Brands that have successfully pivoted during COVID-19
To say that the coronavirus outbreak has upended so many aspects of organisations’ operations that had previously been taken for granted, would be quite the understatement. Indeed, there has been no shortage of businesses that have opted to suspend or even shut down their activities altogether.
That isn’t the focus of this blog post, however. Instead, we’re taking a look at those companies that have demonstrated just how quickly and inventively they can adapt to change like that brought by the COVID-19 crisis.
It’s by no means a small task to switch a large proportion, or even a brand’s entire mode of working, to cope with a stark new reality like the one we have faced over the last few months. Nonetheless, the following brands have shown that it is more than possible.
The Royal Mint
Few brands are quite as ‘legacy’ as The Royal Mint, the government-owned mint with a history dating back to 886.
Despite being better known for its production of coins, bullion and gifts, the mint has showed especially impressive agility during the coronavirus crisis, by calling upon its in-house engineering expertise and state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Llantrisant, for the production of medical visors to help to protect NHS frontline workers.
The Glasgow Distillery
The pandemic has certainly seen plenty of seemingly unlikely new manufacturers of hand sanitiser, and The Glasgow Distillery – one of Scotland’s first licensed distillers – was one of many to answer the call.
The distillery, situated just outside Glasgow city centre, has produced hand sanitiser for the NHS, the Red Cross and local care homes and charities since the onset of the crisis.
In the words of CEO and co-founder Liam Hughes: “We hope that the production of hand sanitiser is one small way we can help the selfless efforts of frontline workers who are doing their best to not only protect themselves, but protect the lives of those most vulnerable right now.”
KORA Organics
Founded by Australian model Miranda Kerr – who, together with her husband Evan Spiegel, Snap Inc. and the Snap Foundation, has donated more than $10 million to aid COVID-19 relief efforts – KORA Organics has donated more than 500 sets of its bestselling products to first responders at UCLA Medical Center and Cedars Sinai Medical Center.
Meanwhile, Kerr herself hosted a masterclass on IG Live to provide audiences with advice on morning skincare and wellness, with the chat subsequently being uploaded to IGTV to enable it to be watched later.
Top Cuvée
The neighbourhood restaurant on London’s Blackstock Road was already winning rave reviews in its original iteration. However, the establishment has gone an impressive step further with its transformation during the crisis into Shop Cuvée, which has been delivering food, wine, cocktails and toiletries at a time that has been dire for bars, restaurants and many hungry Londoners alike.
Calling itself “a one-stop shop for modern life”, Shop Cuvée claims to have served more than 200 meals in its first four days, in what is another apt demonstration of just what is possible for even fairly small brands when a crisis situation like COVID-19 hits.
What could it all mean for your brand?
From grocery brands turning their stores into dark stores, to John Lewis taking its in-store advice services to the web, brands large and small – not to mention local, national and international – are finding new ways to be relevant amid the ups and downs of the pandemic.
Many of those new strategies have involved imaginative and enterprising use of the web to continue delivering important services to customers. Talk to the Underwaterpistol team today, and we’ll outline how we can help you to unlock more of your own brand’s potential online, drawing upon our expertise in Shopify design and development.