Coronavirus: Brand Moves 9 - April 27 2020 - Interbrand
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April 27 2020
Coronavirus: Brand Moves 9
Welcome to another round-up of brands’ responses to COVID-19. We hope
this is inspiring, informative and useful. Feel free to share it widely
Technology
Entercom, a leading multi-platform audio and entertainment company, has launched “Stay Connected”
(#StayConnectedTogether), a public service initiative to unify the company’s crisis response across its 235
broadcast brands and expansive digital platform to meaningfully impact public health and well-being. The
initiative includes dedicated news content and original programming such as Heroes and Difference Makers,
celebrating businesses, civic leaders, medical workers and first responders; Love Local, spreading the word
about how best to support local businesses; I’m Listening: Stay Connected hosted by Loveline’s Dr. Chris
Donaghue, a daily national conversation with mental health professionals; Home Schooled, featuring dozens
of artists on the challenges of being at home; and original podcasts including The Kids are All Home,
Coronavirus Daily, and America Dissected: Coronavirus, from the creators of Pod Save America. “As
always and today more than ever, people turn to audio. Listeners rely upon us for the information they trust
and need, and for the companionship and entertainment they love. Using our reach and influence to serve our
communities is our highest priority right now,” said CMO Paul Suchman. To date, Stay Connected community
efforts have raised nearly $10 million in local relief funds, delivered 1.5 million meals to those in need, and
donated 179 pints of blood to patients. Entercom has also started a Team Relief Fund to support employees
facing family, medical, child or eldercare hardships.
Audible, the Amazon-owned spoken-word book platform, is offering free content for children to keep them
entertained and educated during the lockdown “For as long as schools are closed, we’re open,” said the
company. “Right now, kids everywhere can instantly stream an incredible collection of stories, including titles
across six different languages, that will help them continue dreaming, learning, and just being kids.” All stories
are free to stream on desktop, laptop, phone or tablet.
Nonprofit COVID Tech Connect (CTC) is asking tech manufacturers to donate WiFi-enabled devices for
hospital patients to video chat with their loved ones while they undergo medical treatment, as hospitals are
no longer admitting family members or friends due to the risks of spreading the disease. CTC came about
after Sara Rodell, CEO of technology logistics company Loop and Tie, heard that people in the New York
Nurses Union were trying to organize donations of smart devices so that family members could stay in touch
with their loved ones during the chaos of the COVID-19 outbreaks. “We have over 3,000 devices committed
and more conversations are underway to get us to that goal,” Rodell said. “We’ve received some great
responses from partners willing to donate devices, including Microsoft, PCS Wireless and Presto, with more
announcements coming soon.”
With people forced to work, learn, and socialize from home, apps like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and
Houseparty have seen spikes in downloads as they become essential to daily life. According to
SensorTower analytics, some of these apps have had downloads increase by more than 1,000% between
February and March when most US lockdown orders were first issued. Perfect Cream, a mobile game where
users decorate cakes, had a whopping 11,844% increase in downloads. The game, which had the second
most downloads in the Android App Store in March, went from only 36,000 downloads in February to 4.3
million in March.
Business communication platform Slack is offering free plans, specifically for nonprofits and businesses
providing crisis relief during the pandemic. The company is offering free access to its paid plan for three
months; companies can apply on the brand’s website. Approved companies already using Slack can upgrade
to a standard or plus plan for free for three months. The brand is also offering free consultations on how to
use the platform remotely.
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The UK mobile industry, banking and finance sector and the government’s National Cyber Security Centre
(NCSC) have united to tackle criminals sending scam text messages exploiting the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the cross-industry initiative, the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF) has developed a “white list”
which allows businesses and organisations to register and protect their sender IDs when sending out real
text messages. This makes it harder for criminals to send messages using the same sender ID as a particular
brand or government department, by checking first whether the sender is the genuine registered party. Some
50 bank and government brands are currently safeguarded as part of the initiative, with 172 trusted sender
IDs registered.
The Block by Blockwest music festival, staged entirely in online world-building environment Minecraft, was
so popular – more than 100,000 people logged in, three times what its organizers planned for – that it crashed
the server and has been rescheduled. Meanwhile, rapper Travis Scott debuted a 10-minute virtual “concert”
in Fortnite. 12.3 million were there for the debut concert, and millions more attended the four other showings
over the weekend, which saw a giant hologram of Scott play songs from his new album, and debut a brand
new track.
