1.
DO THE
RIGHT
THINGTHE ROLE OF SOCIAL IN COVID -19

2.
MORE PEOPLE ARE ON LOCKDOWN NOW THAN WERE ALIVE DURING WW2.
As we navigate this new situation in real time, people are reaching out through social media for
guidance, ideas, distraction and comfort.
We have been monitoring the impact of COVID-19, and the role social media can play across the
world, across our Global network. From our offices in China and Italy, markets who are further
ahead in the pandemic, we are given a glimpse at how consumers’ needs are changing and what to
expect next.
Social has a significant role to play in helping brands to stay relevant and present in the life of their
consumers. Now is a time to act, but also to plan ahead.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

3.
What can you talk
about? How will you
make visuals? What
about influencers?
Tactical ways to
make community-
relevant content
without appearing
opportunistic.
From the individual
to the biggest brand
we all have a role to
play. Your social
channels are your
way to do your part.
Communities will go
on a journey through
five clear stages.
Find the role for
your brand in each.
3
HIT
reset
Navigate
the crisis
Getting
content right
What
next?
A quickstart-mode
checklist of what to do
when you don’t know
what to do.
The situation is
changing fast. Here
are resources to help
you stay on top of
the situation in your
industry sector.
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
Your
community
needs you

4.
YOUR COMMUNITY
NEEDS YOU
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The role of social in covid-19
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5.
“An obvious but often
overlooked fact is that a
disaster creates a new
‘community of sufferers’”
DISASTERS AND MENTAL HEALTH: THERAPEUTIC PRINCIPLES DRAWN
FROM DISASTER STUDIES, Charles E Fritz 1996
-------
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The role of social in covid-19
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6.
Your community needs you
All of a sudden our lifestyles have become digital. Some of us are spending every
waking moment with each other - some seeing no-one. These scenarios are
throwing up very specific needs.
Communities are developing around those needs. Some existing, some new and
some temporary. What’s clear is that although we are in isolation, now more than
ever, what matters is community.
This is a time for brands to do that thing all content strategies say we should do
- this is a time to be human.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
My Family
My Community
My Country
My World

7.
You need your community
We don’t know how long the crisis will last, but
we do know that brands that find a way
to stay engaged with people during this
period will come back stronger.
• Continuing to engage with your community
during a recession can help soften and
shorten the downturn.
• Focusing on your core customers and
communities can make a critical difference
both now and in the long term.
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The role of social in covid-19
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Time
Growth
Marketing can reduce the
depth of the downturn
Marketing can shorten the
duration of the downturn
“When spending drops, the companies focused on protecting and
growing their most loyal, profitable customer segments often
stabilise their businesses. They may even attract new customers,
as competitors falter.”
Bain “The Power of Consumer Loyalty in a Downturn”
Source: https://www.socialbakers.com/blog/recession-marketing

8.
What they’re telling us
Key community observations and take-outs from the pandemic so far.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
New (and temporary)
communities are
forming in social in
response to specific
real-life needs.
Research communities
to find the right
opportunity
Attitudes to
advertising are
polarised but globally
only 28% of
consumers are
opposed to brands
advertising at this
time*.
Adjust your paid
media strategy to
focus on emerging
community needs
Media spend is
dropping but demand
for content is up.
Engagement with
organic content is
increasing. People are
hungry for immediacy
and authenticity.
Revisit your always-on
content strategy
Communities are
embracing new and
emerging platforms
like TikTok, live
streams, AR, VR and
group chats, such as
Zoom, out of a need
to feel connected.
Experiment with
emerging
technologies and
platforms
Influencers are at the
frontline of
creating content that
is timely and sensitive
to community needs.
They are producing
content when brands
can’t.
Collaborate with
influencers to produce
content and help scale
your brand activities
*Source: GWI Coronavirus Research March 2020 Release 3 Multi-market research

9.
listen
act
monitor
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

10.
iF YOU HAVE BUILT AN ONLINE COMMUNITY
Social listening can help
you get a real time read on
what’s going on with your
category, your customer
and your brand.
It can flag emerging issues
and trends and identify
opportunities to amplify.
10
listen
• Tune in to what they are saying
• Identify a need
IF YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR OWN COMMUNITY
• Look to wider conversations to find
a community you can contribute to
• Look to influencers in communities
you can support
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

11.
11
act
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
Luxury is now FMCG Retail is now TRADE
Delivery is now
fundraising
Subscription is
now free
Sportsgrounds are
now hospitals
Segmenting your brand
by category doesn’t
necessarily make
sense. You may need
to think laterally about
the community you
can serve and how you
can help them.

