Communication in Corona Times: Six important aspects for advertisers
Given the current situation, advertisers are being urged to rethink their approach. Freelance creative director Mathias Vetterlein highlights key considerations that advertisers can use as a guide right now.
During the coronavirus crisis, marketing and advertising are faced with special challenges. Creativity and rethinking are required in order to incorporate the "new humanity" into communication. Flexibility and speed to translate existing campaigns to the current zeitgeist. Various aspects should come more to the fore in these times.
1. strengthen the human aspect
Nobody wants to "buy, buy, buy" right now because everyone is losing money and is uncertain. That's why the tonality in headlines and campaigns should be less consumer-oriented, but rather strengthen the human aspect. Whether end customer or company: Everyone is afraid of going under right now or recovering from it over a longer period of time. Therefore, words of encouragement and reassurance should be part of every headline.
2. solution instead of hanger
In a global crisis, people need help and are increasingly looking for solutions to real problems. Whether during the crisis or after the crisis: communication should be clear and solution-oriented and come from the core of the product or service. This does not mean that advertising becomes less creative during the crisis. Just a little more honest.
3. mindfulness is required
People are learning to be mindful very intensively at the moment. This is certainly having an impact on their purchasing behavior. That's why it's important right now to consciously consider how communication for a product or service can appeal to people. Headlines should be humorous without crossing the line. Images should inspire warmth and trust.
4. digital emotionalization
The Internet: No other medium is used more for person-to-person contact. People are chatting, painting, singing, dancing and discussing virtually. From Monday meetings to children's birthday parties: community is currently only possible on the screen. This is how the Internet is being rediscovered and used. Those who are rethinking now should respond to this type of human communication and also use these highly frequented channels to advertise.
5. flexible and adaptable campaigns
Anyone who communicates now is doing so for the benefit of the general public. The general public is currently more than unsettled. Everyone reads their own opinions, forms their own opinion, rejects it again and forms a new opinion. If creative teams come up with headlines to loosen up the curfew now, it may be lifted again tomorrow. Now more than ever, campaigns are needed that are open and flexible in their execution, but at their core always speak a humorous, light-hearted and reassuring language.
6 One target group - One PoS: At home!
Potential buyers are all at home at the moment. That is why they are more people than consumers. We need to find out what the special interests of people in this situation are, who don't want to spend a lot of money right now, but are still looking for ways to make this special situation - at home - better and more pleasant.
Parents want and need to impart knowledge to their children, couples want to be entertained, senior citizens need support and encouragement. In this process, you should consider how and where the product can help. The agency or freelance creative can be involved in this process.
Adaptation to the corona crisis: example campaign #Haltung
"Statements for a better society" - on its new audiobook, the audio publisher, part of the Random House publishing group, brings together historical statements from Albert Einstein to Greta Thunberg. The elaborate communication concept also works during the corona crash. The concept and campaign have become even more relevant since coronavirus. The content is fun for people who hoard toilet paper out of desperation, who can tolerate a little humor and who are shown how to express their opinions peacefully and without pointing a finger, but still clearly.
The audiobook producer decided to jointly design a themed microsite for the crisis period. After clustering the areas of interest in the home environment, appealing and casual addresses were created for the respective target groups at home. A topic-related language that comes from the content of the respective audiobooks, which is paired with humorous and reassuring language that conveys to potential audiobook buyers: "We know how you feel right now".
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* Mathias Vetterlein is a freelance creative director in Munich and has been conceiving and designing communication concepts for companies and agencies for over 18 years.
In his opinion, the responsibility of advertisers is growing in times of Covid-19: "Now the world is at a standstill and we creatives have the responsible task of communicating content and visuals in such a way that communication makes sense during and after this crisis."
