The survey shows that 62% of respondents said their country will not make it through this crisis without brands playing a critical role in addressing the challenges. Fifty-five percent said that brands and companies are responding more quickly and effectively than government.
At the same time, 71% agree that if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever.
Data show there is a clear desire that brands both partner with government (90%) and be a safety net stepping in to fill gaps in the government’s response to the virus (86%).
People want brands to use their power to educate (85%). That means offering instructional information about how to protect themselves. An example of this is Microsoft’s Healthcare bot offered on the CDC website, which enables people to ask questions about their symptoms. People want to know that the brand is helping (89%) and how they can best access its product and services (88%).
Brands must focus their messaging on solutions, not selling. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they want brand advertising to focus on how brands help people cope with pandemic-related life challenges. Seventy-seven percent said they want brands only to speak about products in ways that show they are aware of the crisis and the impact on people’s lives. There is deep desire for expertise, with 78 percent rating medical doctors as credible spokespeople for the brand’s virus-related actions, with celebrities (26 percent) and influencers deeply discounted (28 percent). More than half of the respondents (57 percent) want brands to stop any advertising or marketing that is humorous or light-hearted. Fifty-four percent said they are not paying attention to new products at present unless they are designed to help with their pandemic-related life challenges. In short, respondents believe that brands can and should make a difference throughout the coronavirus crisis. HP’s donation of 3-D printers to hospitals to produce masks is an important example.
Edelman conducted a 12-market study on the critical role brands are expected to play during the coronavirus pandemic, which was completed on March 26. The survey polled 12,000 people in Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, the UK and U.S.