The reputation of any organisation can be built on how it adapts to a crisis and how that organisation’s customers responds in the aftermath.
In my many years of working in
public relations, I have been witness to many crises in global, national and
local PR, and I have found that the key to emerging unharmed from catastrophe
is to address the concerns of your audience directly while maintaining a
constant stream of communication.
Stay in touch with your customers
The current government-imposed lockdown to
combat the coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating impact on businesses,
but the way you handle the crisis now is crucial as it will have a direct
impact on the behaviour of your customers in the future.
When consumers finally come out of
lockdown and start spending money freely again, it's likely that they'll choose
the businesses that have kept in touch with them during the quarantine period.
However, in order to attract
customers to spend their money on your products and services, they need to be
given a compelling reason to do so. Staying silent will not encourage them to
take action, so it's essential to communicate with your consumers and keep them
updated on what you're doing while staying relevant.
Start planning ahead now!
Your post lockdown PR needs to start
immediately. One of the first things that you need to do is to re-learn
consumer patterns as consumer spending habits are changing. Prioritising main
concerns over ease of purchase, social distancing and hygiene and communicating
this to your audience effectively is essential.
Always ensuring that you follow
through on your promises. The lockdown regulations are also a fantastic
opportunity for local and online brands to attract customers, as people are
currently either reluctant or unable to travel long distances.
In fact, 60% of all shopping has
moved online too and telling your customers and new customers that you are now
selling on the internet is an ongoing piece of work.
Consumer behaviour can change in the blink of an
eye, so after three months of lockdown and a slow transition period of easing
restrictions, it's likely that consumer habits will have changed for good.
To be prepared for this change and
get a head start on your business promotions, get in touch with our expert team
at redheadPR today by filling in our online contact form or by dropping us an
email at sara@redheadpr.co.uk
Don’t leave it too late to tell
your audience what you are doing.
Regularly and correctly.
