Santander, the international financial institution from Spain, and Anheuser-Busch, a major beer producer in the United States, have both adapted their products in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes easing debt repayment and repurposing breweries to produce hand sanitizer. However, in the realm of sports, where all competitions were canceled, both companies, as sponsors and beverage partners at events, needed to find new ways to connect with this customer base. 

From sponsoring La Liga football matches to hosting the e-sport event LaLiga Santander FIFA 2020, they enlisted popular gamer Ibai Llanos, who previously organized an online football tournament that attracted 60,000 viewers, to invite players from various clubs to compete in an online football game that garnered 1 million views. While this scale may not compare to real-life competitions, this new platform provided a positive experience for fans, allowing them to connect with their favorite players in a different way, and the players themselves enjoyed this new form of victory as well. 

For Anheuser-Busch, collaborating with the American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas was not just about donating money; it involved working with sports partners nationwide to transform 30 empty stadiums into blood donation sites to address the blood shortage caused by restrictions on blood transport across state lines. The large spaces of the stadiums allowed for beds to be set up with adequate distancing, and with regular checks and cleaning, staff could operate almost as usual.  

Although the scale of online game viewership or blood donations cannot match that of live events, it allowed these sponsors and business partners to convey new brand values to this fan base, which will undoubtedly benefit them in the long run. A report from global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company indicates that showing care and concern during a crisis helps companies build a foundation of goodwill and customer loyalty, provided they create meaningful initiatives. We have seen various producers striving to maintain online systems that facilitate daily life, from ordering food and essentials to accessing entertainment in all forms, including movies, museums, knowledge, and healthcare that cannot be neglected. However, for some businesses unable to move everything online, leveraging their expertise and values to address the concerns of the majority—such as stores offering special shopping hours for vulnerable seniors to reduce risk and indirectly lower patient numbers, or repurposing factories to produce scarce goods—along with easing work and financial anxieties while striving to maintain employee status and deferring debt payments, are also ways to preserve good relationships until the situation improves. Because even if not all customers turn to them, the impression of what they received during a crisis is not easily forgotten.  

Image source: Kelly Sikkema/Unsplash

Montinee Yongwikul
Executive Editor

SOURCE: www.tcdc.or.th