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There’s only so much you can say in “challenging times” like these.
There was an article on Forbes that caught my attention because it’s a pattern in advertising I’m sure we’ve all recognized: Every COVID-19 Commercial Is Exactly The Same. When I get a moment in between a day full of video conferences and making sure my daughters are properly hooked into whatever remote learning session they have at the time, I turn to the TV to try to hear what latest info there is and see sweeping shots of empty streets and stadiums, heroic images of the heroes of the COVID-19 crisis (first responders, medical professionals, government workers, grocery and delivery people, and all the rest who we can’t praise enough), the mention of “uncertain” and “challenging” times, and how we must “stay apart...together.”
Whether it’s the Charmin bears sitting quietly together and taking a break from being a bit too excited about toilet paper, to Uber
There’s an article on Everplans, “How To Express Sympathy: What To Say And What Not to Say,” that’s been one of our most popular pages every single year since we started the company. It highlights the most acceptable phrases to show support after someone you know experiences a death, such as “I’m sorry for your loss,” “This must be so hard for you,” and “You are in my thoughts.” All of these offer support, show that you’re there for a person in their time of need, and put the focus on the grieving person and not you.
It also features what you shouldn’t say like “I know how you are feeling,” “[The deceased] is in a better place,” and “you’ll feel better soon.” The intentions behind these phrases may be benign, but they make emotional assumptions that can make a grieving person feel worse. (“You know how I’m feeling? How could you possibly know how I’m feeling?”)
The “right” phrases often lack creativity, and that’s ok. It’s difficult to put something as serious as death, or a pandemic that has changed our way of life, into words without saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. These phrases work because they show you care without having to say too much. Businesses are being forced to do the same thing, and must avoid being tone deaf at all costs.
Occasionally, a brand can step outside the norm because it falls in line with their standard messaging. For example, Wendy’s clever chicken nugget promotions with the tagline “We could all use a GroupNug” fits who they are. But for insurance companies, financial services, and medical providers the messaging can’t be too cute or clever. It has to be reassuring.
Even though the entire planet is experiencing the same pandemic, it’s hitting everyone differently. The economic effects have been catastrophic, and social distancing has been a major adjustment, especially when you can’t be there physically for loved ones. As a person who lives and has a company in New York City the damage simply can’t be measured. It’s understandable if you’re doing all you can to stay busy and take your mind off this new and sudden reality. But there will be a time after we make it through and will have to face the grief COVID-19 has wrought across this entire world. A time when people can once again be physically close to the ones they love and have proper funerals and memorials for those we lost. No one can pretend things are normal right now, which makes “uncertain times” and “we’re here for you” a fitting equivalent to “my condolences.”
