Be Creative

In such unprecedented times and with the UK on lockdown, it’s difficult to know how to continue promoting your business, or whether you should be at all. The current situation with Covid-19 changes hour on hour and as this develops PR’s and businesses need to be able to adapt and adjust their strategies in keeping with the circumstances. It’s now that creative minds and innovative ideas will be most valued, as the status quo shifts those who think out the box will find themselves on the front foot.

With the Coronavirus dominating 90% of the news we read and see, it might appear tough or nigh on impossible to cut through the noise. However, if you and your team can get creative there’s the opportunity for your brand to positively contribute to the conversation or steer it in a different direction. In times of difficultly, people are often looking for a bit of light relief and that too provides opportunity for an alternative type of exposure if you can find the right angle and tone.

At the moment, social media is your best friend. It’s a really effective way to get your message across and to reach out to people. By getting creative and using social media in original ways you can maintain a public presence and remind people that you and your business are still there. Big names such as Coca Cola and McDonalds have been some of the first who’ve created advertisements to help disseminate public health messaging, but have continued to use messaging and imagery in keeping with their brand.

With that being said, it’s also essential to know when the time is to market yourself and when the time is to remain quiet. The importance of sensitivity for a crisis such as the Coronavirus is paramount and one poorly timed piece of publicity could damage the reputation of your brand for years to come. For businesses, you must be flexible in you approach and prepared to modify campaigns plans as the situation of the country changes, whether that be holding off on a promotional piece or getting involved in a positive initiative.

However, it’s really important to think in the long term as well as the short, so that when the crisis comes to an end your business is ready to bounce back in a new market, whatever that may look like. So, to keep your business out of the red, put on your thinking caps and get creative to find your niche in the new climate!