For creative Mac users, Apple has temporarily extended free trials of creative apps. The tech company is
offering 90-day trials of video editing software Final Cut Pro X and audio editing software Logic Pro X,
normally free for 30 days.
Manufacturing & Retail
In a move aimed squarely at one of the crisis’s big winners, Amazon, Google is advancing plans to make it
free for merchants to sell on Google. Beginning next week, search results on the Google Shopping tab will
consist primarily of free listings, helping merchants better connect with consumers, regardless of whether
they advertise on Google. “With hundreds of millions of shopping searches on Google each day, we know that
many retailers have the items people need in stock and ready to ship, but are less discoverable online.” Said
Bill Ready, Google’s President of Commerce. “For retailers, this change means free exposure to millions of
people who come to Google every day for their shopping needs. For shoppers, it means more products from
more stores, discoverable through the Google Shopping tab. For advertisers, this means paid campaigns can
now be augmented with free listings. We’re also kicking off a new partnership with PayPal to allow merchants
to link their accounts. This will speed up our onboarding process and ensure we’re surfacing the highest
quality results for our users.”
The James Dyson Foundation, Dyson’s charitable arm, recently published 44 science and engineering tasks
to keep young minds ticking over during the isolation period. The foundation’s Challenge Cards have been
designed by Dyson engineers for children, in order to encourage inquisitive young minds to get excited about
engineering. The challenges include building a cardboard boat, racing a balloon-powered car – or making a
Golden Gate Bridge replica out of spaghetti.
In a COVID-19 development very few people could have predicted, Lysol and Dettol maker Reckitt
Benckiser Plc has stated that “under no circumstance” should its disinfectant products be administered
into the human body, through injection, ingestion or any other route. The company issued the advice after
being asked whether internal administration of disinfectants “may be appropriate for investigation or use as
a treatment for coronavirus”, amid recent speculation and social media activity after U.S. President Donald
Trump mentioned the potential use of disinfectant for the coronavirus.
Niche industries are doing their bit to help – like Canada’s hockey equipment manufacturers. Companies such
as Bauer and Brian’s Custom Sports have pivoted to manufacturing PPE, and now Montreal-based CCM
Hockey is to begin producing full-head protective hoods to help protect front-line healthcare workers during
the coronavirus pandemic. The hood was designed by Dr. René Caissie of the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de
Montréal, in collaboration with Industrie Orkan, a Canadian leader in air handling systems. Manufacturing
blueprints will be shared on the hockey equipment company’s website to allow other manufacturers to join
the fight against COVID-19. “We are deploying our culture of innovation and craft, which normally protects the
world’s best hockey players doing battle on the ice, for a new purpose: protecting our healthcare workers on
the front lines of the most important battle of our time,” said Rick Blackshaw, CEO of CCM Hockey.
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Musical gear specialists have stepped up too. California-based Thalia normally make guitar accessories like
capos, picks, and guitar-branded smartphone cases, but owner Chris Bradley and his staff of about a dozen
employees have pivoted to manufacturing intubation boxes for hospital workers treating COVID-19 patients.
Bradley says he got the idea to make the protective boxes from an emergency room doctor and friend.
Now the company is ramping up production of its “Thalia Boxes” to meet a demand of 200 boxes per day.
While hospitals can buy one for $175, Thalia is donating intubation boxes to hospitals in need thanks to an
ongoing GoFundMe campaign, which has already raised close to $30,000. Fellow musical equipment brand
D’Addario has come up with a plan to change their Evans drumheads into protective face shields. Realizing
that Evans G2 drumheads could were the perfect material to construct hardy, protective face shields, the
company is now looking to manufacture 100,000 face shields each week. While hospitals are building
secondary sites away from overcrowded hospitals, live concert specialist Upstaging has taken its stage-
rigging gear and used it instead to outfit medical facilities and to create room dividers, intubation boxes, and
other medical gear. Similarly, Mountain Productions has launched MTN Emergency Services to create
the temporary medical structures, as well as to manufacture PPE that includes gowns, mattress covers, and
face masks. Another music gear company looking to take care of its local community is guitar string giant
Ernie Ball. With a factory in California’s Coachella Valley, Ernie Ball has shifted some of its production line
to creating face masks, to be distributed free to local community members. CEO Brian Ball said: “We are
dedicating our accessories and strap manufacturing departments to producing masks and are making it a top
priority. The Coachella Valley is our home and we want to help both local charities and the residents.”
Rootine Vitamins has sped up the launch of its new ambassador & affiliate program to offer new ways
for people to earn income remotely. Other ways the brand has integrated community is adding a Rootine
community Slack channel where anyone can join to learn more about genetics, immunity, supplements, and
nutrition, offer guidance from their team of experts, and connect with others.
