Crisis Comms / Edelman’s latest Trust Barometer study lent credence to the common refrain that ‘brands will be remembered for how they act during the coronavirus pandemic’.
The PR firm surveyed 12,000 people from around the world and 65% of respondents said brands’ response to the crisis would have ‘a huge impact’ on whether they purchased it in the future.
Marketers should treat such claimed data with caution. How people respond to surveys and how they behave are often two different things. But that’s not to say corporate social responsibility marketing should be dismissed as impotent posturing, either.
Unilever has repeatedly affirmed purposeful marketing, claiming that, when combined with innovation, it multiplies the effectiveness of ad spend.
More practically, it is difficult for a brand to produce culturally relevant messages during a crisis without acknowledging the hardship people are facing, while those that do so cosmetically, as a cover to promote their products or brand, are quickly called out. This happened to McDonald’s in the early stages of the crisis. Again, there is a lack of evidence as to whether such criticisms hurt sales, but it is surely better for marketers to avoid it when they can.
On-brand aid / Vans’ Foot The Bill initiative not only demonstrates how it is helping those suffering under the coronavirus lockdown (small businesses unable to trade), it does so in a way that is congruent with its own brand.
Vans is supporting businesses that share the culture on which its own brand is built (street culture and action sports). Not only does this make the Foot The Bill initiative relevant to Vans, it’s helping distributors that sell its products and otherwise aiding the ecosystem of which it is a part.
The campaign is also giving people a reason to buy Vans’ shoes at a time when footwear is a low priority, by making those purchases an avenue to support a struggling business (and participants explaining on the Vans website how they will use funds raised is an emotive touch).
Vans will not profit from these sales directly, but it may well benefit down the line from more people purchasing from, and becoming more familiar with, the brand.
