm\/status\/1253864672136232960\"> \u201ctruth bombs\u201d on social media<\/a> during the pandemic.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">friendly reminder in times of uncertainty and misinformation: anecdotes are not data. (good) data is carefully measured and collected information based on a range of subject-dependent factors, including, but not limited to, controlled variables, meta-analysis, and randomization<\/p>&mdash; Steak-umm (@steak_umm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/steak_umm\/status\/1247343900475490304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 7, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>This isn\u2019t Steak-umm\u2019s first time going <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vox.com\/the-goods\/2018\/9\/28\/17910462\/steak-umm-viral-tweet-authenticity-angst\">viral on Twitter<\/a>. Its relatable, down-to-earth messaging goes back five years, when Nathan Allebach, the son of the CEO of Allebach Communications, took over the Steak-umm account. What it shows us, though, is the importance of an authentic, engaged voice in uncertain times, one that\u2019s less concerned with selling the product than using the platform they have to curb the spread of misinformation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allebach told the <em>Washington Post<\/em> that he developed the Twitter persona for the brand by first looking at the brand itself: \u201cThe voice is based on a combination of brand features, like it being a family-owned frozen meat company built by the working class,\u201d he said <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/technology\/2020\/04\/21\/steak-umm-twitter-account-feed\/\">in an email<\/a>, \u201cthen me trying to personify it based on those features, my own thoughts, and an adaptable human-esque style that feels like someone you know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best aspect of Steak-umm\u2019s social voice, and perhaps where the real marketing lesson lies, is in its self-awareness:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">gonna keep preaching from the frozen meat pulpit until this account runs into the ground because that\u2019s marketing baby<\/p>&mdash; Steak-umm (@steak_umm) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/steak_umm\/status\/1253719855251034113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 24, 2020<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Steak-umm\u2019s social metrics have gone down since early April, when fear about the pandemic was at its height on social media. But the gravitation to Steak-umm\u2019s thread in the last month shows that self-awareness and keeping it real are key factors for building consumer trust.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lesson: Bring a genuine voice to your brand<\/strong><br>Whether you\u2019re a public-facing brand or a B2B, Twitter is a perfect platform to experiment with brand voice (check out <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RGA\/status\/1253896812836130816\">R\/GA\u2019s amazing work from home content<\/a> as proof). Stop thinking about Twitter solely as a platform to boost engagement, as start thinking about it as a medium for conversation and genuine interactions. The best thing to do with a brand Twitter account is to break script and be human.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Burger King: Just relax<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like other restaurant chains, Burger King approached the pandemic from a charitable perspective. Charity and service are not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thedrum.com\/news\/2017\/12\/15\/burger-king-embraces-mcdonald-s-charity-day-without-whopper-argentina\">new to the company<\/a>, and it\u2019s nothing new that consumers want their companies to have some corporate morality. Sustainability and sound labor practices count more than ever. What\u2019s different here is the scope.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent interview, BK CMO Fernando Machado <a href=\"https:\/\/digiday.com\/marketing\/weve-stopped-being-so-strict-about-brand-positioning-burger-king-cmo-fernando-machado-on-marketing-during-coronavirus\/\">explained<\/a> that the company is acting without considering how its actions\u2014in this case, donating meals to hospitals and to kids\u2014specifically help its bottom line. \u201cBrands should be trying to help communities by doing real concrete things that are going to help,\u201d Machado explained. \u201cThey should be helping and doing so in ways that aren\u2019t opportunistic or exploitative. For us, we\u2019ve stopped being so strict about whether or not something makes sense for our brand positioning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Machado\u2019s consideration about relaxing brand positioning also led to the creation of one of their new COVID-19-appropriate TV assets. BK\u2019s early April commercial, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.adweek.com\/agencies\/burger-king-stay-home-of-the-whopper-waives-delivery-fees-and-salutes-couch-potatriotism\/\">Stay Home of the Whopper<\/a>,\u201d encourages consumers to stay home, order in, and become a \u201ccouch potatriot.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe title=\"Burger King | Stay Home of the Whopper\" width=\"840\" height=\"473\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/IsQ7Wto0FJg?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1&#038;origin=https:\/\/www.ceros.com\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As luck would have it, this ad was shot well in advance of this pandemic\u2014it was being held in reserve for President\u2019s Day or Independence Day. And, as far as the footage goes, it pretty much looks on brand for Burger King. But the voiceover is unique. When it comes down to it, the commercial is essentially a PSA\u2014a public health advisory in a Burger King wrap, further evidence that Burger King is working outside the usual guardrails.