A snapshot from Singapore’s online commerce sector: Alibaba-owned platform Lazada says the onboarding
of sellers is a priority and has a dedicated team focused on this initiative, providing training and support to
businesses, especially some who are in retail but have not yet explored the benefits of going online. It has
joined Enterprise Singapore’s E-Commerce Programme to help retailers change their business model and
diversify their sales channels and revenue streams beyond traditional brick-and-mortar. When retailers sign
up to be a seller on Lazada’s platform, they can receive up to S$9,000 to cover services including content
development, product listings, training and advertising. Lazada Marketplace doesn’t charge commission to
its sellers, but its LazMall service does. However, this benefit has been extended to new sellers for the first
30 days, to defray their costs during this incubation period. Also part of the Enterprise Singapore program
is Shopee, which says it is keen to nurture and empower local entrepreneurs and SMEs. It has rolled out
campaigns such as the #SGUnited Shopee Support Local campaign in Singapore. This initiative aims to
increase exposure for local sellers and helps drive traffic to them through a dedicated campaign microsite
featuring various local sellers each week, and will also provide sellers with marketing support in the form of
vouchers and discounts to optimise sales. Cashback platform Shopback has recommended that all brands,
especially those still without an online presence, take this opportunity to ramp up their digital strategy.
Brands that onboard onto ShopBack are assigned an account manager from the business development
team who works with them on their marketing efforts. On top of that, the platform provides its merchant
partners customer insights to make more data-driven and targeted decisions. “We operate a performance-
based marketing model, meaning merchants pay a pre-agreed commission only after a successful sale
or transaction, and any other online and offline marketing efforts are free,” Joel Leong, the co-founder of
ShopBack, explained. “We also recently launched a campaign called ShopBack To Go as a simple way
for consumers to find restaurants with takeaway options in their neighbourhood, including those with great
takeaway deals. We hope that this campaign will help our F&B merchants during this challenging period, by
raising awareness of their brand and driving sales for them.”
Dole Food Co. has donated 2.2 million pounds of fresh produce during the COVID-19 pandemic to those in
need through U.S. food banks and communities in Latin America. Other U.S. donations went to organizations
in New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Los Angeles and Charlotte. The company has joined Pro*Act and other
companies in giving health care workers produce, including through the Produce Alliance Foundation’s
Feeding our Frontlines program. In Latin American communities, Dole is distributing food staples, test kits,
masks, sanitizers and related supplies. The Dole Foundation is educating workers, advancing purchases
of medication and providing services at its health clinics. “The virus is ruthless, and we have seen the brutal
impact it has had on people — directly to their health and their income,” CEO Johan Linden said.
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With a surge in animal fostering, adoptions and purchases has come a boom in consumer interest in pet
products and services. Major U.S. pet brands have had to step up to meet the challenge. “Speaking from a
financial perspective,” Suzanne McDonnell, chief commercial officer and head of ventures and partnerships
at Bark, owner of DTC brand BarkBox, said, “history has shown us that people actually spend more on
their pets in an economic downturn. We are seeing our business grow, especially among retailers who also
sell groceries. Not surprisingly, we are also seeing our online business grow significantly among brick-and-
click partners.” DTC pet product retailer Chewy is “working quickly and diligently to adapt our practices
and policies in a way that safeguards our team members’ health, as well as our customers’ experience,”
said vice president of communications at Chewy Diane Pelkey. Chewy has partnered with GreaterGood.
org to donate more than $3 million in pet food, healthcare supplies and other essential products to animal
rescues and shelters throughout the country that have been impacted by the economic and social effects of
the pandemic. And Petco, the international pet retail chain, is keeping pet owners updated on developments
related to Covid-19 (including whether domestic animals can contract the virus). Petco tapped into its own
veterinary staff as well as the PetCo Pet Wellness Council, a coalition of animal health experts, to provide
information and insights on the coronavirus curated for customers. As an essential retailer, Petco remains
open, but has implemented a number of changes: Curbside pickup is available at most stores, which are
undergoing more cleaning; stopped shipments of nonessential items like toys and apparel; discontinued
adoption events; and suspended Vetco vaccination clinics. Petco has also established the Petco Partner
Assistance Fund, with $2 million from Petco and more from sponsors and executive leadership to directly
aid Petco partners who have been impacted by the pandemic. Meanwhile, Chewy has announced that it is
joining the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and donating $1 million to expand Chewy, Inc.
