Like Titan, several companies are using Covid-19-related themes in their communication.

In a video sent out to customers, Titan Company’s jewellery division CEO Ajoy Chawla is seen welcoming prospective customers with folded hands, reassuring them that ‘shopping at Tanishq store will be as safe as being at home’. While all sales people wear masks and gloves, the jewellery too is being sanitised; jhumkas and naulakha haars are being steam-cleaned or exposed to ultraviolet rays after every use.

Like Titan, several companies are using Covid-19-related themes in their communication. Pidilite has even separated the two elephants — for decades an iconic logo of Fevicol symbolising the ‘unbreakable bond’. The Fevicol logo now has the two elephants separated with the tag line ‘Kal ke mazboot jod ke liye, aaj thodi doori maintain karona’. Now with Unlock 1.0 underway and Unlock 2.0 on its way, the brand is promoting social distancing with the two elephants wearing masks.The voice-over by Piyush Pandey urges people to be careful as they start their day and move out of the house. Vivek Sharma, chief marketing officer, Pidilite Industries, told FE the company has been increasingly engaging with consumers on social media platforms on topics of current interest in their lives. “The brand re-enforces, re-establishes and strengthens the core value of unbreakable bonds of Fevicol in the minds of consumers so in that sense it is strategic ,” he said. Sharma said the campaign was intended to educate, inform and keep the audience engaged, adding the concept of social distancing was the key message in the communication on Covid-19.

With the campaign ‘Iss Ghar Ki Bohot Yaad Aayegi’, Mahindra Lifespaces has tried to spread a message of warmth, hope and positivity, notwithstanding the uncertain times that people find themselves in. Arvind Subramanian, MD and CEO designate, said the film has been unveiled across social media platforms and helped “strengthen brand salience”.

“The campaign has helped us strengthen the emotional connect with our customers,” Subramanian said. The film strings together memories from the months spent indoors, captures the simple joys of life like from working around pets to catching up on reading lists and indulging in indoor sports.

In a digital advertisement, luxury car maker Audi has separated the four rings of its logo and brings them back together emphasising the importance of social distancing. Balbir Singh Dhillon, head, Audi India, said, “The underlying thought of this campaign was to orchestrate the brand Audi beyond mobility. We strongly believe in human togetherness, and we’ve consistently communicated the same through #AudiTogether”.

Based on market research, Mumbai-based real estate developer Lodha found that all consumer segments, including millennials, actually realised the importance of owning a safe home during the pandemic. With its ‘Apna Ghar Apna Desh’ (My Home, My Country) campaign, the group reiterated the importance of owning a home. The company’s brand ambassador for the campaign, film star Akshay Kumar, speaks about his experience of staying in a rented accommodation versus owning an own home now and the security that it brings.

Raunika Malhotra, president (corporate brand and communications), Lodha Group, said, “Covid-19 has shown us that homes are needed for safety and stability of the family. The aim was to convey that when one purchases a Lodha home, not only does one ensure security for oneself, ‘Apna Ghar’ also provides incomes for 10 workers as well as contributes to the Covid warriors, which is the part of ‘Apna Desh’.” Lodha is contributing Rs 21,000 towards the PM CARES Fund for every housesold, which Malhotra said has struck a chord with the consumers.

To be sure, Lodha said it has sold 1,000 units on the back of the campaign during the lockdown till the end of May. The developer is offering a scheme where the customer can avail loan at only 5.99% interest and can book a house by paying Rs 1.98 lakh as an upfront payment for ready-to-move-in houses with possession in the next 3-6 months. Uncertainty seems to have brought out the best in the marketers, who are innovating to keep their connect with the customers and brand recall alive. Now that the economy has started to open up, brands are also going all out to bring customers back.