With COVID-19 essentially halting traditional store footfall and physical retail, digital engagement and experience have become even more important in helping brands retain mindshare and maintain customer loyalty.

Engaging an anxious & comfort-seeking audience

Prior to creating an engagement strategy, it's vital for brands to consider the shift in behaviours, priorities and attitudes brought about by the crisis. The COVID pandemic has resulted in several consumer behaviour shifts like rapid depletion of trust in institutions, especially healthcare systems; a deepened focus on financial stability and mental well being; spike in digital content consumption and social media usage and the desire for a safe, sheltered environment.

Marketers seeking to establish long-term connect with consumers in these troubled times will need to :

1. Solve for specific consumer concerns.
2. Align messaging towards values that matter most to worried consumers
3. Offer products and services that seek to provide comfort in times of panic
4. Avoid the temptation to bombard consumers with salesy campaigns

During the coming weeks, brands need to be sensitive to consumers' needs and rethink their marketing and advertising.In short, they need to empathize and engage, instead of selling. That might mean pausing certain campaigns for certain products, and adjusting the copy and creative on ads to better speak to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, Hershey removed ad spots that showed people hugging while sharing chocolate bars, and replaced them with commercials featuring product close-ups and KFC paused a campaign dedicated to its classic 'fingerlicking good'.

Based on a survey by Gartner, here's how consumers expect brands to address coronavirus developments :

Notify customers if the company believes consumers may have been exposed to the virus at a company location
Provide up-to-date information about shortages, delivery or service delays
Implement additional measures for disinfecting in-store or physical locations owned by the company
Update/communicate company rules that ensure customer safety and health
Waive service fees and penalties (e.g., late fees, cancellation penalties)

The faster you can adjust to this new normal of customer engagement, the faster you'll be able to build the trust and credibility necessary for establishing relevance in their lives.

Top 5 COVID Digital Brand Campaigns
*Play for the World by Nike
*Creativity goes on by Apple
*'Love has no fear by' Louis Vuitton
*The Cookie Recipe by DoubleTree Hotels
*'This is Not Goodbye' by Mall of Emirates

Digital Engagement Strategies during COVID
*Consider the New Nuances
*Harmonize Cross Channel Communications
*Explore Commerce & Engagement Integrations
*Empower your reps for success
*Revisit Your Personalization Strategy

Learn more at https://www.capillarytech.com/blog/marketing/digital-engagement-best-practices-covid/