food support for people and pets living in underserved communities through the HSUS’s Pets for Life (PFL)
and Rural Area Veterinary Services (RAVS) programs. Both programs serve pet parents and pet healthcare
partners to ensure that families are able to keep their pets healthy at home rather than facing the difficult
decision of surrendering their pet. This partnership is the latest in a series of relief efforts to which Chewy is
contributing; totaling more than $4 million in pet products donated across the country. “It has always been
Chewy’s mission to serve pet parents, and we’re committed to fulfilling that promise now more than ever. We
are honored to continue our support with a $1 million donation to help put much-needed resources directly
into the hands of millions of pet parents dealing with the economic effects of COVID-19. This program is
going to help people around the country by making sure pets stay healthy, happy, and at home,” said Sumit
Singh, CEO of Chewy.
Workwear brand Dickies has announced that, in partnership with its parent company, VF Corporation, it
is shortly to start manufacturing FDA-compliant isolation gowns for hospitals and healthcare workers. The
personal protective equipment (PPE) garments will be distributed to communities throughout the US in
cooperation with federal and state government leaders. “Dickies has stood alongside generations of workers
and in light of these unprecedented times, we’re joining in the effort to help healthcare professionals on
the frontlines,” said Denny Bruce, Dickies Global Brand President. “As a heritage brand that goes to work,
especially when the work gets tough, we are committed to equipping these workers with the critical medical
garments they need to protect themselves as they continue the fight against this pandemic.” With initial
production beginning next week, VF Corporation and Dickies expect to produce and deliver 50,000 gowns
in May and intend to create production capacity to make up to 675,000 gowns by June and up to 3.4 million
by September with fabric sourced from industry partner Milliken & Company. This builds on several other
initiatives that both Dickies and VF Corporation have each rolled out in response to COVID-19, including a
$1.5 million donation to local communities from The VF Foundation, the private grantmaking organization
funded by VF Corporation, and a donation of Dickies branded scrubs to impacted US hospitals in partnership
with Careismetic Brands, the largest US supplier of scrubs.
The next London Fashion Week is going to be held entirely digitally, and will merge its womenswear and
menswear shows, its organisers have announced. The event, in June, will feature a multimedia rollout to
include interviews, podcasts and digital showrooms that will also be open to the public, following the lead of
fashion weeks in Shanghai and Moscow that have taken place online due to coronavirus physical distancing.
Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council, said: “By creating a cultural fashion week
platform, we are adapting digital innovation to best fit our needs today and enacting something to build on as
a global showcase for the future.”
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Meanwhile, Luxury French fashion house Saint Laurent has revealed that it will no longer show its collections
at Paris Fashion Week. “Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change, Saint
Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule,” said the brand. “Now more than
ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, legitimating the value of time and connecting with people globally
by getting closer to them in their own space and lives.” Instead of unveiling its collections in the traditional
format, by showing at Paris Fashion Week, the brand will “launch its collections following a plan conceived
with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity.”
For the past five years, Walgreens has raised money for charity event Red Nose Day by selling the iconic
Red Nose in stores nationwide. But due to the COVID-19 health pandemic, Walgreens has overhauled its
retail strategy and created the first digital Red Nose. Americans can donate online to unlock the new Red
Nose filter to be shared on social media.
Grocer Publix has pledged to purchase produce and dairy directly from farmers and donate it to Feeding
America food banks. According to Feeding America, farmers who normally sell their goods to restaurants,
schools and hotels are being left without buyers, meaning they are dealing with a huge glut of inventory. In
many cases, farmers have no choice but to dump huge amounts of dairy and produce. Research by Feeding
America also shows food banks are struggling amid the pandemic. Their regular stream of donations has
dried up at a time when an estimated 17.1 million additional people will experience food insecurity due to
school closures and rising unemployment. Publix delivered its first shipment of donations to Feeding South
Florida in Miami, Feeding Tampa Bay and Feeding Northeast Florida, officials said in a news release. The
program will continue for the next several weeks and deliver much-needed food to other food banks across
the Southeast. More than 150,000 pounds of produce, 43,500 gallons of milk is set to be donated to Feeding
America food banks during the first week of the initiative. “As a food retailer, we have the unique opportunity
to bridge the gap between the needs of families and farmers impacted by the coronavirus pandemic,” said
Publix CEO Todd Jones. “In this time of uncertainty, we are grateful to be able to help Florida’s produce
farmers, southeastern dairies and families in our communities.”
