Marketing During a Pandemic May Be Tricky, But Don’t Stop
One of the most frequent conversations we have had with clients since March is about whether it is appropriate to be marketing their healthy products right now or whether they should pull back.
Our advice, based on conversations and research with health professionals, is that Americans are continuing to seek guidance from trusted professionals on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle —and healthy brands can and should play a role in that.
This advice was corroborated by a recent study conducted by Health Craze showing that 80% of consumers said that brands should not stop advertising during the coronavirus pandemic, and 61% of consumers count on food advertising to keep them informed.
In fact, not unexpectedly, health professionals are fielding more inquiries about eating a balanced, healthy diet than ever. So, while it is definitely appropriate for healthy CPG brands to keep striving to get their message heard, there is a right way and a wrong way to go about it.
Here is our advice on how to ensure you are adding value to conversations between health professionals and their patients and clients:
Build around education: Ensure that you are providing health professionals and consumers with the information they need to feel comfortable recommending and purchasing your product. Remember, health-conscious consumers want more information, not less.
Focus on the big picture: Consumers aren’t looking for guidance from healthy brands about COVID-19, they are looking for help in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You can provide them not only with great foods to choose from, but also the information and education they need to be healthier and support their overall health, their immune health, their digestive health, and so on.
Double down on trusted sources: Conflicting and erroneous health information was an issue for consumers before the pandemic and it is even more of a challenge now. Remember that conversations with health professionals are the most trusted source of nutrition guidance for consumers. Avoid delivering your message through channels consumers trust less (including social media influencers and websites), and focus on the unique value of the health professional.
Our research shows that health professionals are continuing to advise and counsel patients, both in-person and digitally, throughout the pandemic. And a recent infographic published by the Texas Medical Association shows that visiting the doctor is currently a relatively safe activity. As a marketer of a healthy brand, you may be re-evaluating your marketing efforts, but there is a significant consumer and professional need for your products and the value you can offer —just be sure to focus your efforts where they will count the most.