Our strategic team put together a simple deck, trying to help your brand navigate through the Covid-19 pandemic situation. We’ve went through a lot of materials in the past week, compared the situation with previous crises and collected current concerns and threats from our clients. We believe that this material could help you with next steps and with thinking not only about your customers, but employees as well.

1. HOW SHOULD BRANDS
HANDLE THE CRIS IS
C O M M U N I C A T I O N I N T O U G H T I M E S

2. I T S N O T E A S Y R I G H T N O W

3. HAVEN ’T W E SEEN IT A L RE ADY?
1973 1987 20082001
I T ’ S G L O B A L .

4. IS IT ANY DIFFERENT TH IS TIME?
N O , I T I S N ’ T .

5. IT’S E MOTIONAL!
It doesn’t matter if you think it’s too much of a hysteria.That politicians and media are fuelling the fear (yes they
are) or that they don’t do enough (no they don’t). It doesn’t matter that the globe will get out of it pretty soon
(or not). It doesn’t matter what the rational facts are.
The crucial truth is that people are scared. And no-one can change that.
WE CAN ONLY MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE(R) AND PROVIDE HELP.
C R U C I A L F A C T

6. death
boredom
getting sick
going out
loosing money
loosing job
bankruptcy
going insane
travel
not enough food
loosing clients
time (how long?)
not maintaining my standards
not getting paid fully
cancelling plans
delayed due payments from
contractors
still having to meet my
obligations (e.g. loans)
T R Y T O E L I M A T E

7. Not all emotions are negative.The crisis times also spark a lot of
empathy among people. People unite and are able to help each
other much more. Heroism and humanity are visible on every step.
PRAISE EVERY ACT OF KINDN ESS.

8. It is not the strong, nor the intelligent who survive,
but those who are quickest to adapt.
– Charles Darwin

9. NO OPPORTU NI SM!
First and foremost, it’s in issue affecting health and threatening life.
Any response needs to be sensitive and must not put reputation at risk.
The adaptation must come from customer & brand experience.
NEVER CREATE BUSINESS OUT O F T HE C R ISIS.

10. P H A S I N G
TH E “ PAIN JOU RNEY”
”it’s not that bad.” “OK, it’s bad. I’m scared.” “OK, what next?” “It’s taking sooo long!”
T RY TO HEL P IN EACH PHA SE. INNOVATE AND EMPATHISE
Extreme boredom.Anger I can’t
go out a do my hobbies.Trying to
find oneself a purpose in the
volatile uncertain world. Cabin
fever as hell, especially with kids.
Trying to (sometimes frentically)
secure the imminent future.
Shopping, stocking-up. Fear
of not getting what I wanted
or forgetting something
important.
Acknowledging the issue. Fear
that it’s going to be bad.Anger at
oneself for not taking it seriously
in the first place.
Making light of the problem.
Anger that someone is trying to
limit oneself.
It's not easy to get to normal after
so much time.And some ‘old
normal’ won’t be valid anymore.
“It’s over!”

11. KEY STRAT EGI ES
4 HOW TO TACKLE C RI S IS
SURVIVE
DISAPPEAR
PRESERVE
ADAPT
Cut the costs and wait
Swallow the loss
Recover when it’s over
Try to keep the share of market
Swallow the loss
Be the same when it’s over
Invest, innovate, change!
Perform when others suffer
Be stronger when it’s over
Exit
i.e. sell / get bought /
/ merge / let die
(part of) the business

12. My favorite time to manage is during a bust.
It brings more clarity about what your customers
need and what your priorities should be.
– Sergey Brin
Google co-founder

13. HOW CAN WE ADAPT?
AND IDEALLY DELIVER ON THE ORIGINAL K PIs ?
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WE NEED TO ACT
The consumers in times of a crisis
Marketing guidelines during a crisis
Empirical studies regarding past recessions
Identify opportunities:
relevant consumer insights and ways
to address them
Prioritize, focus and avoid waste

14. CUSTOME RS
E-commerce growth opportunity bigger than
ever. China’s online business grew rapidly
during/after SARS outbreak in 2003.We can
expect this to happen in other markets as
well now.
As worldwide businessmen did
not travel to China during the
SARS outbreak period, Alibaba’s
B2B platform grew with 4000
new members every day from
March 2003. Their business grew
50% in 2003 alone.
JD was originally chain of offline
electronic shops in 2003 with
plan to expand to 500 stores.
They were forced to close all but
one and started investing in
ecommerce. Today, they are the
biggest ecommerce store in Asia.
GO ONLINE ! F IN D WAYS HOW TO DELI VER.
RETAIL & SHOPPING

