Sir, The Grocer’s recent article on how brands should communicate during the coronavirus crisis highlights the importance of retailers approaching customer communications tactfully - acknowledging the age-old advice: “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything.”

As we continue to live and work through this pandemic, ‘normal’ has a new definition - which will evolve again. Brands must be sensitive to these changes and incorporate the lessons they learn through the crisis if they want to come out positively.

It’s important to think carefully about informative content that customers need, whether that’s how to get milk on subscription, advice on how to shop safely in-store, or how brands are protecting staff.

Brands and retailers must always strive to be personable, empathetic and to react to changes in real time. Otherwise, they risk missing the mark or, worse still, going terribly wrong because of poor timing or improper context.

Being human and timely with communication at a large scale is only possible when using an agile technology platform, which gives marketers the ability to quickly adjust or pause campaigns. However, technology is not the whole answer: brands must enable their marketing teams to make communication truly resonate with customers. By working together, people and technology can create accurate and targeted communications that are personable, valuable and tactful.

James Manderson, GM, customer engagement platform Braze EMEA

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