PR & marketing during COVID-19

By: Carina Mueller

COVID-19 has caused a global pandemic resulting in many people getting sick, hospitalized, and even dying. The virus spreads mainly from person to person, usually through respiratory droplets such as sneezing, coughing, or even talking. Health officials, therefore, ordered people to wear face masks and stay home as much as possible.

Almost a year after COVID-19 was brought to the United States, and scientists began Phase 1 trials of an experimental vaccine for the virus, people, primarily health care workers and elderly, are receiving the vaccine. Almost 42 million Americans have received at least the first dose of the vaccine so far as mass-vaccination sites opened. For some vaccines, two doses are required, in order to be fully vaccinated. More and more people are being vaccinated every day. There are multiple different vaccines available, yet, only two of them have passed the FDA and can, therefore, be distributed in the United States. Though, the United States has seen progress on several fronts against the pandemic, including a third vaccine maker seeking authorization. 

Even though more and more people are getting vaccinated and the vaccination process is speeding up, many businesses are still experiencing hardships. Therefore, they need to change their PR and Marketing strategies. The “old” ones cannot continue. 

This is because people are panicking over the pandemic and are not paying attention to business developments or product offerings. Nevertheless, there are indeed other strategies businesses can employ in order to reach their target audience. 

First, it is important to address the audiences’ needs and concerns. For example, if you are a financial institution, you might produce content that addresses ways that your audience can save money during this time or how their small business can adapt to decreased customer numbers and purchases.

Next, businesses should stop all non-essential press releases and launches since people care more about the pandemic than a company’s news. It is important to focus on news and press releases related to the pandemic. If there are not that many press releases to do, focus on other  works which have been put in the back before.

One of the most important things, however, is to focus on online services since even though people are getting vaccinated, more and moret are not and, thus, it is still important to limit in-person events and conferences. A good way to switch to online services are for example, webinars where people can log in to from home, live videos on social media and if the company has time, produce regular videos that will benefit the strategy even after the panic dissipates.

Speaking of social media, now it is also very important to build up on social media. Since people are still staying home a lot, social media is being used more than ever. Therefore, businesses should check that their information is up to date and upload pertinent content that keeps the company and the brand top of mind, but also speaks to the needs of the audience.

Last but not least it is also important to help the people around you. Look outward for ways to help your community, including your employees and customers who have been affected by this virus. Whether it’s with resources, technology, or skill-set, ask yourself what you can do to help during this stressful time. This might not be a traditional B2B marketing tactic, but it’s the right thing to do and will be appreciated by the audience.