In Conversation with Nikky Gupta, Teamwork Communications Group
Nikky Gupta is a Healthcare Branding Expert and Co-founder & Director of Teamwork Communications Group, a public relations and communications agency; and Health and Wellness Group, a healthcare advocacy organization.
Agency Reporter – How to Adapt Your PR and Marketing Strategy to Communicate Effectively During and Post the Pandemic?
The global health and financial crisis unleashed by the coronavirus outbreak has forced businesses to change their entire business strategies, processes, and models. No wonder, PR and Marketing strategies too need to be adapted to suit the needs of the time. The communication approach and messaging have to change both in tone as well as the content. Every communication going out from an organization to be in internal or external must be delivered with a sensitive approach. It must also be focused on the prevailing situation. We need to sit and devise a new strategy on how to repackage your products, services as well as leadership to make them resonate with the audience during this time. And this is not just limited to healthcare organizations. Your new communication strategies must talk about how your organization is planning to overcome the crisis and what contribution it is making to the communities at large in time of this pandemic. This is also time to present your organizational head as a thought leader and policy advocate.
AR – How can Businesses promote their brand while still showing respect for the current situation?
As discussed above, the entire communication process – from content to tone – has to change and be more sombre. It has to be compassionate and humane and mindful of the extreme human suffering taking place all around. Wherever you are talking about your organization, be it through press releases or through social media, it is important that you recognize and identify the problems people are facing around them. The language must not be pompous, the messaging must not appear to be disregarding the human suffering.
Businesses also have to tailor their promotional strategies to make them relevant to the times. From an organizational perspective, we have to highlight the steps taken by the business to prepare for the new normal – contingency plans, the new workplace strategies, measures taken to ensure safety of workforce, measures taken to avoid job losses etc. At the same time, as a thought leader, the organizational leader must actively advocate policy initiatives to help address the human suffering. You must cultivate an image of a business leader with a humane approach.
AR –As a brand how can maximize the opportunity to aid people to build community spirit in these testing times and maximize brand impact on the other side of the pandemic?
A major electronics and home appliances brand recently launched a COVID 19 insurance scheme for buyers. So whoever buys a home appliance from this company will get a COVID 19 health insurance with it. This is an interesting example of how you can use this as an opportunity to both help people and push your sales. However, this is purely a sales strategy. When it comes to communication, it is important at this time to launch initiatives and campaigns that can mobilize the community toward a positive behavioral change or towards helping people in distress. For example, organizations can use this crisis to exhort people to reduce usage of motorized transport and turn to cycling and walking to benefit the environment or urge them to help migrant laborers in this hour of distress. An important element here is to increase content creation and widely distribute it on social media.
AR –What is the Role of Effective Healthcare Communication during a Pandemic?
It is a very critical role. Effective healthcare communication is key to ensure that right messages are delivered to all stakeholders including doctors, healthcare providers and public at large. Effective communication ensures that people are aware about what to do and where to go when they need medical help and how to safeguard themselves from the virus. For example, while most people are aware about washing hands and maintaining social distancing to prevent the disease. However, there is a lot of confusion among people about how to handle potential fomites – objects that may be virus carriers. How to sanitize all grocery, how to wash vegetables and fruits before storing them etc are subjects that must b addressed through effective healthcare communication. Fake news is another challenge that needs to be addressed by effective communication.
AR –How can Healthcare communication utilize the internet to spread awareness by simultaneously struggling to keep the Fake news at Bay?
Social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Facebook must be aggressively used to distribute informative content. Healthcare organizations must tie up with educational institutions as well as government bodies to effectively identify circulating fake news and quickly flood the Internet with correct information.
AR – To what end according to you can a social media protocol in the PR crisis communication plan help businesses in the age and era of Covid?
Crisis communication needs alacrity and high level of alertness. We have to respond fast in communicating in times of crisis. The faster the response, the better the assurance it creates among people. A good and well defined social media guidelines or protocol can enable a faster and coherent response in times of crisis. It can also prevent contradicting messaging.