Educational publisher Scholastic has responded to the Covid-19 crisis with “learn at home” materials
Scholastic, the publisher and educational resource company, has created a way for children to continue reading and learning throughout the school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Scholastic has created a free “Learn at Home” feature for kids of four different grade groups: PreK and Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2, Grades 3 – 5, and Grades 6-9. Each of these age group categories have 21 days (up to 3 hours each day) of content. Content includes educational resources such as articles, stories, videos, and learning challenges. Students can also go on virtual field trips.
When I heard that Scholastic was offering this feature, the first thing I thought was, “WOW Nostalgia!” This is because when I was in elementary school, I remember looking through the Scholastic catalogue with my mom and telling her the books I wanted to order and read. I had not heard or even thought about Scholastic in over 15 years.
The second thing I thought was that this is such an amazing offering from Scholastic. They are promoting what their company is all about, which is kids “reading, thinking and growing.” The actions that Scholastic has taken really align with their brand and company overall. This is a great tool for parents to use during this time as it is solving a problem that I am sure came across many parents’ minds which is, what would the kids do all day? Scholastic has brought their brand to households as a resource to help out parents while also expanding their online platform.
With so many places to get books, the brand is a differentiating factor for many consumers. The company that provided great free learning in a time of crisis is definitely something consumers will remember the next time they are purchasing a book. With this online launch, the company can see if Learn at Home is an option they want to pursue after students return to school. Also, if customers really are using this feature and see the value, Scholastic could invest in the online learning subscription space in the future.
As an aside, when I was reviewing the content on the Scholastic site, I definitely got side tracked reading an article about the Loch Ness Monster and the scientific evidence when testing the waters of Loch Ness. I thoroughly believe that the content is a great learning resource for everyone!
A new campaign from Dove Canada tests the conclusions of the Corus survey noted below by tying the long-running “Real Beauty” campaign to current events.
According to a story in Strategy, the campaign, led by Ogilvy Canada, frames beauty as “a source of confidence, not anxiety.” Doctors and nurses stare at the camera with visible mask lines At the end of the spot, the caption “Courage is beautiful” appears.
“The front-line workers pictured in the ads demonstrate the toll that their work is having on them, but we see their work and their courage as an act of beauty,” Divya Singh, marketing manager, Dove masterbrand and skin cleansing says in the Strategy article. “From a Unilever standpoint, as the world’s biggest soap company, we have a responsibility to help protect lives and livelihoods around the world.”
Will consumers connect arresting images of front line workers to their choice of facial moisturizer at the point of purchase? Does being socially relevant build brand resonance? What do you think?
A study by Corus says that while the common wisdom is that advertisers should not pull ad spend during the pandemic so that they don’t lose brand-building momentum, it doesn’t align with what consumers want.
According to the survey of 1,000 Canadian respondents, 18% want brands to stop advertising at all, while 16% want brands to not “continue advertising as though everything were normal.” More than half (56%) of those surveyed want messages about how brands are helping during the crisis, while 50% of respondents want brands to tell them how they can still access the company’s products.
What do you think the right strategy for brands is: stay respectfully silent, pretend it’s “business as usual,” or assert that brands can be helpful, even heroic? What’s the right call?
The JOY FOR ALL robotic companion pet cat retails for $110 USD. Pillow not included.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Hasbro’s FurReal Friends have not taken any exceptional measures to respond to the crisis and help their consumers navigate this difficult time. However, Hasbro’s interactive toy brand for seniors, Joy For All, has been communicating and responding to consumers in an appropriate and thoughtful way through social media platforms such as Twitter and their company website.
Joy For All recognizes that during this time, social distancing is more important than ever when taking care of elderly loved ones. On their website, joyforall.com, they state “social distancing has heightened the impact of social isolation and loneliness on our aging loved ones, leaving many care partners looking for solutions to provide comfort, companionship and joy in their physical absence (Joy For All 2020). This statement expresses the compassion the brand holds for their customers while stressing the importance of the product to help seniors cope and provide them with companionship during this especially lonely time. In addition to other company statements, the brand has been tweeting and utilizing hashtags such as #StayHomeForHer which illustrates the importance of self-isolation in order to protect our loved ones.
