Three Communications Lessons from Covid-19
Sitting at home, during this time of immense uncertainty, I have been watching updates from the New Zealand Government each day about the virus, our economy and our response. And I have been impressed. I think that they made a huge decision to close our borders early when other countries had not. I think that the support packages for people and businesses will soften the economic blow. And then my communications brain kicks in and I start to notice the branding, the language and the communications plan that the team has had to either create or pull from the emergency file and roll out. I think it shows a really great example of communications done right.
Use, or create, terms that people understand
Social distancing. Coronavirus. Ventilators. Lockdown. Bubbles. These terms are new or have taken on new meanings for us. Times of great uncertainty, are not the best times to be learning a new language. It’s all too overwhelming and our brains are locking down into panic mode. That’s why I love terms like the bubble analogy. Trying to explain to five million people how they need to dramatically shift their behaviour, what is okay, how they can keep their loved ones safe in a clear, straightforward and calming manner is hard. For those with kids that then need to explain it to them, the bubble analogy makes sense, is relatable and gets the point across. Clear, concise language is so important.
Create clear branding that cuts through the noise
The Covid-19 website that the government has set up and all it’s associated branding is (again) clear and stands out. You can recognise any ads or posters that you see with the bright yellow bars and know that it’s related to the virus. The cleanness of the colour choice, yellow as an alert colour, and simple fonts mean that it does stand out in a crowded marketplace. Then there’s the language of the website: Unite Against Covid-19. This encourages us all to think of more than just ourselves but to remember that we are all in this together. Many people will be feeling removed from their usual forms of human contact — workplaces, churches, schools. This can lead to feelings of isolation and knowing that New Zealand is pulling together at this time create a level of hope.
Let people know what to expect
Before we had our four levels of response laid out, there was chaos. Businesses and people were constantly adapting and tweaking to meet new expectations and guidelines. Yoga studios were upping their cleaning routines and reducing class numbers. Stores were clarifying how their staff were social distancing. Offices were deciding if it really was time to update their work from home plan. Laying out the four, distinct levels of what we could expect gave clarity about what was coming and what we needed to prepare for. I didn’t expect us to ramp up to level three then four so quickly, but I feel like it was almost a relief that we did. For most of us, we knew what was expected of us. I know that there was, and still is, confusion about some business that class themselves as essential and how to balance that against the safety measures we’re trying to achieve. But the vast majority of decisions were decided and clarified for us. We knew what to expect.
Final note
This is a stressful time for everyone, from a health as well as an economic perspective. The New Zealand government has the daunting task of creating systems and processes to manage that stress for all it’s citizens as well as communicating out what it is doing. By creating clear words, branding and expectations, their message cuts through the noise in this chaotic time.