12.
Monitor the conversation
around your brand to take
the temperature of your
community and let you
know how your actions are
being interpreted. You may
be able to build on your
response. You may need to
stop, clarify or change your
content approach.
12
monitor UK Brewdog have had two
comms hurdles. Firstly they
had to clarify their product
was free, not a marketing
stunt, and secondly
responding to questions that
it was not fit for purpose.
McDonald’s ‘socially-distanced’
arches failed to resonate and
instead invited prominent
criticism about sick-pay policy.
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

13.
We all have a role to play.
What’s yours?
13
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

14.
Hit
reset
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The role of social in covid-19
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15.
things to do right now
15
Tune in to what your community is talking about
Look to your brand truths
Set up a newsroom
Be humble
connect
Set up alerts for your brand, get your community managers to feed back on
conversations they’re seeing on your channels.
Can your values help you find a way to reposition your communications
in a relevant way to serve a community’s needs at this time?
Start the day with a ten-minute review of what’s happened and how it impacts your brand.
Is there something you can act on? Do you need to change or pull messaging?
Now is neither the time to push sales nor to explicitly highlight the
relevance of products and services to situations caused by the virus.
Think of ways to connect people together, based on their common interests.
Consider working with influencers as a trusted connection to a community.
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

16.
16
Bolster community management on social media
Adapt fast
Review your tone of voice
Be helpful
Make a content plan
Don’t be afraid to take a step back
Take the strain off with extra community management
time and related support content.
Be clear, calm and consistent in messaging, but you don’t necessarily have to be serious or sombre.
Be empathetic to your community’s need. If they usually look to you for distraction, keep things light.
If a product or service is helpful make it easy to access and easy to use. Be calm and consistent in how you communicate
with your community. Don’t gamify generosity with e.g: ‘We’ll donate $1 for every share of this post’ type ideas.
Organic content is back. Take your lead from community conversations, do scenario planning, review
your choice of platform, medium and publishing frequency.
There is a lot going on. If you don’t have something to add, do your part by doing nothing
Things are changing at a rapid pace, and will continue to change quickly. One night’s sensible message can sound like a
mistake the next. Keep listening to the news and your community, assess if you should act and monitor reactions.
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

17.
Navigate
the crisis
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The role of social in covid-19
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18.
new normal
TAKE ACTION NOW BUT PLAN FOR THE LONGTERM
There are five stages to a pandemic. Your audience will move
through each of these stages and as they do their needs will change.
Through listening, thoughtful content and careful monitoring you can
find the authentic role for your brand to play at each stage.
18
reevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
crisis Post-crisis
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
Source: Canvas8 - Pandemic Culture

19.
“...social life in the aftermath
of disaster fulfils many of the
essential human needs that
are missing in the everyday life
of modern societies”
DISASTERS AND MENTAL HEALTH: THERAPEUTIC PRINCIPLES DRAWN
FROM DISASTER STUDIES, Charles E Fritz 1996
-------
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The role of social in covid-19
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20.
new normal
COMMUNITIES HAVE CLEAR NEEDS AT EACH STAGE
The five stages of the pandemic allow you to scenario plan, listen to communities, understand their conversations and create content to
add value at each stage. What that content should be is influenced by the type of community you are relevant to and their specific need.
20
reevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
crisis Post-crisis
Societal
response
community
need
Brand
response
Investigating &
broadcasting
information
Authority
Direction
Responsibility
Intervention
Mobilizing
resource &
energy
Clarity
Security
Generosity
Solidarity
Policing
behaviour &
mitigating
fallout
Support
Entertainment
Innovation
Adaptation
Identifying
and applying
long-term
measures
Reflection
Recovery
Hope
Regeneration
Assimilation of
new and old
behaviours
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
Source: Canvas8 - Pandemic Culture

21.
21
Determine
your role
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
listen
act
monitor

22.
STAGE 1: DENIAL
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The role of social in covid-19
new normalreevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
To counter denial, communities need
authoritative direction. Messaging needs to
be clear, singular and consistent, eg
#stayhomesavelives.
There is a role for brands to intervene and
take a responsible lead.
USA
@dudewithsign
WE ARE SOCIAL

23.
STAGE 1: DENIAL
WHO’S DOING IT WELL
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The role of social in covid-19
GLOBAL
Instagram released a StayAtHome sticker in
multiple languages, allowing communities to
reinforce the message peer-to-peer.
US
Chiquita remove Miss Chiquita
from their logo - ‘she’s social
distancing at home’.
GLOBAL
Mobile phone operators including Vodafone and
Orange S.A. use their brand space on customers’
smartphones to insert a ‘StayHome’ message.
WE ARE SOCIAL

