Effective critical communications start at the top, with senior leaders using email marketing as a means to share news about COVID-19, what they are doing to help, and also what consumers can do to stay safe and help others. But apart from the commonality of top-of-mind emails from the C-Suite, communications in the age of coronavirus should not be one-size-fits-all.
The novel coronavirus is having a massive influence on the global economy and marketers need to be able to respond and adapt to a quickly changing landscape. That’s why Movable Ink’s client strategy team is sharing industry-specific tactics that technology brands can employ to maintain transparency and keep customers at the core of their critical communications.
Offer relevant services and support with customers in mind
With increased work from home policies, school closures, and limited public gatherings, technology organizations offer crucial services that can help customers overcome new challenges. We’re seeing a shift in offerings and policies to provide important services as the coronavirus pandemic evolves daily.
As more companies commit to having a remote workforce for the foreseeable future, technology brands have offered support in the form of training, reassurance, and free access to collaborative tools. Also, as quarantine measures increase, organizations are considering options to encourage remote collaboration and digital appointments. For example, Microsoft is offering a free 6-month subscription to its collaboration platform, Teams. Awareness of these offers will be important, along with education on how to use these collaborative tools.
Be transparent about how you’re supporting workers and customers
Specifically within the gig-economy communicating this in real-time is highly important to provide guidance on safe working conditions. Ride-share companies are just one example of organizations that are working closely with public health authorities to support and protect contractors and customers with up-to-date guidance on precautions.
The topic is of particular importance given that drivers for the majority of ride-share companies are independent workers, and therefore are not eligible for benefits such as sick leave or health insurance. Uber and Lyft have recently revised their policies for drivers taken ill by coronavirus, now providing 14 days of sick pay. Transparency in changes builds trust in keeping both workers and customers safe.
Enable customers to take care of themselves while social distancing
In response to increased work from home policies, several tech organizations are providing free access to virtual resources for health and wellness in order to facilitate social distancing while maintaining business continuity.
As public spaces close down, gyms and fitness studios are alerting customers of closures in real-time. Peloton took this one step further, promoting their virtual class library and extending their free trial from 30 days to 90, in order to enable individuals to stay connected and strong as daily routines change.
About the author
Naveen Wall
Prior to joining Movable Ink, Naveen worked at multiple brands that are creating innovative marketing experiences for media and tech services, including Shutterstock, Time Out North America, and Global Radio. She joins Movable Ink from SiriusXM, where she ran the brand’s engagement newsletter and supported the roll-out of their recommendations engine that displays real-time information on live ‘now playing’ content.