10 best brand offline to online marketing examples in COVID-19

Offline to online marketing

Offline to online marketing is a matter of survival for brands during the pandemic. The transition is to pivot, quickly adapt to the changing behaviors of audiences and breakthrough in inspiring ways.

Who’s doing it well? The brands that are the most successful have not forgotten the importance of their customers and their employees. And what their brands mean to them.

Here are the 10 best brand examples of offline to online marketing during COVID-19.

Carter’s stars are employees’ children

CARTER’S: Baby brand Carter’s, which also owns OshKosh B’gosh, is urging consumers to stay home. A 60-second spot stars Carter’s employees and their children, who change the lyrics of the kids’ classic song “The More We Get Together” to “We’re All In This Together.” The “Stay Home & Make Memories” campaign runs on Carter’s social channels. As part of the effort, the company has committed $1 million in product to families impacted by the coronavirus in partnership with nonprofit Delivery Good, which facilitates apparel donations. Carter’s has also switched up its social channels to include more educational resources and activity ideas.

Coors Light helps the elderly

COORS LIGHT: Judging by surging grocery sales, countless people are drinking beer at home to cope with the pandemic. But nobody has attracted as much attention as 93-year old Olive Veronesi. A relative recently took a photo of the Pittsburgh-area resident showing her staring out her window holding dry-erase board reading “I need more beer!” while clutching a Coors Light. It soon went viral, delivering an easy marketing win for the brand. Coors seized on it by delivering her 150 cans of Coors Light. “We’re starting out with plenty of Coors Light, but we’ve also let Olive and her family know that they have a standing offer for more Coors Light whenever they’re ready for a restock,” a Molson Coors spokesman said.

Domino’s feeds our first responders

DOMINO’S: Is giving away about 10 million slices of pizza — let’s just call it 1.25 million pizzas, assuming each one is eight slices — to thank first responders and others. The food is going to hospitals and medical centers, grocery store workers, and others. Domino’s says all 6,126 U.S. locations, the majority of which are owned by franchisees, are expected to take part in the “feed the need” giveaways. Late last month, Domino’s said U.S. same-store sales rose 1.6 percent in the first quarter ended March 22. After rising 3.6 percent in the first month of the quarter, before the pandemic began leading to stay-at-home precautions across the country.

DoubleTree gives away its secret recipe

DOUBLETREE: Owned by Hilton, is famous for the chocolate chip cookies it serves guests at check-in. The recipe has been a corporate secret. DoubleTree decides to reveal its chocolate chip cookie recipe to the world. “I know this is an anxious time for everyone,” DoubleTree SVP and global head Shawn McAteer stated. “A warm chocolate chip cookie can’t solve everything, but it can bring a moment of comfort and happiness.” A video containing the recipe has been viewed nearly 250,000 times. Fans have been posting the cookies they baked using the recipe on social media, and numerous online and offline media outlets have covered the news.

Google and Facebook promise free ad space

GOOGLE AND FACEBOOK: The tech relief keeps coming, with Google now promising $800 million in aid to small and medium-sized businesses, including $340 million in free ad space. On Friday, Google announced the financial package to support businesses, health organizations, and governments.  The internet giant is following in the footsteps of some of its Silicon Valley peers that have developed their own rescue funds to support communities dealing with COVID-19. Facebook has put together $100 million it says will support 30,000 small businesses on its platform. For Google, the $340 million in ad credits will appear in the accounts of active advertisers and will be good through the end of the year.

LinkedIn helps CEOs doing good stand out

LINKEDIN: Reports that CEOs, who communicated on LinkedIn since the crisis began, are getting the best reactions they have seen on a post all year. The best posts communicated gratitude to internal teams, ensured business continuity during the crisis and explained how the company was giving back. The worst posts did not express enough gratitude to employees, were too company-centric, were presented without a photo, or included a reposted link without context or comment. An example of a great reaction was one from Visa CEO Alfred Kelley who pledged in a post that “we will have no COVID-19 related layoffs in 2020. There is enough sadness in the world and already too many families impacted by job losses.

Nike offline to online marketing

NIKE: Makes its subscription Nike Training Club app, which offers streaming workouts, training programs and expert tips, free.  It also pushed out more content to its Nike and Nike Running Club apps, Nike.com website, TRAINED podcast and social channels to serve the millions upon millions of consumers who are under lockdown and trying to maintain their fitness indoors. Nike develops a marketing campaign, Play for the World, that utilizes its roster of athlete endorsers and shows how they’re keeping in top form during the pandemic.

Panera Bread spotlights delivers

PANERA BREAD: Is another marketer shining the light on staffers. The chain, whose own employees handle the bulk of its delivery, use their smartphone cameras to emphasizes that Panera is still open for business, including delivery for those staying home. “I’m here for you and we can get through this together, The recordings, which were largely unscripted, were shot on the drivers’ smartphones. They bring heart and humanity to a world that needs it right now. The video campaign is running on social media, where usage is surging during the pandemic.

Pebbles offline to online marketing “Yabba Dabba Doo”

PEBBLES: The cereal you might remember from decades past, says it will pay artists and creators $1,500 when it features videos they submit for its new “Daily Yabba Dabba Doo” video series. The effort is meant to support creative professionals who are home due to the pandemic and gives Pebbles fresh content for kids stuck at home who, of course, might then ask their parents to buy the cereal. The breakfast cereal runs 30 days of videos featuring activities kids can do with minimal parental supervision. They will pop up on Facebook, Instagram, and the brand’s site daily at 6 a.m. ET, so kids and parents can watch them over breakfast, Pebbles said. 

The Knot makes the heart grow fonder

THE KNOT: The wedding industry, which typically ramps up in the spring, has been a hard hit by the pandemic. More than half of Americans are postponing their weddings, according to the Bloomberg report. The Knot’s Vendor Assistance Program includes $10 million to help the company’s local advertisers with their advertising payments. The site is also rolling out new editorial features to help couples continue to plan for their nuptials at this time, even while homebound, like a virtual concierge. In a blog post about the new offering, Knot CEO Tim Chi struck a hopeful note, “It is clear that this crisis and the social distancing that it has required, will only enhance our deep desire to be connected with our closest family and friends. Weddings will come back strong and love will be unphased in the time of Coronavirus.”

Do the offline to online marketing examples from these brands give you any ideas for yours?