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lesson: Forget block lists, just speak to the moment<\/strong><br>One of the benefits of putting out such publicly empathetic messages is that they work in almost any context. Rather than putting a block list on content that focuses on recent news, just adapt. That\u2019s what Machado did for Burger King: \u201cI would personally rather have us focus on making sure that whatever we put forward takes into consideration the context,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s exactly what we did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>Old Spice: Reduce, reuse, recycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Recycling content has been one of the unexpected\u2014yet hilarious\u2014consequences of limited production capacity. Companies have been finding all sorts of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adexchanger.com\/advertiser\/brands-get-creative-with-production-during-covid-19\/\">surprising workarounds for asset production<\/a>\u2014from low-budget stop-motion animation to vector images. These wild remakes of Terry Crews\u2019 old advertisements for Old Spice\u2014now redubbed with corona-friendly messaging\u2014take the cake.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These dubs, which seem to exist in the uncanny valley, were produced by a socially-distant crew. And they\u2019re so bad that they\u2019re almost good. Their awkward, low-budget quality puts them almost within the realm of the meme. But the effect is deeper than just a joke: these ads expose the production, draw back the curtain, and show consumers, as transparently as possible, the making of the assets themselves. Old Spice demonstrates a willingness to be vulnerable\u2014to make fun of itself, and its product, at a time like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Lesson: Don\u2019t fear the uncanny valley<\/strong><br>In its report on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/who-is-generation-alpha\/\">Generation Alpha<\/a>, communications firm Hotwire <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hotwireglobal.com\/whitepaper\/generation-alpha\">revealed research<\/a> that showed that in the future, extra-tech-savvy younger consumers are going to be particularly sensitive to what technology <em>can\u2019t <\/em>do. Alexa can provide you with an answer, but she can\u2019t have a full-blown conversation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As processes become more automated, human interactions <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globalwebindex.com\/reports\/trends-2020\">and high-quality customer service<\/a> are going to become even more essential to maintaining a consumer\u2019s trust. Revealing technological imperfections\u2014and implicating the very human, likeable figures behind those automated interactions\u2014might very well make technological limitations an endearing asset. All that\u2019s needed is a charming spokesperson and a producer with an absurdist sense of humor to make it work.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>What this means for the future of marketing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Ultimately, all these marketing efforts combine a certain scrappiness of presentation and empathy, highlighting the intelligence of the real people who make them. And that\u2019s really what customers are attracted to\u2014smart brands with self-aware, authentic marketing strategies, unafraid to be bold and to speak truth to power. Whether this COVID-19 moment has a lasting impact on marketing and sales strategies is unclear, but let\u2019s hope that you can still play video games against <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DennysDiner\/status\/1247962542858788866\">Denny\u2019s<\/a> long into the future.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"myclass\">The only marketing strategies that&#8217;ll matter in the future are the ones that have a human touch. Learn about some brands that are crushing it here.<\/div>\n<p><!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on get_the_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":7857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Brand Responses to Coronavirus &amp; the Future of Marketing - Ceros Inspire<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The marketing strategies that matter are the ones that have a uniquely human touch. Learn about from these brand responses to coronavirus to see what works.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Brand Responses to Coronavirus &amp; the Future of Marketing - Ceros Inspire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The marketing strategies that matter are the ones that have a uniquely human touch. Learn about from these brand responses to coronavirus to see what works.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ceros Inspire\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-05-01T20:03:55+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-21T15:32:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/thehumantouch-header.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"557\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Eliza Martin\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/\",\"name\":\"Ceros Inspire\",\"description\":\"Just another Ceros Sites site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-GB\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/05\/thehumantouch-header.jpg\",\"width\":960,\"height\":557},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/\",\"name\":\"Brand Responses to Coronavirus & the Future of Marketing - Ceros Inspire\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/originals\/human-touch-brands-coronavirus-responses\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-05-01T20:03:55+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-21T15:32:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.ceros.com\/inspire\/#\/schema\/person\/d4816d142f11de0931d050a980e2d76b\"},\"description\":\"The marketing strategies that matter are the ones that have a uniquely human touch. 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