24.
STAGE 1: DENIAL
ROLE FOR CONTENT
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The role of social in covid-19
Adapt creative to reflect life at home (don’t show
social gatherings) and build in the key message.
Appeal to the appropriate
emotion of your community - eg:
team spirit and pride.
Use creativity to amplify civic campaigns in the right way on the
right channels for a community
Use calendar moments as opportunities to
anchor and reinforce the message.
WE ARE SOCIAL

25.
STAGE 2: ANXIETY
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The role of social in covid-19
new normalreevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
Communities will try to feel less helpless by
mobilising efforts. Generosity and solidarity
emerge as community traits as people look
for security and clarity in the chaos.
There is a role for brands to show solidarity
with communities by being generous with
their assets to maintain a degree of
normality.
UK
Nurse Dawn Bilbrough’s tearful Facebook appeal to
stop food hoarding goes viral highlighting the
extraordinary pressures facing essential workers.
WE ARE SOCIAL

26.
“Disaster provides a form of
societal shock, which disrupts
habitual, institutionalized
patterns of behavior and
renders people amenable to
social and personal change.”
DISASTERS AND MENTAL HEALTH: THERAPEUTIC PRINCIPLES DRAWN
FROM DISASTER STUDIES, Charles E Fritz 1996
-------
26
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27.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 2: ANXIETY
WHO’S DOING IT WELL
UK
Uber pledges free rides and food for NHS
workers. Deliveroo pledges free food and adds a
fundraising functionality to their app for
communities to donate meals.
italy
Burger King shuts down all restaurants and
gives away food to charities and NGOs.
china
Rather than lay off staff after enforced store
closures, cosmetics company Lin Qingxuan
retrained them as online influencers.

28.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 2: ANXIETY
ROLE FOR CONTENT
Support audiences who are new to technologies
with ‘how-to’ content.
Facilitate human connection Embrace new platforms if your
communities are forming there.
WE ARE SOCIAL

29.
STAGE 3: ADJUSTMENT
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The role of social in covid-19
new normalreevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
A period of rapid transition. In quarantine, people turn to existing
communities and form specialised new communities, looking for
inspiration and support.
Entertainment becomes vital, to offset bleak news and new
stresses.
This stage offers the most opportunities for brand participation.
Brands can play a role through content and by innovating and
adapting their products and services to support the specific
needs of communities.
UK
@hurrahforgin
WE ARE SOCIAL

30.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 3: ADJUSTMENT
WHO’S DOING IT WELL
FRANCE
Fashion brand, Sézane partner with
Marie Robert of @philosophieissexy
to give people free philosophy
lessons via Instagram Live.
UK
LinkedIn gives influencer activist
@mother_pukka a platform to offer advice to
employees and employers impacted by the
crisis, with an emphasis on working mothers.
CHINA
Online retailer, Tmall moved their annual
offline shopping festival to an online
experience. Luxury brands like Calvin Klein
used live video, AR mirrors and VR stores
to engage shoppers.

31.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 3: ADJUSTMENT
WHO’S DOING IT WELL #2
US
The Getty Museum in LA throws out a
UGC contest to communities asking them
to recreate famous works of art from its
collection with household objects.
spain
When the live La Liga football match between FC
Sevilla and Real Betis was cancelled it was played
on FIFA 20, by a player from each team. The
event was watched by 60,000 people on Twitch.
AUSTRALIA
Bud Light reinvents its #DiveBarTour with
musician @jakeowenofficial as an online
event, streaming gigs on Instagram Live.

32.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 3: ADJUSTMENT
ROLE FOR CONTENT
Do live streaming with lighthearted, inspiring or skill-building
content. Work with influencers from particular communities to
understand and support their specific needs.
Use VR and AR technology to facilitate
virtual experiences such as stores, galleries
or clubs. Make the intangible tangible.WE ARE SOCIAL

33.
STAGE 4: REEVALUATE
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The role of social in covid-19
new normalreevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
As restrictions ease, communities will start to experience a period of
reflection and recovery. Return to ‘normal’ will be gradual not rapid. Though
markets who are in earlier stages are talking about rushing out to celebrate
when quarantine is over, in reality this has not been the case. This will have
an impact on how quickly brands can return to business as usual.
In countries where quarantine has ended, people say they still feel anxious
about mixing in public places.
There is a role for brands to help spread a message of hope and to support
the regeneration of communities offline.
WE ARE SOCIAL

34.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 4: REEVALUATE
WHO’S DOING IT WELL
china
As cities ‘recover’ stores begin to open but
customers are anxious to go far from home, The
Baidu App helps users find stores nearby and
gives up-to-the minute opening information, so
they can minimise their time out of the house.
china
This collaboration between sportswear brand
FILA and video creator Kong Wei uses UGC
collected from 193 couples meeting to make an
uplifting film about meeting loved ones in person.
ITALY
Iconic tyre manufacturer brand, Pirelli, release
a message-of-hope film saying ‘when this is
over we will hit the road again together.’

