Brands with actions will survive this pandemic

Carat India shares a perspective on the action that can build trust in the times of Coronavirus.  As the lockdown extends, it brings hardships on a lot of Indians, from the ones stranded away from home, to the poor, who have nowhere to go. Carat India points out businesses and brands need to view this period not as an opportunity to just sell products or to lie low but the time to create long term relationships based on real and agile actions.

Referring to the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory and suggests that current is the time to cater to the sections of society are seeing increased physiological & safety needs. The top socio-economic sections, who take the base of the pyramid as granted, are also trickling back and evaluating purchase from this lens.

There are brands taking up to play a supportive role during these testing times for instance Zara in Europe making gowns are masks for frontline healthcare professionals, Ikea Hyderabad creating 200-bed quarantine facility, to Diageo India producing sanitizers. Reliance Jio has already tied up with the government to deliver the message of hand-wash and social distancing before each call gets through. Mahindra group has already committed to work with the government. VIVO is working with health ministry and local government bodies to deliver 1 lakh masks.

Another win-win solution for real impact during these trying time is the collaboration between businesses & government. The agility, innovation & tech solutions, combined with outreach and support can deliver real value and impact,” says Carat India. Brand trust is one of the elemental assets to have and it can assure the loyalty from customers. One of

WARC’s articles on corporate social responsibility titled ‘Brands need to pass the three gates of trust’ notes “Consumers who trust a brand said they are more than twice as likely to buy its new products – 53% compared to 25% for other brands. They’re also more than twice as likely to stay loyal to a brand they trust, and similarly twice as likely to be advocates for one.”

Carat India also emphasizes that ‘Brand Trust’ is difficult to create but is the key measure being built in these volatile times. Coca-cola in the Philippines has re-channeled its advertising budget towards proving support in these times. Consumers today are aware and discerning, and they know a real action from a fake one. In current times, consumers expect robust Real actions. Anything hollow will backfire.

To take it a step further, it is not just an opportunity but also a test of what brands have been saying for years. If brands have claimed to care for years, this is the litmus test for caring.  Crises reveal the real character of a brand.  ‘Really doing’ i.e. only the real actions will create emotions. ‘Messaging’ has taken a back seat and doing create emotional appeal and connections. Actions, is the new messaging. People will remember how you made them feel. And not what said.