Content Marketing Examples during COVID-19
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the fear of getting infected has brought ordinary life to a halt. Governments have declared lockdowns to break the transmission of the virus, and citizens are abiding by the norms of social distancing. In this scenario, to stay relevant and connect with your audience, you as a content marketer must acknowledge the current crisis in a sensitive manner.
Here’s what you can do:
- Embrace and plan for the uncertainty; focus on creating short-term strategies.
- Understand the change in the behavioral patterns of the people and empathize with them.
- See how you can help in the crisis – you’ll gain trust and respect if you decide to stand by people in their time of need.
- Start planning your post-COVID-19 strategies; strong brands will recover much quicker.
Take inspiration from some leading brands that shaped their content based on the current trends:
1. Importance of social distancing
Indian travel and hotel booking e-commerce website, Ixigo came up with a unique campaign involving poetry to drive the message – “You’re a COVIDIOT (COVID + Idiot) if you’re viewing and celebrating the lockdown as a summer vacation by not following the government’s instructions. It urged people to stay indoors and not panic or hoard items. Addressing life in isolation, Ixigo also advised people to exercise for their physical and emotional well-being and connect with friends and family through video calls.
Automobile manufacturer, AUDI used its ‘four rings’ symbol to create a creative 8-second clip. It shows the rings separating and moving away from one another before coming back to their original position. The thoughtful video conveys the importance of social distancing, with the caption ‘Keep Your Distance – Stay Together’.
2. Health and safety
To emphasize on people’s safety, Volvo released a short video showcasing a lone Volvo car switching off its headlights with the caption ‘Everything can wait. Your safety is our number one priority. Stay Home. Stay Safe.’
Mercedes-Benz created a 31-second video of one of their cars standing still in front of a house to request people to #stayhome. Through the video, Mercedes also expressed their gratitude for medical staff, caregivers, the police, and fire-fighters. It also thanked ‘everyone for standing still.’
BMW’s short video of an empty road winding conveys the message: ‘Right now, the only curve that we need to concentrate on is the flattening of the COVID-19 curve’. The clip concludes with the statement: ‘Today we drive forward without driving at all’.
3. Life in isolation
As content marketers, you need to understand that isolation and confinement can alter a consumer’s emotional needs. To address this sudden change in work-life patterns, Google and Microsoft have made their working tools and platforms free of cost along with free tutorials. Instead of looking to make money in the crisis, the two companies lent a helping hand to millions who are working from home.
4. Public needs
Some companies are re-evaluating their products, resources, and services to offer assistance to healthcare and social needs. Hoteliers and industrialists – such as Lemon Tree, Radisson Hotels, Intercontinental Hotels, the Taj Group of Hotels, and Club Mahindra Resorts – have offered to open and repurpose their assets to help solve the global crisis.
5. Financial aid
Facebook announced a $100 million grant program for small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Similarly, Spanish utility company Naturgy has allowed small businesses and freelancers to pay their bills later.
Such empathetic decisions reflect how it is essential for financially secure businesses to stand by smaller ones during the pandemic.
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