Global Economic Observer (Dec 2020)
Brand Communication during the COVID-19 Crisis
Abstract
The measures adopted worldwide in 2020, in order to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, changed our way of life and generated major shifts in consumer behavior. Social distancing, confinement and lockdown were used as measures for public health protection, but generated a series of economic and social crisis. Many companies, from various industries, are still unable to produce and market their products or services to the same extent as before the pandemic and are experiencing a drop in sales. The COVID-19 pandemic has had an effect on brands’ strategy and performance. The whole situation forces companies and their brands to rethink their strategies in order to cope with this situation and to limit the impact of business interruption. This paper aims to identify the crisis responses and the online communication strategies adopted by brands during the Coronavirus pandemic. Since some of these changes may be temporary, but many may be more permanent, it is important for companies to implement effective brand communication in order to overcome the difficulties in the long term. It is also important to identify the implications of this pandemic, since all these changes pose challenges to brands, but are also opportunities. COVID-19 pandemic offers a great opportunity for brands to shift towards more genuine and authentic messages, to “humanize” brands and make them more relatable to their consumers.
