The Covid-19 pandemic has already caused major disruption throughout the tech industry, from cancelled conferences to supply woes, resulting in companies like Apple announcing that they are expected to miss their forecasts.
All businesses across all sectors will be affected, at least to some degree. From batteries, to ink cartridges, consumers can expect coronavirus shortages. Overall, production of smartphones, smartwatches, laptop PCs and smart speakers*, are projected to see the biggest decline over the next quarter due to a lack of labour and a shortage of components such as camera modules**.
Interestingly while video game console manufacturing has also been affected, next-generation production shouldnât be as heavily impacted as the PS5 and Xbox Series X will be launching in the summer. Similarly, the DRAM and NAND flash markets are unlikely to be affected due to material stockpiling and a high level of automation at semiconductor fabs.
So how should tech companies look to weather this storm?
While it is clear the current climate will undoubtedly change the way tech companies work and the needs of their customers in the future, what should be apparent is PR and comms is too important to cut amid the huge communication challenges presented by Covid-19. After all businesses still have to carry on with business once this is all behind us.
But what is the best way forward in the current circumstances? And how should companies deal with the reputational management issues which have arisen as a result?
While the situation changes daily, what is clear is that shifting priorities is important. Here at Little Red đ we suggest a three-pronged approach to comms for tech brands going forward. Firstly, by focusing on initiatives that generate goodwill in these uncertain times and continue to help people live their daily lives. Next up it is important to continue with traditional PR but with a strategic focus and finally, looking to the media outlets and platforms which are seeing soaring readership figures as self-isolation and lockdown measures become a stark reality for the foreseeable future.
Altruistic messaging
Tech companies can take some key learnings from Public Health Englandâs* research into the campaigns which have resonated and generated the best reactions amongst the public since the outbreak began back in February. Its research has found that the public are far more likely to respond to altruistic messaging. For example, when the Government advised the public they did not need to stockpile, 46 per cent of those polled said they were either unlikely or very unlikely to do so. However, altered messaging stating that âBrits donât panic, we prepareâ and âdonât be among a panicking fewâ saw that response rise to 54 and 57 per cent respectively. An increase of 11 percentage points on the original message.
So what can we learn from this? In a nutshell it is vital that all comms coming from tech brands are smart, helpful, upbeat and most important of all community minded. Focusing on these four elements at the core of all communications will garner the best reactions with consumers.
As supply chains are particularly affected within tech, supporting the online retail outlets and delivery services that are still functioning well and have stock available is paramount.
Elsewhere sharing information on CSR initiatives benefiting key workers and working families will generate a huge amount of goodwill and perhaps create a halo effect so other brands follow the way. Of course explaining and highlighting the tech products that can make every day life a little easier and more pleasant for the people who are stuck at home will also pay dividends. Less a selling message and more of a focus on how to help.
Strategic comms
In light of the global health crisis affecting us all and the spotlight on âfake newsâ which often disseminates online, consumers are seeking out reputable news sources. As such, traditional print newspapers are just as important now as they always have been in terms of reaching a large cross section of consumers who are looking for lifestyle content, shopping, product news and reviews alongside their daily dose of news.
While circulation figures are consistently high for national print, some may be concerned about how this period of self-isolation will impact readership figures. In fact, broadsheet newspapers are in a particularly strong position to weather the storm, as they boast huge levels of paid subscriptions*.
Leading the way is the Sunday Telegraph which has a whooping 80% paid subscription rate, meaning that 198,622 households across Britain, eagerly wait for their Sunday paper to land on the door mat each and every week. This is set to become even more of a weekly ritual with entire families stuck indoors, looking for ways to entertain themselves and while away a few hours at the weekend. What better way than to enjoy the papers and supplements over a relaxing cup of coffee?
The Daily Telegraph follows closely behind with a 64% paid subscription rate (201,473 households receive the title daily) and The Times has a respectable 36% paid subscription level (130,153).
On the tech side of things, Stuff magazine boasts the highest paid subscription rates of any other print tech magazine with 71% of its readership coming from loyal paid subscribers every single month.
So, while streamlining the comms focus is important during turbulent times, it is also wise to take a holistic approach to print vs digital. Undoubtedly digital platforms are key, however, also identifying the print titles which are set to stand the test of time, and aligning their reader demographics with your core audience to hone in on the titles which are the best for your business, is vital in ensuring the most âeyes on your productâ during this difficult time.
Online communications
With tech and electrical retailers being forced to close their doors and the majority of the workforce being urged to stay at home, the public is turning to social media and online media outlets for their news, entertainment, shopping and as their main source of product information and inspiration.
The importance of online reviews and social media influencers is widely known, and these outlets will now have an even more profound impact on consumer purchasing habits. As such they are set to be vital for brands and businesses to protect their standing during this crisis*.
A close contact of the agency at a major tech website has recently told us that the site is currently the most popular website in the publisherâs portfolio with the number of visitors to the site increasing by 150%-200% every day last week.
