Initially, the concept of ‘coronavirus content’ seemed crass. Everyone was an armchair epidemiologist and you couldn’t move for the C word. 

But now, a few months down the line, it’s abundantly clear that the pandemic plays into every facet of life and business. You have to discuss it. One thing that was apparent early on in COVID-19’s spread across the UK, particularly in the food sector, was the fact that many brands just weren’t prepared for the shift from physical to digital.

I’ve spoken to brands that haven’t been able to make that change fast enough – their businesses have been too reliant on traditional media such as out-of-home (posters, bus panels etc) and TV spots. Where ecommerce was concerned, perhaps they’d got as far as selling their products via third parties like Amazon, to supplement their traditional retail channels.
When coronavirus hit, some of these brands lost grip of their customers and their marketing. Coronavirus not only highlighted the importance of digital, but accelerated it in every possible way.

Well before the world changed, my team was working with our premium pet food client, Natures Menu, on a strategy to reach customers more directly. We trialled the Facebook Shops platform as a way of testing this out before we committed to direct-to-consumer (DTC), which would involve the expense of building a properly optimised ecommerce capability within the Natures Menu website.

Once the pandemic struck, Natures Menu found itself in exactly the right place – with a fully functioning, owned channel to communicate and sell directly to new and existing customers. This was especially important at a time when some people were increasingly reluctant to venture outdoors to shop for products in the usual way. Moreover, having your own DTC sales channel is a more flexible, authentic way to connect with customers.