{"id":474,"date":"2020-04-14T08:59:06","date_gmt":"2020-04-14T08:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spritzsf.com\/spritzbits\/?p=474"},"modified":"2021-03-10T10:50:54","modified_gmt":"2021-03-10T10:50:54","slug":"the-golden-rules-for-content-in-the-age-of-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spritzsf.com\/spritzbits\/the-golden-rules-for-content-in-the-age-of-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golden Rules for Content in the Age of Coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"

All 2020 bets are off, all hard sell is paused, earlier projections are no good and all messaging requires a re-think. That covers quite a lot, actually, from brand purpose to social media posts<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a year that began with clich\u00e9d quips about perfect vision. We\u2019ve all been blindsided by the reality of a pandemic. As we move through the phases of shock, fear, understanding, action, and reasonable behavior. But without a timeline for a road map\u2014marketers are adjusting as best they can. And they must.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Head-Spinning Sea Changes\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

March 2020 saw a paradigm shift that caught most of us off guard. Before the thing that hit us even had a name, invisible germs were upending large and small businesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the rush to move from office to home and to set up remote internal and external communications. It was easy to overlook existing campaigns, content, email and website messaging. As a travel, commerce and social events came to a screeching halt. Many businesses still had plans in place that reflected an upbeat spring mood, coming off record-breaking 2019 results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clearly, a sea change in communications was called for without delay. Nevertheless, we\u2019re still seeing emails with subject lines like \u201cSpring is in the Air\u201d to sell party dresses and \u201cBook Your Next Vacay to Paradise\u2026\u201d from a cruise line!<\/span><\/p>\n

Brands Need to Be Meaningful\u00a0<\/b><\/h3>\n

Trust and authenticity play a significant role in brands. Especially while customers deal with the fear and disruption in their lives due to the COVID-19 crisis. People are paying attention to how companies are treating their employees, what provisions they\u2019re providing to help seniors, what assistance they\u2019re offering loyal customers and how they\u2019re giving back to the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer S<\/span>pecial Report on Brand Trust and the Coronavirus Pandemic<\/span>\u00b9 indicates that consumers believe brands play an important role during these difficult times. \u201cThe power and necessity of brands as well as their urgent need to act,\u201d said CEO Roger Edelman. \u201cBrands that act in the interest of their employees, stakeholders and society at large will reinforce their expertise, leadership and trust and immeasurably strengthen the bond they have with consumers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Key insights:<\/span><\/p>\n