Among the many aspects of society, such as the economy, daily life, and the market, directly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, corporate communications was a significant case in point.
After all, expanding to several other segments and reaching each one of us as final consumers, this industry felt the direct effect on its revenues.
More than 80% of the agencies had losses in their monthly billing, according to a survey "Impacts of Covid-19 on corporate communication", conducted by Comunique-se in partnership with companies such as Abracom and Divulgador de Notícias.
This reduction occurred for two main reasons: because of the need to cut costs, as well as because companies did not feel comfortable promoting themselves during the pandemic.
And the effect, in general on the market, was inversely proportional to the size of the business, i.e. the smaller the company, the greater the loss of revenue.
However, at the same time, corporate communication proved to be one of the most indispensable tools for companies and enterprises, generally speaking, to get around the crisis situation imposed by the pandemic.
Companies are having to reinvent themselves, with a good accounting advisory in São Paulo, which has been investing in Market Intelligence, digital marketing, automation and technology for an increasingly assertive communication.
In this way, in the midst of the crisis, communication agencies have a great opportunity:
The demand for certain tasks, especially regarding services related to digital marketing, such as the production of original, relevant and quality content for blogs or social media strategies, for example, is only growing.
Thus, integrated communication depends on the expansion of know-how, i.e., it is not enough to limit yourself to offering press advisory services. It is necessary to adapt to the new context and make the crisis a way to become even stronger in the market.
In this article we will deal with points on this subject, highlighting the impacts of the pandemic on corporate communication, in addition to tips on how to correct problems and improve it in your courier company, or whatever your business may be. Read on and check it out!
The importance of corporate communication
It may seem redundant to stress that in times of crisis, as is the case nowadays, investing in crisis management is indispensable; however, that is what we are talking about: corporate communication as a tool for this purpose.
Companies that know how to invest in this method, such as a traditional building management company, manage to reduce external impacts and, many times, to cancel internal losses, which can affect several fronts of the organization.
Some refer to corporate communication as a sector that has gained another level in the context of the pandemic, such has been its importance for entrepreneurs to maintain their business.
And some say, for example, that the role of corporate communication has gained more relevance. Although the most profitable corporations, such as a company specializing in property tag solutions, to take a B2B example, have had this vision for some time.
Perhaps this is one of the reasons why they were not as affected as the many other companies that had to close their doors and suspend activities, not because of the lockdown, but because of the huge debts acquired in the last year.
The need to position oneself in times of crisis
With the world the way it is, several issues have been raised, among them a very important one: the need for a company to position itself and act in some way that contributes to the collective good, especially when we have a scenario of so many deaths.
This is a moment in which the social role of organizations is being put to the test and is being demanded by the consumer.
So, still on the questioning, it is important to reinforce that it is not about what the company sells, what is its segment, function, or market performance in times of crisis. But, yes, it is about the following points:
Purpose;
Image
Reputation;
Remembrance of the brand by the public, the legacy.
In this way, glamour and vanity-related metrics should be put aside, and what should be valued is the performance of the brand in society, or how it will be remembered in the post-crisis, or in the post-pandemic.
Thus, these four highlighted points became the agenda of many enterprises that, until then, had no action or concern in this sense, but that started to review such factors and maintained the health of your business.
Furthermore, some simple and really necessary actions needed to be taken; after all, the real value/function of a company is not profit, as many unfortunately think.
The value proposition is in its ability to meet a public demand, and with quality. Profit is a consequence of doing this very well. In the case of a crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic and its worsening, the demand is for social attention.
Measures such as the donation of food baskets, clothes, blankets, among other contributions, for the thousands of people who are losing everything ー jobs, health, dignity and hopes ー is the demand.
The results and impacts of the statements
Due to this demand, many companies have suffered from public rejection or gained acceptance, due to the result and impact generated by attitudes and actions towards the health crisis and its many implications.
The point is that the pandemic is also bringing many "social pathologies" to the fore, such as domestic violence, child abuse, the toxicity of certain relationships, and concerns about quality of life and physical and mental well-being, for example.
Thus, some companies are already reaping the effects, positive and negative, of the positioning and statements of their representatives on social networks, or even in their advertising actions. And this is how they will be remembered in the future.
The role of brands as awareness-raisers
According to market research by MindMiners, about 50% of people who responded to surveys agree that it is the role of companies and brands to help raise public awareness at this time.
And just highlighting the new consumer behavior, more than 33% not only agree on this, but expect this positioning from the brands they use, according to a 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer study.
As we talked about in the previous topic, to generate and establish trust, not only for customers but for all your stakeholders, it is no longer enough just to offer good products and services.
It is necessary to have empathy, to look at social issues, at the collective. It is the moment for each leader, manager, and entrepreneur to reflect about the consequences and the value generated by their business for society.
A tip to deal with this demand is to mix branding on social networks with traditional marketing strategies that generate some effect.
For example, embroidered T-shirts that draw attention to the precautions for protection and prevention against the virus, such as social distancing, the use of masks, the need to keep hands clean, and avoid contact with mucous membranes such as eyes and mouth.
Internal communication
In this way, the impacts are not restricted to the relationship with the consumer public, but also with the internal public of the companies:
The home office has changed the reality of many workers and many businesses, so that time clock maintenance has gained a new application in online systems for monitoring workers' activity.
Much has been discussed about its use in the post-pandemic, because several people have seen great benefits from this new model, which, in fact, was already a market trend.
Another impact, directly related to the issue of remote work, is the issue of distance communication with stakeholders, be they employees, partners, investors, or suppliers.
And in relation specifically to employees, an Aberje survey indicated that 85% of company managers point to the difficulty of keeping employees engaged during the pandemic as the biggest challenge.
Influencer marketing
One consequence of efforts toward social isolation has been a significant increase in internet usage. Traffic on digital networks and platforms multiplied and the audience of digital influencers followed the flow.
Engagement with brands on social media increased by 18% during the Covid-19 crisis, with more than 30% of people spending more than 5 hours a day on their cell phones. That's data from a survey by Later.
And a study by YouPix in partnership with Bruch, points out that more than 78% of brands intend to keep investing in influencer marketing after the crisis, and pointed influencers as good allies in times of pandemic.
At this point, we emphasize again the importance of keeping digital and physical actions aligned.
For example, actions on social platforms such as YouTube, added to the investment in custom bags for gifts with conscious directions, following the same line of reasoning addressed in the tip of the T-shirts.
Final considerations
The "new normal" that makes up the post-pandemic demands more investment in corporate communications. And this is a fact that has been stressed by several entrepreneurs in the area.
In fact, as you have seen in this text, communication is the main solution for companies to deal with and go through the crisis as safely as possible.