Communications during the pandemic is critical to ensure business continuity and an unblemished reputation. As a crisis PR firm helping brands with their internal and external communications regarding coronavirus issues, we’re already seeing the trickle-down effect of doing it right. We also see blow-back in the media from brands’ communications that fail to address the myriad of sensitivities and issues of this pandemic.
Our professional lives must be just the opposite of our socially-distanced personal lives. We need to build closer relationships with clients, vendors and our colleagues. When it comes to business communications, the most important thing we can give our stakeholders is hope and the assurance that we have a plan. We do this by showing we’re actively engaged and we’re still here for them.
COVID-19 is forcing us to be better at telling our story. Businesses have to assess their situation and report it to the world quickly. There’s no option to wait it out, opt for silence or overthink. It’s the facts that the customers, employees, suppliers and investors want right now, and they don’t want it sugar-coated.
Here are examples of how we are helping clients communicate their values and strengthen their brands during this crisis:
- Media Relations – Chaos creates necessity. We have worked with a number of clients who have relevant information or services that address different aspects of the coronavirus – from telemedicine to financial advice. See the coverage we secured with Hispanic media, national business and healthcare media.
- Social Media – Businesses are reassessing the cadence, tone, content and frequency of social media posts. We highlight the danger of following suit with competitors that appear to be tone-deaf to what is going on in the world and identify opportunities to blend brand values with commentary on current events.
- Community Engagement – We are working with clients to get the word out about how they are helping fight the spread. From pivots to produce personal protective equipment for essential workers to donations of much-needed supplies to helping employees adjust to working from home, we are helping clients build deeper connections with their communities.
- Employee Communications – From layoffs to employees diagnosed with coronavirus, we are working with clients to articulate the right words for employees, the community and other key stakeholders through newsletters, website alerts and emails.
In the end, when we can meet at a conference, a networking event or a sports stadium, we’ll all have our stories about when COVID-19 touched us and what the impact has been on our families, ourselves and our industries.
Be visible. Be alive. Be present. Be in the business of being in business.
