Are your clients considering pulling their messaging until the coronavirus outbreak ends? Consumers want a specific kind of brand messaging now, so don’t let your clients pull back. Consumers are hungry for good news these days and your clients can give hope and reassurance and use a positive tone.

Consumers Want to Know They're Safe

A new survey from the American Association of Advertising Agencies indicates that 56% of consumers want to know that brands are making donations during this time of need. And 40% of consumers like knowing exactly what else brands are doing to help as we all endure big changes during the pandemic.

In particular, 60% of consumers like knowing that companies are offering PTO for workers who can’t do their jobs because of workplace shutdowns. The group of consumers most likely to suffer health problems because of the new virus, those over age 65, want to hear about increased cleaning of facilities (51.9%). Whether it’s the doctor’s office or the gas station, they want reassurance that their exposure levels won’t increase when they use these facilities.

With the media and government agencies doing a thorough job of keeping the American public informed about the viral spread, it’s not surprising that 81% of consumers are very concerned about the situation. Depending on the vertical your clients operate in, they can promote reassuring messages.

Your Clients Should Tweak Brand Messaging Now

Your food service operators can take steps to generate revenue and help consumers. At least 27% of consumers are ordering food delivery. Consumers will increasingly order food online and expect it to be dropped at the front door, so they don’t have to interact face-​to-​face with anyone.

Retailers who have good e‑commerce operations set up should be promoting availability and delivery of essential goods such as prescription medications or infant supplies. About 37% of consumers are buying many non-​essential items online. Whether it’s extra school supplies or crafts to keep kids busy, consumers will pay for convenience and safety at this time. 

Remind your clients to promote what’s available and to tout what they are doing to help the local community during this time of need. They may even want to promote that a certain percentage of their online sales will be diverted to local food shelters or other charities to indicate their commitment to helping the local community. Good brand messaging now will yield big rewards in the future.

To learn more about which consumers are most supportive of charitable work, check out the AudienceSCAN profiles such as Cause Marketing Responders. The information is available at AdMall from SalesFuel.