We believe this was an appropriate response to the crisis as the brand raises awareness of the virus’s impact on the aging population, while highlighting the value their product offerings can bring to this segment.
However, if we were to improve their response to this crisis, we might suggest that they donate some of their interactive plush products to senior/nursing homes in Canada. In situations like this it is important that companies ‘walk the walk’ and make business decisions that support the community and extend beyond their bottom line. By doing so, they would enhance their brand image and show consumers that they are not just a business but a community partner that truly cares for seniors during this time of need.
Facebook as a brand has not been shown in a great light in the past few years; they have had quite a few scandals involving fake news being spread on their website and as a result, many people have started to view the Facebook brand differently. Now, with the Covid-19 virus spreading rapidly across the world, they are switching gears and working to help stop the spread of the disease and false information.
In a post from his personal Facebook account Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder and CEO, says Facebook is actively working with national ministries of health as well as organizations like the World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF to ensure that timely, accurate and true information about the Covid-19 virus is being delivered to people all around the world. They are doing this by giving the World Health Organization unlimited free ad space as well as giving ad credits to similar organizations. Facebook is also actively removing misinformation and hoaxes to help make sure people only get access to true information from proper sources. Finally, they are making sure that the website itself is stable. Zuckerberg mentioned now more than ever it is important to be able to stay connected with one another, so they are making sure that Facebook does not go down.
We believe these are the best actions that Facebook could possibly do in regard to the crisis. When eventually the world gets past the virus, Facebook will be recognized for their part in making sure people stayed connected and were given the proper information to keep themselves and their loved ones safe. It will definitely strengthen consumers’ judgments of the brand and will help people view the brand in a better light after all the scandals the company has faced.
After taking into consideration the health risks associated with the COVID-19 virus, KW4Rent posted updates on its Facebook page, its Instagram page, and through email. The post stated that offices will be closed to the public, essential services will remain operational, and non-essential services will be put on hold until further notice. In order to accommodate for customer service needs, the live agent call centre hours have been changed to 24 hours a day.
In an email sent through Accomod8u which works directly with KW4rent, the company stated that rent payments will continue to be owed, and that if accommodation is no longer required in Waterloo, to then sublet the room or have a lease takeover. A long with this, resources related to rent payment help and the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan were listed.
Given the brand’s identity and the crisis, the steps taken by KW4Rent have been appropriate. By limiting face-to-face interactions and instead providing better online support, the company is helping reduce the risk of the virus spreading to employees and tenants.
However, there has been controversy regarding rent payments, as many tenants across Canada want rent relief. Tenant comments posted about the decision to continue collecting rent that was made by KW4Rent and Accomod8u, indicate that the judgment of the brand in the minds of consumers is weakening. Current tenants are furious that better accommodations are not being made.
On the other hand, this response does seem fair considering the help the government is providing. As a business whose model is based around making revenue through rent, it would not make sense for the company to give tenants a free pass when a contract has already been signed and accepted. Some competitors such as landlords that are renting out their own homes, have resorted to giving tenants rent increases – a selfish and unfair move. Relative to some of these competitors, KW4Rent is doing a fair job.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic surfacing worldwide, Victoria’s Secret (VS) announced that they will be closing all stores from March 17th – March 29th in the U.S. and Canada. In this statement, they also announced that their employees will continue receiving compensation during the store closures and that they are offering the opportunity for some employees to work from home.
Some of VS’s competitors have also pursued a similar response. La Vie en Rose has seized all in-store operations, but did not make a clear statement on whether they will still be paying employees or not. Aerie also had a similar response to Victoria’s Secret as they closed all of their Canadian and American retail locations, with hopes to reopen stores on March 28th while still compensating employees during the closure.
A day after VS’s original announcement to shut down brick and mortar operations, the company decided to also halt online operations due to the situation’s escalation. This response was above and beyond compared to what competitors are doing, as VS’s main competitors are still continuing online operations. This choice is consistent with the brand’s identity, as VS is known to be ahead of the curve in terms of fashion and lingerie trends, so it is fitting that they are also ahead in terms of social responsibility.
