Covid-19 Communications Q&A: Key insights from Rob Metcalfe and Matt de Leon

Our chairman, Rob Metcalfe, and MD, Matt de Leon, have been working within marketing and communications industries for *ahem*, let’s just say more years than any (poor mathematician of a) PR can count.

With so much experience at their fingertips as a result of successfully helping brands and organisations navigate recessions and crisis for over half a century (collectively), we took the opportunity to host a virtual Communications Q&A where business owners, marketing and communications professionals could seek bespoke advice from two of the best in the business.

Following glowing feedback, we’ll be hosting future Covid-19 Q&A sessions, so be sure to check out our Twitter or LinkedIn for dates and more information. In the meantime, here’s four key insights from yesterday’s chat.

1. Stay authentic, don’t
   lose sight of your brand positioning and core brand values. Despite being in a
   crisis, it’s your tried and tested comms route that will always help to
   strengthen your relationship with consumers

• Don’t change your strategy for this period (it’s too fast moving), but also be prepared to take advantage of tactical opportunities.. When making decisions, it’s important to remember that disposable incomes are shrinking so value will become more important to consumers temporarily. In the long term, it’s unlikely that things will change that much, people still want the same things after all.

• Don’t just focus on the now and neglect the future. History shows that, in a crisis, most brands cut their marketing spend for short term profit benefits without remembering that the seeds sown now will make for a successful 2021. The smarter move is to let your competitors cut their spend on awareness, keep yours the same and just sit back and watch your increased excess share of voice grow. It’s proven that if you do this, your market share will follow*.

• Brands shouldn’t worry about looking chaotic at this time, as they can actually be viewed as creative, adaptable, flexible and entrepreneurial. That being said, whatever changes are made in light of Covid-19 must feel authentic to brand principles and not purely for commercial gain.

* Read more