The document provides guidance to brands on protecting their brand and managing marketing during the COVID-19 crisis. It recommends that brands focus on being empathetic, honest, listening to employees and customers, and providing benefits and support. Brands should communicate their efforts to promote safety, respond to customer concerns, and view situations from customers' perspectives. The document also discusses how brands can help essential workers and their communities through their actions during this difficult time.

1. HOW TO PROTECT YOUR
BRAND DURING
COVID-19.
BRAND STANDARDS FOR SURVIVAL.
APRIL 2020

2. INTRODUCTION
This has been quite a time for many people across the world, in all industries
and businesses; big, small and independently owned. The accelerated spread
of COVID-19 has halted the economy and forced companies to work from
home, reduce their staff and close down. Businesses find themselves in an
unfamiliar territory as they try to navigate operations and attempt to forecast
the impact of their business and staff, while they communicate the best they
can with customers in real time. Brands are walking a tightrope with their
marketing while learning how to balance their operations at the same time.
One thing is certain, brands and consumers are acting in ways that are unpre-
dictable and doing so without a roadmap. The purpose of this whitepaper is
to help marketers and leaders manage their brands through this crisis both in
terms of leading with empathy and playing a wider role for their communities.
WHAT BRANDS NEED TO ADDRESS DURING THIS CRISIS?
2020 The Stitch Effect

3. HOW DO BRANDS FOCUS ON STAYING IN BUSINESS
WHILE NOT BEING JUDGED?
BE HUMAN. BE HONEST. LISTEN.
Brands have the influence, resources and power to help people through this
crisis. It is their responsibility to truly stand by their staff, customers and
community, especially now, when staff and customers are worried about the
safety of their health, financial wellbeing and family. Businesses have been
forced to rethink their operational models and processes to cope during this
crisis, both internally and externally.
Executives must focus on their staff because communication is essential in
order to build trust when anxiety is running high. Business leaders who embody
empathy only reinforce the fact that “you’re in this together” with them.
Additionally, it allows your employees to confidently communicate that same
message to your loyal customers. Therefore, marketers should rethink the
traditional model and focus on the immediate needs of safety and security.
FLIP THE HIERARCHY OF NEEDS.
2020 The Stitch Effect

4. “CLIENTS DO NOT COME FIRST. EMPLOYEES COME FIRST.
IF YOU TAKE CARE OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, THEY WILL
TAKE CARE OF THE CLIENTS.” ~ RICHARD BRANSON
BE TRANSPARENT. BE REACHABLE. PROVIDE BENEFITS.
Brands should be empathetic and raise public awareness about the state of
their business. For example, they can clarify if they are considered an essential
business or if they are adapting their services with the challenging environ-
ment to meet customers’ needs. More importantly, communicate that your
business is promoting staff and customer safety and inform the public about
the safety guidelines, procedures and beyond to minimize anxiety or con-
cerns.
Building brand confidence starts with the basics: your loyal customers. Brands
need to develop a customer response team and dedicate time to customer
service. Strategically, a company’s focus should be responding to customer
concerns with a person on the other end of the call instead of an automated
message or auto reply. One of the hardest-hit departments is often customer
service, with call scores more than doubling in just 2 weeks. Brands need to
arm customer reps with techniques that minimize frustration. In today’s gener-
ation of social media, several bad posts can wipe out your brand’s credibility
faster than you built it.
Brands who view situations from consumers’ point of view will shine through.
Nothing takes place of a CEO or key executive articulating their message
directly to vendors, retailers and customers. In this climate, it’s important to
understand your customers and provide them with added value and support
instead of thinking opportunistically. In just three weeks, more than 16 million
people have filed weekly jobless claims and will get worse. Therefore, service
providers such as Verizon have added free international calling, data and
mobile hotspots for their customers while DisneyPlus gifted an early release to
Frozen2 and HBO extended a free subscription to all. Brands that provide add-
ed benefits only build further trust with your clients and lifetime brand loyalists.
2020 The Stitch Effect

