Pause to assess, but don’t go dark. You can’t afford to lose mindshare with your customers.

Like the rest of the world, advertising has been turned upside down. You’ve heard this adage a hundred times, but here it is again, “When times are good, you should advertise. When times are bad, you must advertise.” How and what that looks like in the time of COVID is just beginning to emerge – but here’s what we know right now.

• Assess all of your copy and imagery against the backdrop of this pandemic.Make sure what you’re running is appropriate and couldn’t be deemed tone deaf or pointless. For example, KFC pulled its “finger-licking good” ads – good move. Use content that communicates compassion, understanding, and confidence.

• Reconsider tactics. Out of home, for example, might not be the best bang for your buck right now. You might not want to give up prime space, so if you keep running OOH, consider changing up the creative. Same goes for drive-time radio or early morning TV. People’s routines have changed, so meet them where they are – likely on an OTT platform.

• Get clear on the things that matter most to your audiences at this moment in time. Craft messaging to meet those needs. Financial aid. ACT/SAT requirements. Lab kits that get mailed directly to your kitchen so you don’t miss an academic beat while virtual. Get that content out there.
• Ensure that the landing page your ads are driving to conveys timely information. Add quick links to make it easy for users to find resources like virtual tours and live events.
• Planning for post COVID. What content might be the most relevant and impactful once we’re able to get into a new normal?

You get the idea. Pause, but don’t stop.