Brand dilemma – quarantine or activity?

At first glance, a fast-rotating daily articles market suffers the least from the coronavirus situation. Foot-traffic has increased in certain categories. Completely new and even hitherto rejected customers in other categories have been “tasted”. The best FMCG brands suspended current communication, planned product launches, promotions. Collaborations for social purposes have intensified, and these should be reported in the cautious news.

Situations have changed

The uploading of the pantries has drawn attention to previously routine categories with little excitement. The sudden increase in demand for toilet paper, hand sanitizer, specialty detergents, wipes, basic and durable food has posed a number of challenges for manufacturers and traders. Replacing stocks and filling empty shelves was given top priority. Due to virus measures, distance rules, specialty and pallet island placements have been eliminated in many stores to keep the recommended distance.

Stay-alone consumers

Due to the out-of-stock of the well-known “A” brands for the first time, many turned to lesser-known but still available replacement brands on the shelves. Thus, both the “B”, “C” brands and the own brands have entered many households where they have never tried it before. At the same time, many households have started to use categories that Millenials, which has rejected before on a health-conscious basis, now  bought canned food, ready meals, and frozen goods. Many people started baking, cooking, gardening or just dyeing their hair at home. Consumers gain more and more experience while not hearing about their favorite well-proven brands and the new ones either what they just got to know or try. In addition, livelihoods, value-for-money monitoring, the economic crisis and unemployment are in imminent proximity.

Media hunger

The retreat of brands is understandable as their forces are focused on emergency operation of the manufacturing and supply chain. They also need to avoid communication, advertising backfire and create the appearance that they want to take advantage of the COVID-19 situation. The incentive to buy does not seem fair either, as visits to the shops are only recommended by experts within the necessary and considered framework. Support for frontline fighters and crisis management is accepted, with minimal communication.

At the same time, “stay at home” measures have increased the consumption of traditional and digital media, so that a well-articulated message can reach many more than before. Consumers are hungry for the world outside of confinement, they want to break free through the media, they are looking for compensation, an experience, a voice that they can identify with that reminds them of what they want to be normal or even better.

“If [CPGs] go dark and start to pull all marketing dollars, their road back is going to be more expensive,” Marta Cyhan, CMO of shopper intelligence firm Catalina, told to Marketing Dive.

So it is a great opportunity to reach the target group, maintain the connection or make new connections. P&G is leading by example, not reducing media spending and stepping up to communication, CFO Jon Moeller stressed in a statement to Marketing Dive.

Virtual college graduation

Her Campus, a digital magazine for women in college, is hosting a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate this year’s graduates whose ceremonies have been canceled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the company announced in a press release. Procter & Gamble’s Aussie Hair Care brand is sponsoring the event.​

Ceremony will feature yet-to-be-announced politicians, CEOs, athletes and authors as speakers, as well as musical performances from celebrities and students.

The event also includes awarding 20 young women and support their startup ideas and passion projects. Consumers find it reassuring to hear from brands they know and trust during these uncertain times of the most difficult labor markets in decades, as unemployment skyrockets under the shutdowns.

Busch promises year of beer to 250 couples who change wedding plans

Busch Beer is running a social media contest for couples whose 2020 wedding plans are impacted by coronavirus-related shutdown. The brand’s spokesperson, Busch Guy, revealed the contest in a video post on Instagram and Twitter. Couples must post a photo of themselves on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtags #BuschWeddingGift and #Sweepstakes. Friends of the betrothed can tag their engaged friend with the #MyFriendsWedding hashtag for the chance to win additional prizes. Busch Beer’s latest social media contest is a way for the brand to stay top of mind despite parties’ cancellations and postponed weddings due to the pandemic. By allowing both engaged couples and wedding guests to participate in the contest, the brand offers a social consolation prize to those who are likely disappointed that they must postpone their wedding.