With fear and negativity rising, it’s important for brands to bring illumination and direct help to the fore.
Alberto Brea, the chief growth strategist at DiMassimo Goldstein in New York City, points to some of the companies who are doing good works. He also wisely notes, “In times of Coronavirus, the best ad is not an ad.” In other words, brand experience and customer experience are much more powerful.
Brea points to Comcast’s decision to take the following actions, effective now for 60 days:
- Xfinity WiFi hotspots across the country will be available to anyone who needs them for free – including non-Xfinity Internet subscribers.
- We are pausing our data plans for 60 days giving all customers Unlimited data for no additional charge.
- We will not disconnect a customer’s internet service or assess late fees if they contact us and let us know that they can’t pay their bills during this period.
Charter Communications, Verizon, and ATT&T are among many providers opening up their services to help ease people’s burdens during the coronavirus pandemic.
Small Businesses Are Taking Direct Action
Distilleries across the country are coming up with a clever solution to the sanitizer shortage: using in-house alcohol for homemade sanitizer.
According to CBS News, The Old Fourth Distillery, based in Atlanta, is providing free hand sanitizer to anyone who stops by its facility.
Portland, Oregon-based Shine Distillery & Grill is also making its own “hand cleaner” and giving it out to the community for free.
Shine’s owner Jon Poteet said, “We did our research and checked with the controlling authorities and come to find, as long as we’re not making a medical claim or selling it, we’re allowed to give it away.”
“All my neighbors getting sick and going down doesn’t do me any good. I want to be in a healthy community, and it feels good to be able to give back,” Poteet added.
What Can You and Your Company Do?
Now, what can people working in marketing, media, PR, and/or advertising do to help? We can create public service announcements, but that’s staying in our lane. What can we do to leave our lane, and repurpose our services for higher uses, at least temporarily?
I wish I could provide an answer to the question, but I don’t have one. I am asking you. What can you and your company do to help?
Naturally, I am asking myself the same question. What can I do and what can Adpulp do to help?
