From Virtual Concerts to Classes, 9 Brands Respond To Corona Crisis In Their Own Style.

The rapidly spreading coronavirus is disrupting marketers including mandatory work from home, closing offices, cancelling events or tweaking advertisements. However, amidst the coronavirus crisis brands, media entities and others are taking actions to educate and inform the public about the pandemic while the world keeps its social distance.

Scroll through the article to know major actions taken by the brands as coronavirus has sent shockwaves across industries.

Kraft Heinz commits $12 million in money and food.

Kraft Heinz has committed to donating $12 million globally to ensure people across the globe have food in this crisis. The company will give $1.9 million in cash to hunger organization Feeding America in the U.S.A and provide $.4.7 million in products including Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, Heinz Gravy, Planters Nut Mixes, DEVOUR frozen meals to the food banks. They have also launched an internal campaign #WeGotYouAmerica for its U.S plant employees as they ramped up the food production to meet the consumer needs.

In the U.K, the company is partnering with a charity Magic Breakfast to provide 12 million healthy breakfasts to needy school children. In Canada, the company will make donations to the Food Bank of Canada which includes 100,000 boxes of KD/Kraft dinner.

CEO Miguel Patricio said,

“This donation is an immediate and impactful way we can help our neighbors in need around the world and help fill this critical gap.

Varsity Tutors launches Virtual Classes

The edtech company released a free product called Virtual school day for parents and teachers as schools are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It offers more than 20 hours of live, online classes in a variety of core subjects for students from kindergarten to 12th grade.

The Chief Marketing Officer Adam Weber said,

“We have 40,000 tutors and hundreds of thousands of students, and the vast majority of our business is done virtually.” 

It offers as basic as maths and science to high enrichment courses such as Science of Pandemics and Stock Market Crashes.

Snapchat rolls out mental health tool “Here for You”

Amidst coronavirus spread, Snapchat rolled out mental health tool “Here For You” to help users who might be feeling anxious or stressed over the pandemic.

The company said it has added a coronavirus-specific section to the tool “that will provide Snapchatters from the Ad Council, World Health Organization, the CDC, Crisis Text Line, NHS, and other partners who are creating content on anxiety specifically related to coronavirus.”

 Free Services by Dish tv and Pop Sugar

Dish network-owned TV streaming services ‘Sling’ is offering a selection of content free to the viewers. This free service ‘Stay in and SLING’ is for the significant number of Americans who are stuck home due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Meanwhile, Popsugar is offering its paid app for free for a foreseeable future that features 5000 fitness classes.

 One Medical offers a virtual care

The healthcare provider One Medical offers 24 x 7 virtual care to its members amidst coronavirus tension. It has added Coronavirus related questions to its app “Treat Me Now”. As on March 12, the company stated there is an 82% increase in video visits and 30 % consulted online that reduces the burden on the hospitals.

Hyundai revives Job loss Protection

As coronavirus is increasing rapidly, the economy is sinking. (Read how it is affecting the digital advertising industry)It is giving a challenging time to automobile companies who are facing low demand for big-ticket items like cars. It has revived the recession-era program “Assurance Job Loss Protection” that assures to make up to six months of payments for drivers who lose their job or have purchased between March 14 to April 30.

The CEO of Hyundai Motor North America stated in a press release,

“Bringing back the job loss protection program in this unprecedented time will allow our customers to have one less thing to worry about if something unexpected happens to their employment status.”

Dickey’s Barbeque Pit starts Contactless Delivery

Dickey’s Barbeque Pit launches a contactless delivery option for customers who order through the website or app. The delivery orders will be pre-sealed to avoid any tampering.

The company said,

“Guests who order Dickey’s for delivery can have peace of mind knowing their order has been carefully prepared by a certified Pit Master and sealed prior to delivery.”

Facebook pledges $100 Million for Small Businesses impacted by the coronavirus

In response to the coronavirus outbreak, Facebook has concentrated on fighting the spreading of misinformation by offering free WHO ads and banning false cures. It has pledged to invest $100 million in 30,000 small businesses affected by the pandemic in 30 countries where the employees work and live. The financial assistance will be in the form of cash and ad credit. In a Facebook post, Sheryl Sandberg shared,

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our communities, and many of the people who run these businesses are heavily affected by the crisis – especially as more and more people sensibly stay home.” 

She further added to create a virtual training to support business in this new and unsettling environment through its e-learning platform Blueprint. It will also give a $1000 bonus to all the employees of Facebook.