COVID-19 Lays the Groundwork for Strong Allegiances Between Brands and Their Customers

It is no secret that COVID-19 has put brands in a deeply compromising position. Since so many customers are sheltering in place or are facing profound financial uncertainty, it is incumbent upon brands to find new ways to engage with their audiences. In the past, I’ve written about the opportunity content marketing affords brands to act as teachers or helpers to their customers. A recent case study examines a few successful ways brands are doing just this – and building new, enduring relationships at the same time.

Have you tasted the warm chocolate chip cookies at a DoubleTree hotel? DoubleTree has become famous for these decadent treats – and has kept their recipe a corporate secret. Under today’s extraordinary circumstances, DoubleTree decided to reveal its cookie recipe to the world. A video that they launched with the recipe has 250,000 views, and fans have been generating related content of their own, posting the cookies they baked to social media. This response shows an extremely positive connection between the hotel chain and its customers, even at a time when travel and hotels are the last things on peoples’ minds.

Another brand that has grabbed the spotlight during the pandemic is Nike. In Nike’s case, content marketing has increased through streamed workouts and existing channels – the Nike Run Club app, Nike.com, and the brand’s podcast. Indoor and at-home fitness is having powerful moments while folks find themselves in lockdown. Nike’s use of pro tips and frequent features with celebrity athletes across many channels garners customer trust – and gives them a purposeful, high-energy task to complete. Not every brand can reward its customers for their sweat and tears – Nike is doing so masterfully.

A third example is Unity Technologies, a popular game-building software application that is offering three months of free, premium content for game developers and tinkerers alike who are looking to explore and learn a new skillset. The content comes in the form of tutorials, full courses, and sample projects – as well as a live, virtual class offering. All of this educational content is free to anyone brave enough to take a crack at learning it.

What these three very different brands have in common is a helpful, proactive approach to customer engagement. If you’re looking for ways to engage with your customers during the pandemic, make ASTRALCOM your partner. Reach out to learn more about our expertise.