Similarly, TechRadar, ExpertReviews, TechAdvisor and TrustedReviews are likely to see their user figures soar. Each month these four titles alone boast over 60 million unique visitors, and that was before the outbreak.
With the news that the likes of Stylist and City AM have now switched to digital only editions, this trend towards online media consumption, is set to continue.
Paul Lamkin, founder, The Ambient says; âWhat we are seeing, across Wareable and The Ambient, is that casual reads have gone up massively. My theory is that people are constantly on their phones at the moment, and once theyâre done reading the ârealâ news, theyâll click on something presented to them that isnât connected to the virus at all.
We are seeing good click through rates on how-tos; I think people are at home, bored, and theyâre tinkering with their Alexa / Google Home / AV setups and seeing what more they can do. And new product launches are really doing well.
I think itâs actually a huge opportunity for smaller brands to get coverage they usually wouldnât. Announcing new products now is bound to get more news coverage than usual as thereâs a lot of people at home wanting a break from the doom and gloom. And thereâs lots of staff writers out there – especially junior news writers – looking around for something new and real to write about to keep them busy while they arenât able to get out and about to attend product launches.â
In order to ensure that brands are making the most of these outlets it is vital to get product into the hands of the reviewers at these titles, who are now facing weeks of self-isolation and as such have time at their disposal to review and feature a plethora of tech gear they may previously not have had capacity to consider.
Also, if you have had to cancel a launch event, why not think of a creative way to launch it virtually?
Dan Grabham, associate editor, Pocket-lint.com, comments; âIn terms of product launches, a lot of people keep asking me ‘are things slowing down’ and yes, there are no physical product launches for us to go to but there’s a lot of stuff happening virtually. For example, we’ve had virtual briefings for many of the phone launches that were supposed to happen at Mobile World Congress.â
To ensure your online PR strategy is working smartly, it is important that your website is running flawlessly. As online sites have the power to link direct to sales and information pages, it is vital that brands ensure the user experience is seamless to keep bounce rates low. Also, important, is to ensure that your back-end tracking tools and Google Analytics are working well and are being shared with your comms teams. This will enable you to constantly evaluate and adjust your media targets according to the web hits, which have been most successful in terms of driving sales. Â These should be reviewed on a weekly basis.
Social will also be key during this period. Instagram has already reported a 76% increase in likes across the platform in the last two weeks along with a 22% increase in campaign impressions. Likewise, TikTok has announced a 27% increase in average engagement levels.Â
Dan Grabham, has noticed this upward trend; “The last few weeks have definitely seen an uplift in traffic to the site as people adapt to working from home and chatting with other people remotely – lots of people are coming to the site wondering how to use tools like Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Teams for the first time so we’ve moved to cover all bases there. But there’s also a lot of interest in social stuff, too, like TikTok and Houseparty as people try and connect with others during this difficult time.â
Instagram has just announced its new co-watching service, to help encourage social distancing. The new functionality will let you browse posts with your friends over in-app video chat. It lets you look at saved, liked, and recommended posts together as a group. We can expect many more updates like this across all key social platforms as each works tirelessly to make the most of the captive audience currently at its fingertips.
So how can brands make the most of these channels? Well firstly, if there are key social platforms you are not yet on but your customers are, then investing in having a presence now, is key.
Secondly, now is the time to review your social content calendar. How much video content do you have available and how is it being utilised? As streaming and video services such as Netflix, iTunes movies and the previously mentioned TikTok see soaring viewer figures*, it is clear that consumers are spending more time watching online video content via their mobiles, laptops and TVs.
So do you have as yet unreleased video content which can be utilised over the coming months? Alternatively do you have video content which can be edited down or repackaged for use across your social channels?
What about setting up or co-sponsoring a pre-existing podcast? If you have experts within your organisation that can provide informative and entertaining content for your core audience, now is the time to utilise them.
But what if you donât have any video content available, your experts are not confident public speakers and even your lifestyle images are somewhat lacking? This is where social influencers can help. The power this group of individuals wield across all sectors cannot be denied and best of all, there are a wealth of both macro and micro influencers working across all social channels available for brands to tap into right now.
Social influencers are widely seen as experts in their own right and have very active and engaged followings. As such, they can act as stylists, advocates and spokespeople on your behalf. This means they can provide you with content which is already purpose built for use across your own social channels, from lifestyle images, recorded comment and videos, offering themselves up as a spokesperson to talk about product benefits and USPs, the list is endless. The key here is to identify the right influencers for your brands. Here at the coop we are all about creating long lasting, authentic relationships which benefit all parties, brand, influencer and consumer alike.
So, while it may at first appear uncertain, what is clear is that there is a way forward and consumers are very much active and ready to engage with brands, albeit in a slightly different way.
*Trend Watch
*Industry Week
*PHE and PR Week report
*ABC certification website
*ERT.com
*Information supplied for w/c 16th March 2020 vs w/c 9th March 2020.
*Graziadaily.co.uk Has Coronavirus made you a viral viewer?
