Consumers want to hear from brands, but are your coronavirus ads alienating rather than connecting with them? Are they just… impossibly stale and generic? Below are best-practices from [b]+studio to refresh your creative assets to (dare we say it?) bring a smile to their faces.

It’s been over a month of self-quarantine and consumers are getting restless.

Notice how coronavirus ads all start with “We are here for you…” followed by tug-at-your-heartstring b-roll, slow music, and sad faces…. Every email starts with “Hope you’re healthy” or “Crazy times!” or “In these uncertain times…” It’s all starting to look and sound the same. Are your ads making your audience uncomfortable or excited?

We need to find ways to connect and build trust with our audiences in spite of this isolating pandemic. Terms like “covid-19,”
“coronavirus,” “pandemic” etc., are creating distance and alienating consumers, not building an emotional connection with the brand. How can you speak to your audience during a global pandemic without sounding robotic and somber?

via GIPHY

Last month was the month of empathy. Now, more than ever – it’s about value.

Consumers want to be uplifted, they want to $ave, and they want to smile again. Let’s instead re-direct messaging to stay positive during such an unprecedented time. Why not (tactfully) calm the nerves of your audience with comfort and reassurance? Connecting and even evoking a smile in such unpredictable times is a powerful gift. You can do that by updating your email list and sending bulk emails to your users with the help of email management services (like the ones offered at simplelists.com/). Try including an assuring and motivating message that can make them feel good during this time of uncertainty.

However, while promoting the value and monetary benefits of your business products, don’t let go of that empathetic element from your ads and marketing strategies. The pandemic has made people more conscious of each other’s health and wellness. So, while promoting your sale and discounts, include emotional factors about your delivery partners, transportation and logistics employees, etc., and how you have special provisions in place (check out the Top HGV insurance quote in minutes by exploring such services online) to ensure their safety during the Covid crisis.

Your online business highly depends on how you promote your services, and products. So, using only one type of emotion in ads to activate customers’ cultural mindset might not be enough in such circumstances. You have to speak their emotional language to attract the attention of potential customers. People are loyal and safe with familiarity, but with the right tools, your advertising campaigns can flourish and attract new consumers. Bidtellect’s in-house creative team, [b]+studio has been testing and measuring the shift in creative in real-time. Here’s what’s working this week.

Polish up with this new set of best practices for your coronavirus ads to bring hope and value:

1. Reposition your creative with witty and trendy adjectives; use abbreviations such as “WFH” or “QuaranQueen” to make light of the situation (tactfully, of course). There are ways to remind us of our current situation without making us sad about it.

2. If you have a loyalty program, announce it. Audiences are more likely to purchase if there are loyalty incentives.

3. SALES! DISCOUNT CODES! FREE SHIPPING! With the uncertainty of economic turmoil, consumers are responding to sales. Brand loyalists are going for a less expensive product and it’s all happening online. Besides, who doesn’t love a sale? Build their trust and your audience will $ave.

4. Try to focus not on selling but on helping your audience with a solution. For example: How Long Has Your Dip Nail Polish Been On? You’re ready for a new color. Try XYZ. (This creative is letting the audience know it’s been a while since we’ve all been to the nail salon and offering a solution to give the audience comfort).

5. Imagery is always important in creative. Bright colors, pleasing images, and happy people as the main focal point always perform well. Cinemagraphs and .gifsdraw attention against the parallel somber images on a webpage.

6. Drive it home with positive and compassionate content, including relevant hashtags: #StayHome

The wave of somber advertising is gently passing and while we are headed into the unknown, one thing is for certain: people want to smile again – even if it’s for a brief moment. Your messaging can easily be tested and updated within minutes on our platform. Between our sophisticated optimization technology and creative refreshes, we are working diligently to put your campaigns to work and get the best results possible.

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Charlotte Otremba is Sr. Manager of Communications and Marketing at Bidtellect.