This was the headline of an article I wrote at the time of the Covid outbreak, which appeared in Strategies on 16 March 2020, respectively. 19. March 2020 in Hospodárske noviny. I had no idea that in 2 years’ time we would be facing an even bigger crisis and this article would still be relevant in many ways.
Crisis and sudden change is an uncertainty for people, clients and employees alike, and it has to be lived and worked with. It is responsible to take care of yourself, your family, your business, your employees and your clients. Strong brands – companies, organizations and individuals – are looking for ways to find and provide certainty for people in times of uncertainty and rapidly changing conditions… The situation that arises can last for a long time, perhaps months. We get used to many changes, but we need to react quickly to many of them. In the following lines, I will therefore summarise a few recommendations and also indicate the major differences from the crisis that Covid-19 represented.
1. First of all – communicate, don’t be silent
Covid-19 has already shown us how important continuous brand communication is. That the solution is not to stop, but to switch to a different way of communication as soon as possible. Authenticity of brands and people is key.
Vieme už omnoho ľahšie upraviť produktovú komunikáciu na hodnotovú. Udržujte preto svoju značku nažive, neprestaňte komunikovať, buďte aktívni. Zvážte komunikáciu podporujúcu predaj a akcie, buďte senzitívnejší a vyjadrujte solidaritu. Vyjadrite svo názor a ponúknite podporu – čo si vaša značka myslí a ako môže vaša značka pomôcť v ťažkých časoch. Nemyslíme teraz len priamu podporu Ukrajincom, ktorí prichádzajú na naše územie a potrebujú pomoc. Ale poskytujte podporu aj svojím zákazníkom a zamestnancom. 
2. Be calm and responsible – protect your brand and reputation
Don’t panic, don’t make ill-considered statements (well-intentioned but hasty statements may not burn well) that can hurt your brand. Inside the company, “dust off” the crisis communications teams of the Covid-19 days and try to coordinate not only your business, but also internal and external communications. Teams are much more experienced in 2 years and often supplemented by other experienced people.
Look for answers to the following questions:
Aká je nálada vo firme a medzi zákazníkmi?
It is important not to manage impressions, but the real concerns, feelings and questions of the people in the company. It’s also a good idea to map how customers are reacting to your brand nowadays, whether and how they are changing their behaviour. And how you can give them a sense of belonging and peace of mind with your way of communicating. Simply to show them that you are not “just” a brand that wants to sell, but you have the same feelings as they do.
Sú dávnejšie naplánované kampane stále vhodné? Obsah, forma aj kontext?
Check previously planned campaigns and visuals. If they were prepared long ago and came out today in a new context, they might sound different from what they were intended to be.
Check your wording and visuals, what was apt yesterday may be offensive today – you don’t want to have “bomb prices” today, or have people “take your goods by storm” or “rocketing prices” etc.
And the context? If by chance you haven’t addressed the target groups, the placement of your ad too much, ask the media today where your ad will be displayed so that your campaign doesn’t come out in an environment and next to a topic that can harm your brand.
Nesnažíme sa na kríze prvoplánovo zarobiť?
Dajte pozor. Všetci veríme, že agresívna vojna Ruska pominie, zákazníci si však konanie Ruska zapamätajú. Rovnako si budú pamätať konanie značiek v čase krízy a dobré meno máte len jedno. Rusko ho nadlho stratilo, dajte pozor na to vaše. Budovanie vzťahu a posilňovanie lojality je dnes dôležitejšie ako kedykoľvek predtým. Vybudujte si v ťažkých časoch bližší vzťah k svojim zákazníkom adresnou a užitočnou komunikáciou. Prispôsobte miesta prvého kontaktu situácii, pripravte svojich ľudí na rôzne otázky a reakcie. Je to príležitosť ukázať ľudskú stránku svojej značky.
Máme vytvárať nové „žltomodré produkty“ alebo dávať zľavy na podporu Ukrajiny?
Univerzálna rada asi neexistuje. Z našich skúseností však platia 2 pravidlá.
If you want to help quickly and directly, do not create or produce new products. It’s extra work and a longer journey. Moreover, people will not need “Ukraine-branded products” in the long run. If you want the help to be as quick and targeted as possible, donate money directly, relevant products and services, or use existing services or products and donate the money from their sales.
The second way is to connect with an existing non-profit organization or collection. They know exactly what they need.
Pracujete s overenými informáciami?
Pri autentickej a aktuálnej komunikácii sa stane, že máte potrebu zareagovať okamžite na nejakú správu alebo ju jednoducho prezdieľať. Dávajte si pozor na zdroj a overenosť informácie. Sledujte mienkotvorné médiá a aj to, či informácia vyšla na viacerých kanáloch. Platí staré známe dôveruj, ale preveruj. Ak si nie ste istí, jednoducho nejakú aktualitu alebo konkrétnosť vynechajte z komunikácie, nemusíte komentovať všetko. Prípadne sa poraďte s agentúrami, ktoré riešia komunikáciu viacerých firiem.
