Insight Communities Help Brands Connect During COVID-19

Last week, we provided our customers with a complimentary survey template that could be used to get a pulse on customer and employee needs in these unprecedented times. We’re thrilled to see the rapid response from companies embracing the template to better understand the changing wants, needs, and emotions customers and employees are experiencing at this time.

As we continue to venture into the unknown, it's more crucial than ever for our clients to stay connected to their customers and employees. This doesn’t mean inundating them with daily emails that clutter the inbox and add to their stress. It means finding ways to help people through these uncertain times with empathy, dignity, and hope.

Alida clients are using Alida Sparq, our Digital Insight Community platform, to repeatedly engage their customers in a safe, virtual environment to understand both how their preferences are changing and the rate at which they are changing. Powered with this knowledge, we see clients adapting messages, offers, and communications based on direct customer feedback. While it’s not business as usual, our clients are finding a new way to conduct business and they’re doing this in partnership with their customers.

Looking for inspiration? Here are ten powerful examples of how companies from all industries are engaging with their customers to better serve them during these times:

1. One of the biggest U.S. energy and utility companies has engaged with customers on COVID-19. Using the survey results they were able to provide tips and tricks on how home workers can save energy now working from home.
2. The BC Chamber of Commerce ran a study to the province of BC to understand the COVID-19 impacts to businesses in BC, in a joint effort with other business associations and the provincial government. Since last Friday, they have 7,400 responses. You can see the results of their survey here.
3. A major global retailer ran a quick survey with customers and employees to better understand if their community members were still interested in participating in activities during COVID-19. 86% of their members still want to stay in touch while only 14% preferred not to be contacted over the next couple months.
4. A worldwide credit card issuer and provider of travel insurance released a COVID-19 survey around future travel plans, travel insurance, and the likelihood for future travel.
5. One of the biggest U.S. grocery companies is running an activity to understand how their shoppers feel about it and the expected impact on grocery shopping.
6. A major travel commerce platform is sending a survey to their B2B travel customers and asking about the impact on future booking.
7. A global football media organization deployed a survey on people’s attitudes towards football events being cancelled for the foreseeable future.
8. A major North American retail chain ran a survey to customers to determine their feelings towards various offers and activities being implemented by retailers during COVID-19. They were able to understand consumers' feelings towards removing promotional offers, email marketing initiatives, changing store hours, and alternative communication channels.
9. A major American media company asked customers how their day-to-day routine has changed due to COVID-19. In addition to ensuring customers feel as comfortable as possible, they’re able to adapt services to new routines.
10. A major global technology company launched a survey on situation impact in the workplace, finding a job, hiring, sales, and general sentiment around the situation.

Why Staying Connected to Employees and Customers Matters

Every day presents new information, mandates, and worries. Businesses must be able to make agile product, customer experience, and marketing decisions based on immediate customer feedback, and have a process in place to stay connected as the COVID-19 situation continues to unfold around us. With such rapidly changing circumstances, staying nimble while putting customers first remains the priority.

Organizations with the ability to be agile through changing times and keep a continuous pulse on customers will come out on top and earn continued loyalty. I hope you are inspired by these examples and I encourage you to connect with your customers to better understand their needs and sentiment during these trying times. We’re all in this together, and at Alida, we’re doing everything we can to help you, your customers, and your employees navigate these unprecedented times.