5 Things Advertisers Should Consider Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic. There’s never been a more crucial time to message your brand carefully.

The current COVID-19 pandemic has created enormous challenges for the business community, including those in the advertising industry. Amidst the huge human toll and ongoing suffering, businesses are having to change the way they operate, as well as the way they market their products and services.

Given the gravity of the current situation and the worldwide panic surrounding it, it’s easy for advertisers to make critical mistakes — blunders that could stay with them long after the coronavirus crisis has passed. Here are five things all advertisers should consider when navigating the tricky waters of the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. The public is deeply worried. 

Marketing in the midst of a global pandemic is always a delicate proposition. First and foremost, you need to know where people are coming from and what they are focused on, because their needs have understandably changed. For the time being, people are rightly concerned about their health and the health of their families, and everything else is taking a back seat.

You can respond by ratcheting back sales pitches and providing reassuring messages instead. Let people know what safety and sanitation precautions your business is taking to alleviate their concerns. There will be plenty of time to sell products when the COVID-19 crisis has passed, but for now, a more understanding tone is the right approach.

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2. People are concerned about finances.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a far-reaching ripple effect throughout the economy that has sent the stock market reeling. This means that even as people worry about their personal health and that of their loved ones, they’re also stressed about their finances — from credit card bills to owed taxes.

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