As a response to the COVID-19 crisis, we created a Marketing Wiki, full of insights and resources for marketing during a crisis. One of the tools we included was our Three Phase Crisis Planning Framework, which we’ve found very useful for planning with our clients over the last month or so.
The worksheet is broken into three phases. You can make estimates on timing or leave it more vague.
In each phase, your community will have different needs, based on what they’re currently experiencing. You can also use this framework as a jumping off point to brainstorm around your customer journey.
The last 8-10 weeks have been a rollercoaster, without much sense of what is up or down. There’s been a lot of uncertainty, and people have been looking for security and reassurance.
Many brands have reflected this in their (eerily similar) messaging.
We think the best Phase One pivots are the ones that are uniquely true and authentic to the brand - and create true value.
Some great Phase One examples we’ve seen:
We still don’t know when shelter-in-place will ease up, but we’re feeling optimistic and are starting to plan Phase Two now. So we got the team together to workshop some ways that our clients can make a difference in phase two and three.
Phase two is when people begin to look past the present situation and see a viable ending. What will happen? How will the world change? What can we do now to create a great future?
The consumer needs in phase one were security and reassurance, but phase two is more about control. How can we take back control over our lives? We asked ourselves a few questions to get the ideas flowing.
The key is to put yourself into the mindset of your customer, and think about what might improve their experience, or resonate. These ideas can be big or small.
What events are coming up in the next few months?
What makes these events different from normal years?
What are people yearning for right now?
We don’t know when life will go back to normal, but we know there will be a time of adjustment. Phase three happens when people are re-entering the world again. But things will be different. There will still be masks, social-distancing and a lot of hand sanitizer. There won’t be baseball games, big BBQs or live concerts.
How can brands make the world feel more normal - bringing back a sense of routine, space and cleanliness? Here we asked questions that we don’t yet know the answers to.
How will people shop?
How will people stay safe?
What will social gatherings and restaurants look like?
You can easily see how the ideas can just keep coming, especially when you consider your unique brand and offerings. Even if none of these ideas come to fruition, a remote team workshop is great way to engage your team and work together.
