Pandemic response: Should businesses change their branding?
William Seegmiller is an independent contractor and branding expert who has worked with many clients. Through this blog, he shares his insights regarding marketing and branding that will help businesses of all types succeed even during these times. Now that the world is facing a great challenge with the COVID-19 pandemic, should businesses change their branding?
As many have seen in the examples of successful multinational companies, branding isn’t set in stone. This is one of the most common misconceptions in the industry. Through the years, it can evolve along with the mission and the vision of the company. Of course, pivotal events like the pandemic and social issues can also bring about these changes.
To respond to the changing needs of the public, businesses should first look into what they can do to make life easier during these challenging times. Can they provide special services for the vulnerable and the health workers? Can they use their resources to provide and protect a certain population? While they shouldn’t give up their main services, businesses should consider contributing to the efforts in any way they can. But if they see a need to change their branding to better serve the people these times, William Seegmiller says that it should be done with much thought and awareness.
Instead of just going with the trends, businesses should plan how their branding should reflect changes in the public and society. It could look different than what they started out with. Even if this might mean changes in brand positioning, visuals, and in their operations, the primary goal should be to continue to serve the people.