It's been four years and for many marketers, the fallout following the pandemic is still very much being felt.

Before the global disruption of COVID-19, the new year of 2020 initially elicited anticipation for all brands — a blank canvas full of promise for any number of big opportunities to take shape. Instead, many were left closing several quarters throughout the year with an uprooted marketing calendar and lots of questions about what to do next.

Fast forward to 2024 and the answers will still be different for every business. Depending on your industry, goals, and audience, you’ll need to assess how to effectively customize communication for your brand this year.

But the good news is that there are easy ways to re-tool your marketing and communication efforts to be more effective than ever this year.

All of them involve looking at how brands reacted during the pandemic as case studies.

"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Right now, with so much still going wrong in the world, society is still in a state of shock, and even fright, by what might happen tomorrow. Whether it comes to our health, employment, loved ones, or the world — fear of the uncertainty lingers.

All of us need is a little help and a little hope. Your brand can deliver that.

To inspire your brand, here are Playbook Marketing's round up of ways to create meaningful marketing by looking at case study examples from the pandemic. 

Give Back

In the last few years, many brands stepped up with monetary donations and resources to help aid in the pandemic. GM, Ford, and 3M teamed up to manufacture crucial medical equipment. Fashion brands, from Prada to H&M and Zara, made face masks and hospital gowns in response to global shortages. Nike’s high ranking employees pledged to donate $10 million to coronavirus relief efforts. And the list goes on.

Take a long look at the problem: many consumers fell sick, families were isolated together and working alongside each other at home, children were pulled out of school and taking digital lessons, and people who were elderly or had health conditions needed assistance for basic needs like getting groceries.

Does your brand offer something useful to donate or discount in the face of 2024's crises?

If not, don’t despair. There’s still an opportunity for your brand to create meaningful marketing. The beauty of being generous is that it doesn’t have to cost anything, any brand can do it. You can give your time, kindness, and knowledge to help others. Create content with tips that are relevant to your brand and industry. How can you help your consumers make the best of or navigate this year's challenges?

Hit your social media channels and let your customers know you care about their well-being. Send your employees a note just to tell them you appreciate and support them or offer to connect with them over the phone if they need to talk to someone.

Educate

Every day brings something new to learn about the world post pandemic, the havoc it’s wrought around the world, and how we can protect ourselves and others following the experience. 

Across the nation, media and press outlets that normally charged subscription fees made vital coverage about coronavirus free to any readers. Coca-Cola updated its billboard in Times Square to encourage social distancing. Mucinex launched a new “Spread Facts, Not Fear” campaign to build awareness about avoiding physical contact and stopping misinformation about Covid-19.

When it comes to meaningful marketing, if you want to share information in your own communications efforts — whether via content, social media, advertisements, or other methods—point to the experts. 

Following the pandemic's example, when in a health crisis you would share input and links to official organizations like the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. To go a step further, you could retweet and share educational tips about safety and wellness from these or other reputable health experts.

Your brand may want to consider partnering with another or several other brands to make a more significant impact. You’ll likely accomplish more together than you will apart.

Inspire

“Here we are now, entertain us.” Nirvana said it best in its 1992 grunge masterpiece, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” During the pandemic, brands from all over the world worked overtime to deliver any moments of relief to consumers who were confined to their homes.

International institutions like the Louvre Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art are offered online virtual tours of their iconic halls. Amazon made children’s books free to listen to on Audible and kids’ TV shows free on Amazon Prime. Online gaming companies brought families and friends together to help reduce stress with their products.

Is your brand relevant to any consumers impacted by a crisis? If you’re marketing a hygiene product, a packaged food, or a digital or online accessible product, you may be poised to develop a meaningful campaign around how your brand can help people today. If not, there’s still plenty of opportunities to help out your brand’s audience seeking inspiration. 

Promote well-being by sharing motivational content related to positive thinking, fitness, or other stress-relieving activities. Generate lists of free digital resources that different age groups or interest types might appreciate. Recycle or revive some of your older content or products that might be useful in today’s environment.