15. Financial crisis
in 2007–2010
Hyundai offered
a warranty – if you lose
your job, you can return
your newly purchased car.
And their business thrived.
Later that year they became
no. 4 globally.
CERTAINTY
IN UNCERTAIN TIMES.
Think About It
A decade ago Hyundai pioneered America’s
Best Warranty to show you the faith we have
in our cars. Today, in addition to our warranty,
we’re introducing Hyundai Assurance, to show
you the faith we have in you. Right now, buy
any new Hyundai, and if in the next year you
lose your income*, we’ll let you return it.
That’s the Hyundai Assurance.
CUSTOME RS
OFFE R WAR RANTIES AND ASS UR ANC E
LARGE PURCHASES
People will postpone or cancel big purchases in the
uncertain times.This could make some businesses
grow (repair/service shops, spare-parts stores, DIY).
You have to either persuade people for the big
purchase or offer alternative.

16. As experience from global 2007-2010
financial crisis show, people will shop more
often with smaller baskets, looking for
cheaper goods.This is a great opportunity for
private-/white-labels.
People will get bored at home.Adults won’t
struggle only with themselves, but also with
kids.This is a great opportunity for remote
education and general home entertainment.
OFFER GOOD VALUE. SOLVE BOREDOM.
CUSTOME RS
GROCERIES ENTERTAINMENT

17. Your employees are people like everyone else.They are afraid of
loosing the job. If you can do so, let them know you won’t
dismiss anyone. Or at least that it’s not the plan right now.
Salaries are the same. Is there a risk of cutbacks? Or are you
sure there won’t be any? Let them know!
ELIMINAT E FE ARS.
COMMUN ICATE .
LEAVE NO S PACE F OR
UNCERTAINT Y.
EMPLOY EES

18. BE SU PER QUI C K!
All of us now face the same issue. Hence, the ideas will be very similar.
Plus we’re currently competing with the government, too.
(For our grocery store client Billa, we proposed special opening hours
for the elderly and endangered. A day later, government ordered
exactly that nationwide. If we managed to do it first, all newspapers
would have mentioned Billa that they did it first. Lost opportunity.)
ACT SUPER FAST.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL.
YOUR IDEA WON’T BE UNIQUE.

19. WHAT NEXT ?

20. NEXT STEPS
1. REVIE W YOUR COM MUNICAT ION
Review every single piece of communication you have. Review the tone-of-voice. Is it still relevant? Make sure there’s nothing
that touches the topic of the crisis or could hurt someone. Unless you help or offer solution, skip it for now. Review everything
also from the perspective of customer needs. Focus on offering help or solution from the brand’s purpose perspective.
2. REVIE W YOUR M ED IA PLAN
Especially look at out of home media. People stop travelling and going out. Make sure you don’t waste your budget on
channels that don’t make sense now.TV viewership, online and especially social media are skyrocketing right now.

21. 3. REVIE W TH E BRAND PU RPOSE
Does it respond to the current tension? Is there an appropriate action where it does?
4. FIND PARTNER S AND SYNERGIES
Everyone is trying to help. If you can’t help directly, support those who are helping.
NEXT STEPS

22. 5. MONITOR T HE BUZZ
6. MEDIA SPACE CH AN GES
NEXT STEPS
Follow what’s happening, not only around your brand but generally within the society. Is there anything
you can help with? Is there anything you can participate on? Act quickly.
Not only the structure changed, but also brands cancel their campaigns. If you have something you can
say, do so.Your share of voice will be much bigger as everyone is silent.

23. EXAM PLES

24. EXAMPLE:
ČEZ allows afflicted households to postpone their due payments.

25. Alza.cz offers short-term
leasing of laptop computers
for home work/education.
EXAMPLE:

26. Košík.cz lowers prices of basic
groceries for seniors.
EXAMPLE:

27. #chránímtebe initiative makes brands create special
TV spots to fill their already bought media space to
communicate messages about the importance of
wearing face masks. Brands then communicate “here
should have been our ad, but this is more important”.
#chránímtebe
Moje rouška chrání tebe
EXAMPLE:

28. EXAMPLE:

29. EXAM PLES
Launched late Feb 2020. Had to be suspended.

30. FAIL FAST.
ACT N OW.
REPEAT.