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A few years ago I wrote an article here on Branding Strategy Insider about empathy, in which I observed the importance of this property for the connection of brands with their customers. Empathy confirms the feelings, worries, aspirations and fears that someone has and says: "I understand." This is not only reassuring, but also adds relevance to the relationship, as in "We (customer and brand) are together" .

Of course, nothing crystallizes the need for empathy more than a crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is full of examples of brands that empathize with their customers' needs and concerns as business slows. Consider these examples:

• The restaurant or the coffee chain that not only puts on rubber gloves, but also a particularly warm smile and a greeting when they serve or take you out at the pick-up window.
• The home service technicians who promote their sanitary approach to home visits wear ankle boots and wipe surfaces while practicing social distance techniques.
• The manufacturer that offers its customers webinar training that suddenly has more time than appointments in their schedules.
• The masses or churches that become “virtual” due to the inevitable cancellation of large gatherings.
• Any company that uses its social media platforms to provide encouragement or information to its followers and connections.
• The brands that, like companies in World War II, contributed to the “war effort” by retrofitting production lines or donating stocks to combat the pandemic.

You could argue that these companies are doing everything they can to keep going, and of course you are right. We all understand the transactional component in the game. However, marketers in a free society have a higher calling because they occupy such a significant part of our communication range. What they do with it, which is largely based on their clients' intimate knowledge and understanding, contributes to a sensitive climate – as much as any government program can.

The real reward of the brand will be the recovery when the market returns to normal. Customers will remember the little things, the smile, the greeting, the accommodation and the care long after the product or service has been provided. And it is this sensitive contact person who will consolidate brand loyalty as a consumer long after the crisis is over.

How will your brand be remembered?

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Brand Strategy Insider is a service from The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy that specializes in brand research, brand strategy, brand growth and brand building

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