5. HOW DO YOU TURN THE STRUGGLE OF
A BREAKDOWN INTO A BREAK-THROUGH,
ALL WHILE REMAINING POSITIVE AND STRONG
FOR YOUR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS?
BE A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN.
As important as corporate social responsibility (CSR) is for the community, it
is equally valuable for a company. CSR activities can help forge a stronger
relationship between employees and corporations; boost morale; and help
both employees and employers feel more connected with the world around
them. In our current environment, adapting and evolving your business model
to help essential workers on the front line only reinforces to your customers that
you are doing your best to serve them. Brands that go the extra mile with their
business, staff and online for their customers only builds stronger relationships.
GM for example is encouraging and empowering its suppliers to assist in
production of medical facemasks for frontline workers amid the coronavirus
pandemic. GM hopes to be able to produce up to 50,000 masks every day –
or up to 1.5 million masks a month.
The travel and hospitality industry has halted, however, they are doing what
they can to remain positive and inspiring others through their actions. Marriott
has partnered with Chase & AMEX to create Rooms for Responders, which are
free hotel rooms to healthcare professionals serving areas most impacted by
the virus such as NYC, NJ, New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit, LA, etc. Uber has
rallied around the campaign #StayHome while also providing free transpor-
tation for frontline healthcare workers, helping them get to and from patients’
homes and healthcare facilities. They are also helping restaurants stay in
business by waiving delivery fees across US and Canada.
Conversely, there are companies that fail to rise to the occasion by offering
no company announcement to staff and customers, respond to emails and
phone calls with automated replies and continue to bill customers. Everyone is
going through tough times, however, businesses have a responsibility to every-
one involved to be there to serve in good times and bad. In the famous words
of Warren Buffet, “It takes twenty years to build a reputation and five minutes
to ruin it”.
2020 The Stitch Effect

6. HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE YOUR BRAND’S MARKETING
AROUND NEW NEEDS?
DEVELOP YOUR BRAND STANDARD GUIDELINES.
2020 The Stitch Effect

7. 2020 The Stitch Effect
WHAT BRANDS CAN WE LEARN FROM?
BRANDS WHO ACT ON PRINCIPLE, NOT ON PROFIT.
Diageo and Anheuser are
pivoting some of their
production facilities to
produce millions of bottles
of hand sanitizers.
GM is assisting in production
of medical facemasks for
frontline workers and hopes
to be able to produce up
to 50,000 masks every day –
or up to 1.5 million masks a
month.
Marriott is offering free hotel
rooms to healthcare
professionals serving areas
most impacted by the virus.
These companies are
offering free products to
doctors and nurses to show
their appreciation for their
hardwork.

8. 2020 The Stitch Effect
WHAT BRANDS CAN WE LEARN FROM?
BRANDS WHO LEAD WITH THEIR HEART, NOT THEIR POCKET.
Microsoft is giving workers
12 weeks of paid parental
leave because of school
disruptions.
Youtube created
Learn@Home website that
offers learning resources
and content for families. It
spotlights learning channels
such as Sesame Street.
Mobile Companies are
providing hotspot data,
waived late fees, and free
international calling to assist
those working from home.
Disney+ is surprising
subscribers with an early
release of “Frozen 2” as
families struggle to adjust to
major changes.

9. WHAT BRANDS CAN WE LEARN FROM?
BRANDS WHO INSPIRE AND MOBILIZE
THEIR COMMUNITY THROUGH ACTION.
Netflix launches $100 million
fund to assist individuals in
the film & tv industry who
have been affected by the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Spotify launched
Music Relief Project which
recommends verified
organizations that offer
financial relief to those in
the music community most
in need around the world.
Tiktok will donate
$10 million to World Health
Organization’s Solidarity
Response Fund.
UberEats is supporting
restaurants employ their
staff by waiving fees and
provides free meals to first
responders.
2020 The Stitch Effect

10. CONCLUSION
What has impressed me most over the past few weeks collaborating with
clients, colleagues and partners is the focus on what we can do. What is
possible to start on now that can help or inspire others during this time? How
can we adapt our processes to the new reality? What resources can we utilize
to shift the brand from the real world to the virtual one?
In times of peace and prosperity it is easy to forget that resilience is the human
advantage. Our ability to adapt, problem-solve and respond to unexpected
challenges is central to our survival and success. Our time now is no different.
Brands and businesses have an important role to play. With the right mix of
empathy and creativity we can help soften the blow, be a source of
inspiration and optimism, and most importantly, prepare for the opportunities
that lie ahead.
Please be safe, practice social distancing and remain hopeful. We will get
through this together!
2020 The Stitch Effect

11. ABOUT THE STITCH EFFECT
The Stitch Effect is a Creative Design Studio
that focuses on consumer engagement using
innovative techniques across various products,
industries & platforms. We unify brands with an
innovative bold strategy focused on people,
products and service.
www.thestitcheffect.com
2020 The Stitch Effect