35.
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The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 4: REEVALUATE
role for content
Be empathetic.
People will be anxious about returning to social
situations. Communicate how you will support
customers and staff.
Be helpful.
Offer utility to help people readjust and
encourage them to start using services again.
Be optimistic.
There is likely to be a second spike of fear as
people return to the outside world. Communities
will benefit from messages of hope.
WE ARE SOCIAL

36.
STAGE 5: NEW NORMAL
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The role of social in covid-19
new normalreevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
Communities and brands will start to
assimilate old and new behaviours
CANADA
WE ARE SOCIAL

37.
37
The role of social in covid-19
STAGE 5. NEW NORMAL
Thought starters
It’s easy to get caught up in reacting to the current situation of the
crisis you find yourselves in. However it’s important for brands to start
planning now for potential future outcomes based on historical
learnings from previous global crises. What we know for sure is the
consumer landscape will be very different in the future. Brands that
start planning now will emerge stronger.
What new and lasting
innovations can you expect in
your marketplace?
How will new community groups
formed during the crisis, and
greater integration of society
impact how you understand and
connect with your audience?
How can you prepare for the
new values and norms emerging
from this period as people
reassess what matters in life?
Which of the new behaviours
that have emerged will persist
post-crisis?
WE ARE SOCIAL

38.
Getting
content right
38
The role of social in covid-19
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39.
How do we avoid looking
opportunistic?
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The role of social in covid-19
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Do we go dark?
No. Brands that stay active and relevant will
be the ones that emerge strongest when the
crisis has passed.
Community needs show us there is a large
demand for support and content from brands
if it’s done the right way.
Do we mention Covid-19?
You should allude to the situation. Not making reference
to it all comes across as tone-deaf and has gone down
poorly with communities. But don’t explicitly call out the
pandemic as a great reason to try your brand.
Say: “If you’re looking for a new boxset to get into,
you might like Narcos.”
Not: “Since you’re on lockdown,
why not get into Narcos?”
Can we still run paid media?
Don’t be afraid of paid media but do be mindful
of how you use it.
Don’t use opportunistic targeting eg
geotargeting around hospitals with hand sanitiser.
Adjust messaging and CTAs on content to
non-physical actions. Eg sign up online, or register
for call-back.
Test new channels that might be more cost effective.

40.
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The role of social in covid-19
Where do I even
start with
content?
Demand for content is increasing in
these six key content territories.
Tactically plotting these against the
appropriate brand response can help
you identify where your brand has a
role and acts as a thought starter for
content and creative ideas.
Connection &
Community
Productivity
&
Continuity
Knowledge &
Learning
Exercise &
Wellbeing
Entertainment Inspiration &
Projects
Responsibility
Solidarity
Generosity
Innovation
Adaption
Hope
Regeneration
Key content territories
denialanxietyadjustmentreevaluate
WE ARE SOCIAL
ITALY
Burger King
USA
Chipotle
Closing stores /
donate to NGO
CHINA
Tmall
Free product
and celebrity
engagement
Make offline
events online

41.
WHY ARE
INFLUENCERS
IMPORTANT?
41
The role of social in covid-19
Influencers are at the forefront
of engaging with communities at
every stage of the crisis. They
can provide brands with an
insight into the changing needs
of their audience, authenticity
and a way to create content to
meet increased demand.
reevaluateadjustmentanxietydenial
UAE
Influencers work
together and make
#Abiding_nation
the No.1 trending
hashtag
US
Gaming collective
FaZeClan launch
weekly global
gaming
tournament - raise
$46,000 for
those affected by
COVID-19.
CANADA
Club Quarantine
brings offline club
culture online
offering a global
safe space for the
LGBTQ+
community.
UK
@thebodycoach
streams live daily
exercise classes
on YouTube.
Reaches 13m
viewers and raises
£80k for the NHS.
UK
To support parents
struggling with
homeschooling,
creators offer daily
classes via Instagram
Live.
@frank_cottrell_boyce
teaches creative
writing and
@emma_scottchild
teaches art.
WE ARE SOCIAL

