What Response Were Brands Expected to Have During Covid19?

How much of an effort were small businesses expected to make when it came to the Covid19 pandemic? Project 7 seemed to take a minimalist approach, but was it enough?

Project 7 is a healthy candy brand that is low in sugar and carbs and is plant based. They are a relatively small business with no actual brick and mortar stores. Their products are sold in many stores like Target and Sprouts as well as online. They have a decent following on social platforms, with 39.7K followers on Instagram and 15.3K on Twitter. On both of these platforms, they mainly post about the products and often do giveaways.

Their Response to Covid19

Project 7 did not drastically change their marketing strategy in response to Covid19. There is no section on their website that describes what they are doing in terms of Covid19. However, they posted a few times on Instagram and Twitter about the pandemic. They also have a Facebook page, but they haven’t posted on it since before the pandemic. Their first mention of it was on March 20th with a post that just mentions quarantine. It wasn’t until March 31st on Instagram and April 1st on Twitter that they posted an official statement about the pandemic.

They also posted a few other things related to the pandemic. One of them was a joke about toilet paper and another was a thank you to doctors and nurses.

Was it Enough?

Personally, I don’t have a problem with Project 7’s reaction to Covid19. I think the reason they did not say more or do more was because this company does not actually have any brick-and-mortar stores. This means that Covid19 did not actually impact how their business runs. I think if they actually had a store and had to inform customers about changes, it would have more important to say more and to say it sooner. I think that waiting until the end of March to say anything may not have been super smart though. I remember that lockdown really began around March 15th. I will give them the benefit of the doubt because they probably just needed some time to think about the best way to respond, as many other businesses did.

Long term effects of the pandemic on how brands communicate

As time went on, Project 7 went back to posting the way that they did before the pandemic. The last time that it was mentioned was on April 1st on Instagram. I think that the pandemic may continue to affect how certain brands communicate more than others. I think that it did not really have a big effect on an online small business, like Project 7. However, for businesses with brick-and-mortar stores, brands likely had to move their communications with customers online. Brands will also have to continue to be careful with the language that they use to ensure that they don’t say anything insensitive.

What do you think about Project 7’s Covid19 Response?

Talk to you soon!

Caroline