Providing Meaningful Messaging During a Pandemic
In the age of coronavirus, branded content has amounted to a sea of trite testaments like,
“We’re here for you.”
“We’re all in this together.”
“We’re doing everything in our power to create a safe and clean environment.”
If I had a dollar for the number of times I’ve heard one of those lines in the last few weeks…
It doesn’t matter who says it or what vague footage accompanies it, at some point all of these messages start to sound the same. Creating a meaningful messaging strategy in the world we’re living in requires going beyond the obvious, finding the true intersection of a brand’s purpose and the need at hand. Doing this in a way that will cut through the current sea of sameness will require finding opportunities that tap into familiar emotions, new methods of creating content, and a much more nimble and forward-thinking mindset.
Show Emotion, But Don’t Get Too Close
What does a carefree Saturday night look like if you can’t use that photo of 10 friends packed in a booth at a bar? Is a picture of five friends sitting six feet apart with masks and gloves on really heartwarming? As our day-to-day changes, the type of content that is relatable is going to change too. On one hand, we’re all grieving and we don’t need reminders of the carefree days before COVID-19. Yet, constant reflection on how our lives have changed can be heavy as well. Striking the right balance between relevant emotion and relatable content is going to take more diligence and discernment than ever before.
Get Creative With Socially Distant Shoots
With social distancing and shelter-in-place restrictions across the country, photo and video shoots the way we’ve previously known them do not exist. Packed sets and vast production teams aren't possible in the era of COVID-19, so marketing teams have the responsibility of creating content elsewhere. At Sterling, we’ve found creative ways to still capture the content our clients need, while other subject matter and situations aren’t as easily adaptable.
When restrictions begin to lift and typical photoshoots can resume, teams will need to get even more creative with finding the right sets, talent, and spaces to capture content. From shooting fewer people to shifting focus to still life, the method for meticulously getting the perfect shot will no doubt look different.
Zara is one of the first brands to adapt to this new reality. Their shot-from-home campaign that enabled models to self-shoot their latest collections from quarantine.¹
Dive Into Digital
Prior to life in quarantine, Tik Tok was something Gen Z frequently used, but the rest of the world did not understand. From learning your own dance to spending hours sucked into a video vortex, people spanning generations have started to come around to this new, more agile method of creating and absorbing content. With traditional photo and video shoots lacking for the time being, there’s an opportunity to find new ways of reaching consumers through real-time, less-precious methods.
While they jumped on the bandwagon prior to COVID-19, Chipotle has found extreme success on the new platform with its #GuacDance challenge. Not only did it tap into the cultural phenomenon but at the same time authentically linked back to their brand differentiation.
Think Forward & Act Fast
Just as we’re learning something new every day, we’re also feeling a new emotion, learning more about ourselves and our environments. Content you create one week could become completely irrelevant the next. Living brands that react in real-time and look ahead will be the ones who truly ride this wave alongside their consumers.
Finding new opportunities to connect, evolve and make consumers’ lives easier will go a long way in creating true meaning behind the overwrought message, “we’re all in this together.”
¹ https://www.stylus.com/models-selfshot-zaras-new-campaign-from-home
² https://www.qsrmagazine.com/fast-casual/how-chipotle-took-over-tiktok