Stay home, stay safe: Brands try to convey message of optimism amid crisis

Advertisers ask consumers to stay calm and keep their distance, find ways to keep the engagement going under a lockdown

Caught in the grip of the global pandemic, brands are learning to tone down their pitch while finding ways to innovatively convey a message of optimism and safety in the midst of uncertainty. Stories of hope, ‘causevertising’ and in some cases, influencer-led requests are all being used to amplify the universal message of stay home, stay safe and break the viral chain.
 

While some brands began the communication journey around Coronavirus early, tying in humour, song-and-dance routines into the regular message of hand washing and social distancing, the narrative has completely shifted over the past week.

The tone is sombre, the messaging direct and brands are universally asking consumers to eschew consumption for personal safety.
 

Consider the ecommerce companies, online food delivery apps and travel booking websites that have seen their businesses dive sharply over the course of the week. While the disruption has opened up numerous points of friction with their customers, everyone from Amazon, Flipkart, BigBasket, Zomato and the airlines and even sites such as Airbnb have opted to keep the communication direct and simple, explaining their inability to continue conducting business as usual.
 

Is this the best way forward? Sandeep Goyal, founder Mogae Media believes that there is no single right way to deal with the coronavirus inflicted shut down in the country, but silence is a good starting point. “In the current lockdown silence is golden. There is no ‘new-news’ that any brand has to communicate. So not putting out any advertising is actually the best option.

Where brands do advertise, sensitivity to the context of the times is equally important. With the mood so sombre all around, you can’t be showing celebrations. Also your communication needs to respect social distancing. And your creatives may not be in sync with that. So, if you really have to advertise, communicate safety, good health and well-being rather than a usual sales pitch,” he said.
 

The hygiene brands have, of course, been the earliest to jump onto the safety and health bandwagon. They have also emerged as the biggest advertisers in the country, over the past week. According to BARC (Broadcast Audience Research Council) India, the data released for the first week of the lockdown “has predictably boosted brands in the same (hygiene) category.”

Dettol Liquid Soap topped the list (number of insertions) for television, replacing OLX.in and was followed by Dettol Toilet Soaps and Surf Excel Easy Wash at second and third spots, its data revealed.
 

Dettol, from Reckitt Benckiser, has also been active on social media. Its #HandWashChallenge on TikTok has hit the top of the charts in terms of views and shares. “Our initiatives around creating awareness campaigns on regular hand hygiene will help develop the habit of hand-washing,” said Pankaj Duhan, chief marketing officer, RB Health South Asia.
 

In times such as these, brands are also eager to demonstrate their commitment to the cause of fighting the virus and RB has said that it plans to distribute 10 million units of Dettol Soap to the most vulnerable population in India and is also partnering with an NGO, Bikers for Good, for the initiative. Many brands are also turning to influencers to amplify the message. Actors, chefs, writers and stand-up comics have all been requisitioned for the cause.
 

Some brands have aligned with the civic authorities, wrapping their promotional narrative subtly around the larger issue of public health and safety. Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL) for its Protekt range of hand wash has extended its campaign (Protekt India Movement) into a joint initiative with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) to distribute a million packets of its Mr. Magic powder-to-liquid hand-wash, in Maharashtra. Nisaba Godrej, executive chairperson GCPL, said that in the coming days, the brand will be working with various government bodies and social institutions to create maximum impact.
 

Apart from the hygiene labels and ecommerce companies that are directly impacted by the huge change in lifestyles that the virus has enforced upon the world, other brands too are keeping the communication lines open. For instance, BMW has an ad that asks people to stay safe and indoors. The only curve that needs to be flattened, its ad says, is the coronavirus curve and people can do that by staying indoors.