Inspiring brands to be present & connected during COVID-19.

How destination marketing organisations are reacting and tips for communicating with your audiences in a pandemic.

Staying connected, being present and adopting a suitable tone of voice. Key.

Speaking to colleagues and friends in various industries over the past few weeks hasn’t been easy; morale is low, uncertainty high and confusion reigns. It’s a challenging time and we can’t deny that, but in challenge we rise, “This very moment calls for you to rise to the test and show your challenges what you are truly made of” words from self-help guru Edmond Mbiaka.

Businesses of all sizes are having to look at creative ways to keep the lights on. In the tourism space, we are seeing inspirational messages being shared, encouraging future travellers to dream and visit, later. Simple, effective call to action echoing guidance from the authorities while sharing messages of their own. This will help brands remain front of mind when the situation changes — and provides an opening for a continuity messaging something warm and inviting like, we’re still open, we’re delighted to help you plan your next adventure or simply come back. By adopting this approach, brands also seem more human — the common sentiment is that we’re all in this together, we get it — unity.

Some destination marketing organisations (DMOs) have done a great job with this — some examples:

VisitPortugal — ‘Can’t Skip Hope’ . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70tcUNgd8IM

South Africa — ‘Don’t travel now so you can travel later’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmQ43Z0cmE4

Scotland — ‘Absence makes the heart grow fonder’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRja3__xMo0


VisitBritain & St. Lucia Tourism Authority were amongst the DMOs recognised by Skift (a travel media intelligence platform) for finding creative ways to keep their audiences and travellers-to-be engaged and encouraged. Those recognised demonstrated their ability to navigate the current atmosphere; bringing a sense of hope, positive vibes and consideration. They have pivoted their marketing to make it relevant to the times and ensured the tone is confident, light and considered.

https://skift.com/2020/03/26/5-tourism-promotion-campaigns-hitting-the-right-notes-in-a-crisis/

Keeping in touch with the community, your audience and would-be audience is important at this time. Yes — we’re facing a global pandemic, but it will not last forever. If you can, don’t disappear. We’ll remember who rode this out with us, the natural brands. Focusing on writing weekly press releases of assurance … doesn’t work for every brand and audiences will see through it. I received an email from a CEO from a fashion brand — delete — I’ve never heard from this person and their customer service is terrible… lip service, this is not the time. I digress. Let’s bring it all together, some tips:

Don’t waste time
We’re at home, multi-screening, bored, WFH, working out … we’re indoors on our devices. Use this time to connect, be in the space — make the space.

Stay connected
Don’t disappear — pivot if needs be. Don’t stop sending emails, test out a new feature on the social media channels perhaps. Be smart and considerate.

Test it out
Playtime! Have you been wanting to try a new email strategy? A feature on a social channel? A product? Anything low cost that you’ve been wanting to try — now’s the time. Your audience awaits. Don’t regret not using the time to move forward.

Revisit your values
Remind yourself, your team, stakeholders — what makes you tick. A morale booster perhaps. It’s always beneficial to take time and look inwards to see outward.

Pay attention
Again — be present, listen to your audience. As consumer behavior changes to adapt to this situation, you should be ready to adapt too. Pay attention.

Plan
What? “But, resources are so uncertain atm”, I hear you say…Well dream and scale accordingly when you can. It’s not easy to do in times like this but if you’re able to withstand this storm (hurricane, tornado) there will be new normal. Get ready. Don’t rush — just do.

To wrap this up. It’s a tough time for marketers. Brands have to be creative and mindful not to be insensitive and rightly so. Approach with caution — be sensitive and be smart. As mentioned, it is important not to disappear completely -if it is wise to scale back your regular comms, then do so — but be present. Destination marketing organisations, share relevant and well-timed messages, be creative, and send uplifting messages through inspiring travel stories. Focus on: timing and tone.


I hope you’ve been inspired to keep pushing on.



There are a number of examples of pop culture marketing success stories i.e: product placement, endorsements and capitalisation of brands with societal trends, sport, art and celebrities as well as the bad examples from the ones that missed the mark completely (… Pepsi x Kendall Jenner). While pop culture marketing still encompasses all things big and bold, there are unique opportunities to make using them more authentic and suitable for your brand, we’ll get to that later…

A very well-known example of pop culture trends-turned marketing efforts include the “Dunk in the dark” tweet from Oreo during the 2013 Super Bowl power cut. Oreo used the opportunity to own the moment and develop its brand image (www.marketingdive.com). Oreos have since then had a number of successful campaigns and have recently partnered with pop sensation, Lady Gaga on a line of cookies, inspired by her album, Chromatica, and her “Little Monsters”. Fun! Another example of pop culture in marketing is, UK high street bank Halifax collaborating with iconic entertainers such as Top Cat, Flintstones and Thunderbirds to demonstrate the ease of transacting with the bank. Understanding that people are familiar and relate to these characters provides a platform for Halifax and brands alike to connect on a much easier level. You could compare it to a cold call vs a warm lead. With a warm lead the receiver has some affiliation to the caller so will be more receptive. It’s the same for audiences. Nostalgia is a powerful way to connect with your audience as it ties them back to emotions — after all, marketing is about connection.


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How to make pop culture part of your marketing strategy.