42.
HOW SHOULD I WORK WITH INFLUENCERS?
We spoke to influencers around the world to understand how the crisis has impacted them.
This is what we’ve learnt about how brands should be working with them at this time.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
People are looking
to live content for
intimacy with real
people and
personalities.
Use influencers to
experiment with
new formats and
drive scale.
Since the crisis
started to unfold,
most influencers
have been engaging
regularly with their
audiences via Q&As
and direct messages.
Use them to gain
real-time insight into
what audiences
want.
Most influencers have
already adapted their
content to the
current situation.
Pay attention to
what they’re already
doing and offer to
sponsor it or support.
Given new content
needs, many have
diversified beyond
their usual
content pillars.
Look beyond your
usual roster of
influencers for
relevant partnership
opportunities.
Given how quickly the
situation is changing,
many influencers are
having to adapt
agreed branded
content.
Be collaborative in
briefings to ensure
tone + outcome in
such a sensitive
landscape.
Creators have more
time, than usual, and
many are finding that
their creativity is
thriving as a result.
Use the time and
creativity creators
have to think bigger
than single-post
product placements.

43.
HOW ELSE CAN WE PRODUCE CREATIVE?
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The role of social in covid 19
WE ARE SOCIAL
UGC
DESIGN, SOUND,
AR, VR
CREATORS WITH
HOME STUDIOS
visit the archive
Engage the community in the project with you
and develop the creative with their content.
Animation, podcasts, audio clips, typography and
motion graphics are accessible options. Building AR
and VR makes experiences immersive.
Products can be sent to photographers
with home studios.
Find new ways to repackage assets you
already have in short video or content series.

44.
WHAT ABOUT COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT?
Empower your Community Managers
and give them broader social listening
tools. They are the front line between
your brand and your community.
They will help protect the brand by
responding quickly to enquiries. They
can also tell you what the community
needs are in real time.
Social channels can support
businesses who have shut their doors
or who find their other customer
service channels overwhelmed.
If you have amended your tone of
voice it is essential that the whole CM
team are trained in the new changes.
If you are seeing a lot of the same
enquiries coming up, consider making
an FAQ content series. You can direct
customers to this content, easing the
strain on customer service staff.
The situation in every country is
changing quickly so ongoing
monitoring is essential.
Make sure you have an escalation
plan in place and that your
community managers are familiar
with what to do in case of
developments on your channels
or in the news.
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The role of social in covid-19
listen act monitor
It’s more important than ever to keep customers and communities engaged during the period that direct contact is being restricted.
UPWEIGHT COMMUNITY
MANAGEMENT TIME
KNOW YOUR TOv &
YOUR FAQS
HAVE AN ESCALATION
PLAN IN PLACE
WE ARE SOCIAL

45.
The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
recap
Communities are telling us they need brands right now
Define your role at each stage of the pandemic
Upweight community management to support consumers and customer service
Use always on content to stay relevant and top of mind
Be innovative with creative
Work with influencers for authenticity in communities
Set up brand trackers and listen to conversations in communities
listen
act
monitor

46.
What
next?
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

47.
As the crisis unfolds we are helping brands keep pace with our new weekly “in
Lockdown” content series examining how Covid-19 is impacting different industry
sectors.
So far we have published: In Lockdown: A World Without Sports, an IG Live series
Creators in Crisis looking at what brands can learn from the changes Influencers are
already seeing from their communities and “In Lockdown: The Show Must Go On”
which is looking at the impact of the crisis on entertainment.
Future topics currently in research include impact of COVID-19 on dating, the self
employed & the gig economy, FMCG & food, alcohol and technology &
communications.
Subscribe to our blog to be kept up to date on the new research findings.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL

48.
For help with your
brand response in social
during this crisis please
contact your local
We Are Social office.
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The role of social in covid-19
WE ARE SOCIAL
We Are Social
TORONTO
letschat@wearesocial.com
NEW YORK
Letstalk@wearesocial.com
MADRID
Hablemos@wearesocial.net
LONDON
Talktous@wearesocial.net
PARIS
conversation@wearesocial.fr
MILAN
parlaconnoi@wearesocial.it
MUNICH/BERLIN
sprichmituns@wearesocial.de
DUBAI
hello@socialize.ae
SINGAPORE
sayhello@wearesocial.sg
HONG KONG
talktous@wearesocial.hk
SHANGHAI
talktous@wearesocial.cn
BEIJING
talktous@wearesocial.cn
TOKYO
hello@wearesocial.jp
SYDNEY
lets.chat@wearesocial.com.au

49.
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The role of social in covid-19
Thank you