As the world wrestles with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is a palpable understanding that our lives have changed. While consumers face challenging times and uncertainty, brands are also bracing themselves for a different landscape where some of the fundamentals of brand strategy are shifting.
For example, conventional wisdom would suggest that brands should further promote their functional superiority to drive growth. However, we believe that building emotional closeness -identifying with consumers’ personal goals, values, and circumstances – will play an even more prominent role in impacting brand choice. An emotional benefit can enable brands to demonstrate empathy while striking the appropriate tone in a world governed by fear.
An example of this is Budweiser’s One Team campaign, which expresses heartfelt gratitude for the everyday heroes in our lives. Budweiser’s main message – “In uncertain times, there’s one thing that remains certain: we are #OneTeam. Let’s come together to support the heroes on the front line of the health crisis.”
The current pandemic presents a critical moment for your brand, an opportunity to align what you say – your reason and purpose, with what consumers do – their real and tangible behaviors. Consider your brand’s role in connecting and delivering meaningful benefits to people when the future is so uncertain.
At BrandMETTLE, our proven Brand Strategy process can help you get past the obvious, functional attributes of your brand and elevate to the emotional benefits that will create closeness and drive much-needed growth.