When it comes to creative campaigns and digital marketing, keeping up with digital trends is something a creative agency in Singapore like us cannot neglect. Right now, the trending topic is the viral COVID-19 pandemic, and boy is there a lot of juice in this one.
As governments all over the world try their best to put a cap on this out-of-control pandemic crisis, we’ve been taking notes (from our homes of course) on some of the more interesting pointers that are relevant to the creative world we’re in. While we’re not exactly glass-half-full people, there’s a small silver lining for brands despite the incoming economic recession — learning points!
To fully reap the upcoming opportunities, here are 4 learning points from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that brands can apply to their branding and creative campaigns:
Importance of A Name
For a good few months, people inaccurately referred to COVID-19 as the ‘Wuhan Virus’ that resulted in a lot of statements made with racist and hateful undertones. With the lack of a proper naming convention, the masses stuck with the name and perpetuated the hate.
World Health Organisation (WHO) took some time to deliberate over the official name for the coronavirus and for good reason — they needed to overwrite ‘Wuhan Virus’ with a name that is simple yet neutral to be used by the masses. A few months later, they decided on ‘COVID-19’ and the rest is history (we hope this phase becomes history ASAP).
COVID-19 has become the new ‘face’ of the pandemic, which made the naming somewhat a success (yes, there’s still racism and people calling it Chinese Virus, or is it really only Trump). Wuhan virus and COVID-19 both have the same number of syllables, and it helped with the transition. Imagine having to call it the “Uvuvwevwevwe Onyetenyevwe Ugwemuhwem Osas”, that will be a little difficult to replace the existing name.
Similarly, new or even current brands should realise the importance of something as basic as a name. Not only does it need to accurately describe your brand, but your name also needs to be easy on the tongue aka easy to read and/or pronounce.
Fun Fact: Did you know that the beer brand ‘Corona’ was negatively impacted by the similarity of their name with COVID-19?
Ladies and gentlemen, there you have it, the importance of a name.
Globalisation & Digitalisation Trends
COVID-19 revealed to us how globally connected the world is, as we saw the virus spread from a small state in Wuhan to about 200 countries across the world at the moment.
Besides beer and Wuhan, COVID-19 has been linked to another ‘catchphrase’ in these dark times: Social Distancing. If being social and having a lot of friends was the ‘in’ thing in the 2010s, keeping your distance and avoiding travels is the ‘hip’ thing to do now.
The ones most impacted by this social distancing brought on by COVID-19? Businesses, particularly the travel industry, in Singapore and all around the world can feel the effects of the looming economic recession. Operations for some businesses came to a halt.
Social distancing also brought to light the importance and benefits of digitalisation. Companies who have digitalised their operations kept going, while their non-digital counterparts are left behind.
Whether it’s digital marketing or going for an eCommerce website development, there is no lack of channels and avenues available for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Singapore.
Time for you to get on board, before you get forgotten forever.
Fear Motivates Consumers
Fear is the unbeaten best motivator of consumers. Let’s look at the evidence:
- Masks and hand sanitizer sold out within the first month of the first few local cases
- Groceries at supermarkets were sold out when DORSCON was raised to orange
- People were paying for masks at exorbitant prices.
If you’re able to angle your brand, marketing and creative campaigns around fear (without misinforming or flouting the rules of advertising), the results will be oh so spectacular. In fact, for brands and their industry that allows it, pivoting your campaigns around COVID-19 is a great way of hijacking existing trends in an opportunistic way.
Nothing works better than a brand who knows how to do that. So, start working your minds on how to use fear for your brands.
Or alternatively, let us do the thinking! Speak to our creative digital marketing team and create a unique marketing campaign for your brand.
Information Spreads Faster Than Virus
You think the virus is spreading fast? There’s something else that’s spreading faster in the digital era.
Raise your hand if you’ve heard one of the following #FakeNews:
- Putting onions in your home can stop COVID-19
- Gargling salt water can prevent COVID-19
- Eating Turmeric and Garlic can ensure that you’ll never get COVID-19
- Closure of schools due to COVID-19
- PM Lee asking for donations for help against COVID-19
Yes, that’s how fast information spreads these days. While not applicable to every brand, this is a clear indicator of the potential that digital mediums have in making a brand go viral, in both the good way and bad way.
The key is to provide social value and engagement in your content for the masses to talk about and to share with their friends. Before you know it, your brand could become a household name much like these #FakeNews.
(But for real though, please stop spreading fake news in this critical period. We beg of you.)
The Doctor Is Ready To See You Now
We may not be an actual medical doctor (shout-out to the professionals in the frontline), but we can sure nurse your brand back to health with the digitalisation of your business and helping you tap on the digital marketing channels in the times of social distancing. Brands in the market for a full-service creative agency confident of helping you fulfil your potential with the digital tools available, can hit us up or drop us a message! Our brand guardians will schedule a meeting (via electronic mediums) with you to get your digitalisation plans started. 😉
