Do you wonder if there are brands that have handled the COVID-19 crisis successfully? We’ll guide you through, providing real-life examples and tips for your law firm.

Brands across different industries have seen a drastic change in their regular activities. From tourism and hospitality to brick and mortar retail and eCommerce, from energy and telecommunications to sports and personal services, companies have to deal with the ongoing crisis and find ways to respond and stay proactive. In this article, we will go through some of the best practices, identify the most important DOs and DONTs and suggest ways you can keep your law firm ahead of the competition, survive the COVID-19 crisis and be ready to bounce back. Brands need to respond, but they need to do it with unique content that stands out.

Create outstanding content and share it on emerging social platforms. 

First, we’ll take the example of the latest response coming from Booking.com, a website for hotels and accommodations. What did they do? They created a video featuring landmarks across the globe, combined with emotional music and a positive message. The Instagram post is still fresh (April 20), but it has been well received by customers and other users of the platform. Remarkably, the company is actively responding to all comments, proving the significance of not just posting and going, but getting involved. We can’t stress enough how important it is to reply to your customers (existing or prospective) and Booking is a remarkable job at it. Use it as a benchmark for best practices for your law firm.

Tip: Social media are great for brand awareness, especially lately, with the increase in usage due to social distancing and lockdown caused by the pandemic. Instagram and Facebook are the first to come in mind, butTik Tok is emerging and can be a disruptive idea for law firms. Finally, think about youtube, with their brand new Video Builder you can create your short videos.

Contribute to your local community in any possible way. 

According to a report by Edelman, consumers will favor brands that helped with challenges that rose during the COVID-19 crisis. Take for example Land Rover, a UK based producer of four-wheeled drive cars. They worked with the local red cross and provided cars to help the organization’s work during the ongoing pandemic. Another brand following such an approach is Nike, the sports and lifestyle giants are manufacturing and donating full coverage masks. 

Tip: Law firms aren’t producers, so you can’t have tangible assets that you could distribute to your community. Start with your employees, take care of them and communicate it; supporting them in these uncertain times will be highly appreciated by them, their relatives, and generally by your local community. Another move that many companies have followed is donations and charitable events; it would be beneficial to the community and your law firm’s brand image to create a donating initiative. 

Make sure you understand multiculturalism. 

An international brand that followed a multicultural strategy amid COVID-19 is Burger King. What did they do? First, they communicated a specific message, respecting their core values and brand identity: How do you make a quarantine whopper? As simple as it gets, and it was well-received by the community, people got involved taking pictures of their versions. Taking it a step further, they monitored their different markets, and they localized their message. You can take a look at their message in French. How important is it for locals to find a relevant message valuing their culture?

Tip:  We’ve stated multiple times in previous articles that Hispanics are significant for any law firm. This doesn’t change during the pandemic. Your existing or potential Latino clients will feel valued if they notice that you communicate in Spanish, so make sure to include messages specific to Hispanics in your Social Media posts, Ads, and website.

Avoid controversial messages.

It’s crucial to respect limits and don’t cross any red lines. Remember Gil Gaddot’s video, singing John Lennon’s Imagine with other celebrities. They created the video with good intentions, but the public heavily criticized it. People are staying at home and are often frustrated by celebrities, local or international, and messages communicated by them are not as well-received as they used to be. It’s also valuable to evaluate the media you are using for your different initiatives. Twitter, for example, is a controversial social network that can sometimes backfire, as people tend to be more sensitive.

Tip: Only try to sell in the appropriate channels. You still need to advertise and promote your services but make a selection. Use Google Ads for your selling initiatives and other platforms and works to raise brand awareness.

What are the key takeaways?