Your Speakers Mhairi MacLeod Laura Blyth Yasmin Jensen Gimenez - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mhairi MacLeod Laura Blyth Yasmin Jensen Gimenez

Communications Director Senior Communications Manager Digital Account Manager

Your Speakers

The Phases of Covid-19

Getting it right Entering Lockdown Life in Lockdown Leaving Lockdown

The Phases of Covid-19

Getting it right Entering Lockdown

Tone: Reassuring Managing the shift

Life in Lockdown

Tone: Empathic Supporting us through

Leaving Lockdown

Tone: Empowering Embracing a return to 'normality'

Lockdown Commences

The Phases of Covid-19

Getting it right Entering Lockdown

Tone: Reassuring Managing the shift

Life in Lockdown

Tone: Empathic Supporting us through

Leaving Lockdown

Tone: Empowering Embracing a return to 'normality'

The 'Empathy' Phase Begins

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Don’t Risk Being Tone Deaf

Open Doors for Risk:

Not paying close enough attention to the news agenda Pressures from 'above' and 'below' squeezing communications teams A changeable news agenda creating future faux pas Not mapping stakeholders - becoming one dimensional

PR: Finding Your Voice

Our independent research has revealed 


• nly 3% of Scots want brands to stop talking.

So, whether you're trading at full throttle

• r adapting how you work, 


there’s a lot to say - don’t be shy.

From online platforms increasing story

• utputs to televised news proving its 


worth, across the board, media are 
 busier than ever. But like most industries, it’s taken a 
 hit - teams have been furloughed and 
 those remaining are working remotely. Your internal PR team and external agency partners, if you have them, are there to react to a changeable news agenda and market. Now, more than ever, it’s important to have a voice and to be able to use it. State of Play

Content Pillars: Leadership How are you saying it? Who is saying it? What are you saying?

Now is the time to reinforce your position as an industry leader.

• What initiatives are in place

to support your staff?

• Showcase what your brand

and its partners are doing to keep things going? Now is the time for leaders to be front and centre and lead the brand through this crisis. Your CEO, CFO or Managing Director should deliver comms 
 relating to business health. Announcements: Keep the media up to date with alerts that are to the point and include spokesperson quotes and key stats. Interviews: Position your senior team as 
 ago-to for commentary on the 
 fast changing agenda.

62% of Scots say safe guarding jobs is important

Content Pillars: Support How are you saying it? Who is saying it? What are you saying?

People want to know what brands are doing, now more than ever.

• What community support

initiatives are in place?

• What is your business doing to

adapt to the new normal? If you’re talking about supply chains, make sure it’s the person who knows what they’re talking about. Your Head of Admin isn’t there to talk about a sugar shortage, 
 so who is? Announcements: Team up with key community support initiatives to 
 make a joint announcement Features: Keep your contacts in the loop to ensure your brand is in the mix with features showcasing 
 consumer brands positively, 
 navigating the ‘new normal’ .

Over half of Scots are now using home delivery services

Content Pillars: Have some fun How are you saying it? Who is saying it? What are you saying?

It’s not all doom and gloom, 
 give the public a look 
 behind-the-scenes of their favourite brand. It's time to reveal your big secret. Harness your partnerships or establish new ones - there’s strength in numbers. Do you have a head biscuit baker? It’s time to roll them out. Don’t have anyone internally? Don’t worry, a brand ambassador will be your new best friend, helping your brand to become more relatable. Features: Your little black book of features writers and editors will come in handy when pitching content and finding out what they're looking for. If they’re looking for video content 
 and top tips, do what you can to 
 turn it around.

Integrated comms across PR & social media is more important than ever

Media Landscape: Who’s Nailing It

Key Takeaways

Agility Messaging Brand heroes Say something

• Make sure your brand is part of the

conversation - don’t be afraid to speak up

• Position your brand as a resource

for trade, business and consumer media

• Not everything has to be about

COVID-19

• Fast planning, quick decisions

and speedy delivery is crucial - its now or never

• Be prepared to put on the brakes

if the landscape changes - somethings can’t be planned for

• Put forward your most valuable

and credible spokespeople

• Showcase brand ambassadors
• now is the perfect time to

appoint someone

• Media training will prove its

weight in gold. Be prepared to comment on the wider issue

• Adapt messaging to suit your

audience and the new norm

• Ditch the ‘best in the business’

messaging - its not about who is winning the game

• You’re not expected to know it

all, none of us are

Partners

• Utilise relationships with

suppliers and retailers to tell a bigger story

• Establish new relationships

with key partners both within and outside your industry

Social Media: Adapting to the New Normal

Consumer Behaviour -

Shift to eCommerce 
 and no-contact delivery

Food delivery, click and collect, online shopping and home delivery will continue to increase as consumers avoid going to areas where there are large gatherings. DVDs, confections, salty snacks and alcohol sales increasing as consumers adapt to their new normal. From brands to celebrities, in this time of crisis, consumers are looking out for those doing the right (and the wrong) thing.