Interestingly, VS’s customers are having mixed reactions to the brand’s efforts. A portion of customers that realize how serious the pandemic is are praising VS for their actions, despite the disruption in service. Other customers are concerned about orders that have already been placed and have raised concerns about being able to return items that are approaching the return deadline. However, VS’s customer service is stepping up and responding to concerned customers as they are offering to cancel orders and extend return deadlines. Hopefully, as the seriousness of the pandemic sets in, people will recognize that VS is doing the right thing and acting as a leader in the industry in terms of social responsibility.
As a result of the governmental mandate, Toys ‘R’ Us has decided to close all 82 Canadian stores until at least March 30th to ensure the safety of their customers and staff members.
To sustain sales and respond to store closures, the company has focused all efforts towards its online platforms, including free shipping on orders more than $35. The company is also offering free curbside pickup options, which will allow the customer to retrieve their product without leaving the car. Although this is a feasible solution in the short run, consumers are likely to transition to online retailing, a market that is dominated by major competitors Amazon and Walmart.
The organization has enacted various initiatives to ensure that its core brand message and point of differentiation remains consistent by investing resources into their social media channels. They have been able to take advantage of the fact that parents have the responsibility of taking care of their children as long as school closures remain in place, and should need to make a concerted effort to ensure that their children remain engaged during this time off. As a result of this trend, the organization has created custom “stay-at-home play packs” for these children to stay busy and by creating engaging videos such as the #WashYourHandsChallenge on platforms such as TikTok. Not only are these initiatives innovative and may supplement sales during this time, but they also align with the core messages, eliciting brand loyalty when the stores open in the near future.
Tim Horton’s has made several changes to their policies in the midst of these uncertain times due to the recent outbreak of COVID-19. One of these changes is that they no longer accept reusable cups or mugs from their customers. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tim Horton’s would allow customers to bring reusable mugs to their locations and they would fill them up with the beverage the customer chose to purchase. They have been doing this to promote reusable products and contribute to environmental sustainability. However, now Tim Horton’s hopes that their refusal to accept reusable cups will limit the spread of the coronavirus as it can be transferred from customers to employees when they are handed the cups to fill up (Zochodne, 2020).
Along with this change in policy, Tim Horton’s announced on March 7, 2020 that they were going to change the implementation of their popular promotional contest: Roll Up the Rim to Win. Every year, Tim Horton’s has had a sales promotion where if a customer purchases a cup of coffee or other hot beverage they can roll up the rim of the recyclable cup and have a chance to win free food, cash prizes, or premium rewards such as a car or vacation. This has become an iconic Canadian sweepstakes for the brand. Many customers would frequent Tim Horton’s for the sole purpose of winning Roll Up the Rim prizes, but now, due to concerns regarding COVID-19, Tim Horton’s has canceled the traditional promotion because they fear that when customers give their winning rims back to the employees it could transfer the virus. However, they are still able to implement Roll Up the Rim through the use of their digital app. Instead of rolling up rims, customers can still play the popular game and win prizes on their personal cell-phones. It is more sustainable as it doesn’t promote the use of single-use cups and it helps in the fight to prevent the spread of COVID-19 (Robertson, 2020).
Tim Hortons’ decision to remain open
As of March 27th, 2020, Tim Horton’s has been deemed an essential business by the Ontario Provincial government and has continued to be operational. Currently the restaurant only services customers via take-out and drive through options, however, the company is still receiving a high amount of traffic. As Tim Horton’s remains one of the few options for coffee and other baked goods, customers have been visiting Tim Horton’s frequently. This has put the company in a difficult position, as they must balance employee and customer safety with essential revenues. Shutting down Tim Horton’s for the time being would protect the safety of their employees and help stop the spread of COVID-19 due to the large amount of customer interactions but would leave them unable to pay employee salaries, rent or other financial obligations.
A note left at a Tim Horton’s franchise location in Edmonton, Alberta. Source: The Toronto Star March 24, 2020
Tim Horton’s remaining open has brought a lot of media attention. In Edmonton, a franchise owner posted a printed note in their Tim Horton’s location stating that calling in sick to work is inexcusable and that employees are “expected to show up” (Leavitt, 2020). This caused a large amount of public backlash, minimum wage – paycheck to paycheck employees who rely on their wages to afford basic necessities should not be put in the position between choosing to go to work and potentially infecting customers or other staff or staying home and losing out on their vitally important wages. This situation has further dampened Tim Horton’s reputation by implementing more strict and thoughtless policies on their employees. Over the past five years, Tim Horton’s has come under fire for poor employee relationships with management. Most notably was the removal of paid breaks and benefits for employees following Ontario’s minimum wage increase. The public was furious with Tim Hortons’ franchise owners’ decisions. Former Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne called out the Tim Hortons’ brand for a “clear act of bullying” (Wynne, 2018).
