[APRW Webinar] COVID-19: How do we make our brand matter in these turbulent times?

The COVID-19 outbreak has unquestionably affected all of us and disrupted our way of life. It has wreaked havoc in many markets and industries, with its impact on businesses apparent – in terms of operations, sales and headcount. The communications industry has, undoubtedly, seen its own set of challenges, especially on brands’ reputation and corporate image. The last few weeks have certainly been rough for everyone, especially in the communication industry – we are, after all, the first line of defence when crisis strikes.

On 2 April 2020, Asia PR Werkz hosted its very first webinar, “COVID-19: How do we make our brand matter in these turbulent times,” with a panel of expert communicators hailing from the start-up industry to discuss how to tackle communication challenges, and why brands matter more so than ever during such times to remain relevant and trusted during these turbulent times.

The webinar was hosted by Asia PR Werkz’s start-up and SME team, with panellists Prantik Mazumdar, Managing Partner, Happy Marketer, and Heather Cheong, Vice President of Regional Marketing, Chope, moderated by Jacquelyn Cheok, Communications Manager, Gojek (Singapore). Our panellists shared their thoughts and industry experience in this insightful webinar.

Key highlights and takeaways from the webinar include:

1. Brands should maximise the downtime wisely by working on their recovery plans, planning for the future with current assets, and utilising the time to remain visible and afloat.This can be done through methods such as website marketing, email marketing and phone calls.
2. Digitalisation will be the new normal, and remains a critical communication platform till the virus situation stabilises. Nothing compares to physical connection, but until we are able to do so, the digital world is giving us options to stay connected nonetheless.
3. Protect your brand and price. Never cheapen your brand as it will be hard to recover from that. What brands decide to do now will have an impact in years to come. Instead, brands should relook at partnerships, and use this time to engage with companies with deeper resources.
4. Through social media marketing, prioritise the spread of positive messages and encourage discussions of positivity in these tough times. Pause campaigns that do not make sense and allow social media to be another Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) channel.
5. Marketers need to pause, think, read, listen, analyse and strategize because usually marketers are always too busy “doing”.
6. Keep the focus on your staff, customers, and partners, and leverage social media to amplify positive happenings or just ensure your current communication is truthful, positive and helpful.

You may refer to this link for the full webinar recording in case you missed it, or wanted to review it again. We have also uploaded the webinar on Asia PR Werkz’s official LinkedIn and Facebook page.

We look forward to seeing you at our next webinar!