Under normal circumstances, it can be difficult to develop a successful marketing campaign. It has to appeal to a large number of people. It has to reach these people often enough without being overbearing. Above all, it has to get people to buy your products or services, or to be interested in your brand as a whole.
Of course, we don't live under normal circumstances, as many people are banned due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. This makes marketing particularly difficult, especially if you run a company that doesn't sell essential products or services. How do you market to people who care a lot more about their health or paying their bills in the face of overwhelming job losses? Should you even market them?
This is an ethical question that has arisen for marketers in the age of the corona virus. Can you cross the line between your company's needs (profit) and your customers' needs (health, safety, maintenance, etc.) with reasonable sensitivity?
Some unscrupulous companies use less than ethical tactics to take advantage of the pandemic, but we know that the reward is temporary and consumers will remember if they are misled out of fear or buying a product were driven. An ethical approach can lead to a much greater loyalty of your consumer base in the coming years.
Ethical marketing has more than one definition. It also covers a variety of ethical issues. Fundamentally, ethical marketing is any type of marketing that is transparent, factual, and not misleading.
An ad that practices good ethics shows you what the product is, what it can do for you, and how it does it. On the other hand, when a new company appears and claims to have the “best smartphone in the galaxy” that can solve all your problems, it is rightly met with public skepticism.
However, ethical marketing goes beyond ad copy and can be a measure of what your company is doing and not what it says. In recent years, many companies have taken measures to contain the effects of climate change, end world hunger, or promote fair trade. These efforts to maintain some corporate social responsibility don't always make it into advertising, but they can become part of the brand ethos if done right (i.e., with really altruistic motives).
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Ethical marketing has been given a new look in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. At least for now, the world is no longer functioning as it normally would, and brands had to change their marketing strategies quickly. You have undoubtedly seen and heard the sound shift in television and digital advertising.
For major companies such as grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, or restaurants, the tone of the ads was largely informative, so customers know they are still open and appropriate precautions have been taken. For example, Pizza Hut and Domino & # 39; s both ran ads promoting their "contactless" delivery.
Under normal circumstances, it can be difficult to develop a successful marketing campaign. It has to appeal to a large number of people. It has to reach these people often enough without being overbearing. Above all, it has to get people to want to buy your products or services.
Others have chosen an approach that encourages viewers to stay at home and follow the relevant guidelines. For example, IKEA launched a campaign in Spain that showed various indoor activities from the perspective of the house under the motto "Yo Me Quedo en Casa" ("I'll stay at home"). The ad used footage from a 2017 campaign that avoided issues with social distancing policies.
Under normal circumstances, it can be difficult to develop a successful marketing campaign. It has to appeal to a large number of people. It has to reach these people often enough without being overbearing. Above all, it has to get people to want to buy your products or services.
Some companies avoid snafus with social distance by not presenting people and using text, animation, and / or images to get their message across. In early March, for example, Hershey removed an ad from the radio waves that contained handshakes and hugs. Both actions could potentially spread the virus. Instead, their ads have mostly shown their candy bars with voice overs and text.
Even non-essential companies have changed their advertising model. Hotels.com, which operates in the highly competitive hotel industry, filled the airtime with ads in which the famous mascot Captain Obvious was socially distant rather than spending time in hotels.
Under normal circumstances, it can be difficult to develop a successful marketing campaign. It has to appeal to a large number of people. It has to reach these people often enough without being overbearing. Above all, it has to get people to want to buy your products or services.
Overall, these displays have some things in common:
Being conscientious and sensitive to the needs of your customers leads to better brand loyalty in the long term.
Ads are certainly not the only way to do ethical marketing. Many companies have taken measures to serve the general public during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly by manufacturing products that are essential for patients and frontline workers. LVMH, for example, increasingly focused on the production of hand disinfectants and donated approximately 13 tons of the disinfectant gel to the public hospitals in France. Other beauty brands like L’Oreal and Coty followed suit.
The automotive industry has also taken on the mantle, with both Ford and GM reconstructing their factories to build fans and personal protective equipment. Fashion and textile brands such as Fruit of the Loom, Hanes, American Giant and Los Angeles Apparel have all focused on making masks. It is clear that it will improve the reputation of these brands to be helpful in times of great need.
Other brands have offered substantial support to their employees. For example, Microsoft and Cisco have both guaranteed that employees will be paid throughout the crisis, regardless of whether they can work or not. Major Internet service providers such as Comcast and AT&T have also committed to avoiding service interruptions regardless of a customer's ability to pay during the crisis.
Could these guidelines affect company results? For sure. If people in need of protection are not protected in such an uncertain and chaotic time, this can, however, lose a lot of goodwill. Positioning your company as a helpful, ethical, and essential facet in the fight against the corona virus and mitigating the harmful effects of widespread locks will only benefit you in the long run.
CONNECTION: 5 Intelligent Advertising Strategies During the COVID 19 Crisis: Why You Should Now Spend More