How this will affect judgments of the Tim Hortons brand
Tim Hortons’ lack-luster response to this global health pandemic is compounding the reputational damage done by past employee–franchise missteps. While this response is very much in-line with the brand identity that Tim Horton’s has been cultivating in recent years, it does not stay true to the image that propelled them to once be Canada’s unquestioned favourite coffee brand. The company began making the right steps by proactively banning the use of reusable mugs and moving Roll Up the Rim to Win to their digital platform. However, once again the company has run into issues with their labour force. Despite only occurring at the franchise level, the irresponsible judgement to jeopardize public health by not excusing workers who call in sick is only reinforces the negative brand associations that have served as the core of Tim Horton’s brand image problems and the focus of our group’s attention throughout the course of this project. Without a healthy, motivated workforce and employee culture, the Tim Horton’s brand will fail to create a reputation of positive customer experiences for its patrons.
Tim Horton’s actions will have an adverse impact on their already deteriorating brand image. Historically seen as a friendly and reliable brand in it’s past with qualities considered to be inherently “Canadian,” consumers’ perceptions of the brand have changed. With their cost-cutting fast food business model, American ownership, and the continued emergence of scandals that make them look like a “bully” to their employees, many consumers’ perceptions are shifting toward viewing Tim Horton’s as stereotypical American fast-food joint rather than a home-grown brand that exhibits Canadian values.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated in a recent COVID-19 press conference: “The strength of our country is in our capacity to come together and care for each other” (Trudeau, 2020), and in the face of this crisis, Tim Horton’s is signalling that it is only looking out for its bottom line. It’s an indictment on the misalignment of Canadian values and Tim Horton’s values. As the rest of Canada rallies together in these stressful times to “flatten the curve”, this story of Tim Horton’s inconsideration for its employees and the general public will make these perceptions even worse into the future.
Comparing Tim Hortons’ actions to those of Starbucks, it is easy to see which company is handling the COVID-19 outbreak more effectively from a brand image standpoint. Starbucks locations across Canada have closed, moving to drive-thru and delivery services only, while offering front-line healthcare workers and first responders free coffee as a thank you for their efforts. These actions have resulted in Starbucks receiving positive praise from the public and have made Tim Hortons’ response appear much worse in comparison.
Vaseline joins a campaign showcasing members of their brand team and their #IStayHomeFor story. It’s all about sharing their main reasons for staying home during the pandemic. The brand asks followers to also post their own #IStayHomeFor story with a photo and to tag friends to do the same so the message can spread.
The campaign is aligned and cohesive with Vaseline’s brand identity. Vaseline is known as being a trustworthy product that provides relief and healing powers. This marketing effort has a similar effect in showing real and honest people doing their part to flatten (or ‘heal’) the curve. This post is authentic to the brand, and shows that Vaseline cares about consumers even beyond skin care.
This communication will ultimately strengthen consumers’ judgement of Vaseline. The campaign shows the brand understands the importance of social distancing and recognizes the bravery of those who need to work. By engaging in this meaningful message to consumers, Vaseline evokes positive feelings and brand evaluations. Also, Vaseline consistently illustrates that their product is for “everyday people,” no matter what their background is. This relates to the brand element of spokespeople, with Vaseline having genuine people as advocates of their products in commercials. In this particular instance, having their very own brand team speaking on behalf of Vaseline aligns perfectly with this brand element that they use so effectively.
Although it is a simple Instagram post, this is a reminder and positive message that needs to be reinforced during such a difficult time for many of us. Yes, everything is uncertain right now and we have had a lot of things put on hold for the time being. However, we need to remember why it’s so important to stay home, to be grateful for the things we do have, and appreciate workers who are out there serving those truly in need.
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