40% increase in Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp usage as people utilise digital platforms to stay connected

Stockpiling moves to cocoon stocking Heightened perceptions

• f those in

the limelight

Consumers are 100% online

The reality of the new normal is that social 
 media has become an essential resource. Whether for news, shared experiences, dance challenges or political discussions, digital 
 platforms from Facebook to TikTok to 
 Houseparty have become a lifeline to many.

The Big Question

Only 3% of consumers want brands to stop advertising

People are supportive of brands looking to maintain their

• perations as much as possible

amid the outbreak, and that includes advertising. With many brands having to pull spends in these circumstances, there is a lower demand for paid ads leading to it now being much cheaper to advertise. Consumers do not want any brands communication to be exploitative or insensitive, with 60% agreeing that advertising should not exploit COVID-19 to promote a brand.

Opportunity to extend reach Think awareness, not opportunism

To advertise or not to advertise?

Brands need to go where their customers 
 are, and in the current landscape that’s 100% online. Social media is often the first place consumers will look to for real-time information and it provides brands the best opportunity to 
 stay connected with their audience. Use your social channels to provide ongoing support and help customers navigate any less than optimal experiences. It’s more important than before for brands to listen, respond and communicate effectively with their customers, and social media is where brands are able to do just that.

Show Up

Prioritise social customer care

• Addresses consumer issues head on
• Frequent communications of changes

and reasoning, leading with empathy first and foremost

Getting it right

Now, more than ever, brands need to demonstrate their human side: How are you supporting your customers and employees during this crisis? We’re all impacted in some way, shape or form by this pandemic and people’s priorities are shifting. With lockdown measures firmly in place, consumers have begun to embrace the stay at home lifestyle and make the most of the situation at hand. Initial conversations focused on sharing information—brands took to social media to provide updates on store closures, operational changes and more. This has gradually shifted to brands posting entertaining and educational content on their social platforms as more and more people stayed home.

Show Empathy

Striking the right tone

• Updated St Patrick’s Day campaign in

a timely fashion, with a positive community spirit.

• Highlights staff welfare policies, and

showcases empathy for industry as a whole - donating £1,000,000 to support the drinks industry and bar staff facing reduced hours.

Getting it right

With physical stores shut and customer support lines at maximum capacity, consumers will look online for answers. Try to anticipate what information they might need and consider increased community management to maintain proactive and frequent contact with customers. Provide timely support and alternatives for any issues that arise and, crucially, set realistic expectations: broken supply chain could lead to late delivery, or cancellations. Be Supportive

Here to help

• Provides real time information on

delivery options

• Informative content for lockdown,

such as recipe alternatives

• Increased community management

Getting it right

Many brands are adapting to the new virtual environments we find ourselves as we work from home. But with new challenges, it doesn't mean we can't stop delivering experiences for customers - we may learn and innovate on new ways to deliver experiences and come out stronger on the other side.

• Consider eCommerce: Include a pre-
• rder strategy, introduce a subscription

service, or offer free delivery

• Instant responses: Explore direct

messages to connect and deliver personal experiences

• Utilise live features: Stories, IGTV and

Facebook Live to bring engaging experiences to the home Take Action

Seek alternative platforms 
 to deliver experiences

• Created a unique online experience:

The World’s First Online Beer Festival

• Created a pre-order strategy,

introduced % off subscription and provided free delivery

Getting it right

While there is no roadmap for navigating a global pandemic, marketers can turn to social data to inform the direction of their content and keep a pulse on the conversation. Insights gleaned from social media provide brands with an understanding of what their audience is concerned with and how the

• ngoing pandemic is influencing their

behaviours in real time. Keep Listening

Keep a pulse on the conversation

• Harnesses community insights to

inform and create relevant content

• Celebrates community through

sharing UGC

Getting it right

Key Takeaways

Keep listening Take action Be supportive Show up

• Use social channels as an
• pportunity to stay connected with

your audience

• Use social data to inform the

direction of content and keep a pulse on the conversation

• Provide timely support and

alternatives for consumers

• Set realistic expectations
• Consider increased community

management

• Bring an experience to

customers through alternative platforms

• Consider eCommerce
• Utilise live features, such as

Stories, IGTV and Facebook Live to bring experiences to the home

Show empathy

• Build positive sentiment and

confidence in consumers

• Highlight how your business

stepping up to take precautions

• Reinforce messaging to

remove doubt or fear

• Adapt customer

communications - be authentic, lead with empathy