Belgian potato industry body Belgapom is calling on the population to make up for the recent shortfall in
consumption by eating frites (fries or, for the English, chips) twice a week at home instead of once. Home
is the most important place for consumption of potatoes in general, according to market research carried
out for the Flemish agricultural marketing agency VLAM. The exception being for frites, which are mainly
consumed in restaurants or bought to take away from snack bars. Snack bars selling takeaway have been
allowed to stay open during the confinement, however sales are down even there too. However, Belgapom
has announced it will supply 25 tonnes of potatoes every week to food banks, at least until the end of May.
As potato farmers face surplus stocks, so food banks are facing shortages and growing demand for their
services. “In this way, part of the potato stock will still be used and we can avoid seeing excellent food, for
which our farmers have worked so hard, being lost,” said Flemish agriculture minister Hilde Crevits.
San Francisco-based Imperfect Foods, which delivers off-size/misshapen/surplus fresh produce from
growers, and surplus shelf-stable items that retailers don’t want, to consumers has stepped up to tackle the
effects of the crisis – for example, redistributing broccoli florets grown for restaurants and popcorn destined
for movie theaters. “Since large food suppliers have been unexpectedly left with excess supply due to the
closure of the restaurant, hospitality and travel industries, we’ve stepped in to redirect some of these items
to our customers,” CEO Philip Behn said. “From offering new stir fry mixes created from excess cauliflower
previously meant for restaurants to bags of ‘pizza cut’ broccoli florets, our model allows us to be nimble and
support new partners in finding a home for their products while ensuring continuous supply for our customer’s
weekly boxes,” he said.
IKEA U.S. is donating $1.6 million in supplies and products toward relief efforts for people heavily impacted
by the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. donation is part of the Swedish corporation’s more-than $28 million
grant of in-kind global donations. The $1.6 million donation includes $900,000 in products and supplies such
as blankets, bedding and storage solutions for health departments heavily impacted by the virus in California,
Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. “At IKEA, we
are guided by a simple, yet powerful vision of creating a better everyday life for the many people,” IKEA Retail
U.S. President Javier Quiñones said in a statement. “No matter how challenging times are, we are always
committed to being a good neighbor and demonstrating commitment to local communities.”
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Media & Sport
Publishing has been badly impacted by the combination of anti-virus measures and economic downturn – but
some top brands are rethinking their strategies as well as helping with fundraising efforts. Hearst Magazines’
luxury and design collection, comprised of Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Town & Country and Veranda
magazines, is partnering with Habitat for Humanity New York City to launch “Design Unites,” a virtual
auction hosted on the online platform Charitybuzz and featuring “one-of-a-kind” items and experiences
curated by Hearst’s editorial teams. Items up for bid include one-on-one Zoom consultations with experts
such as interior designer Nate Berkus, Queer Eye‘s Bobby Berk, Town & Country editor-in-chief Stellene
Volandes or Elle Decor editor-in-chief Whitney Robinson, a virtual art consultation and custom painting by
artist Sally King Benedict and more.
At Meredith Corp., Shape senior fashion editor Jenn Barthole has launched a campaign called “Sneakers
for Heroes,” leveraging her social media following and her relationships with global footwear brands to
encourage donations of sneakers to healthcare workers. Brands including Adidas, Asics, New Balance,
Reebok and Under Armor have already signed up. “A pair of new sneakers may not seem like a big deal but
a combination of working extremely long shifts on their feet (while dealing with a lack of PPE), and constantly
disinfecting their footwear makes new shoes a small luxury,” Barthole said.
Telecom giant Verizon Communications’ media division, whose digital brands include Engadget, HuffPost,
TechCrunch and Yahoo!, says it’s donating $10 million in digital ad inventory as well as creative services
to support COVID-19 response efforts by the CDC, WHO and five mental health organizations, including
the Child Mind Institute, the Crisis Text Line and the Trevor Project. Verizon says the campaigns will
be intended to both raise awareness and help mobilize resources, spanning display advertising, video and
native placements and running across Verizon’s entire portfolio of sites, as well as third-party properties on its
advertising platform.
In the face of an advertising slump, UK parenting site Mumsnet is, for the first time in its 20-year history,
turning to a paid membership model in an attempt to make up for some of the shortfall. For £4.99 ($6.15) a
month, Mumsnet Premium users can access an ad-light version of the site – display ads will be removed but
native ads will remain. The membership will also soon include access to discounts and offers from third-party
companies and additional forum features, such as being able to filter threads by users and the ability to edit
posts. “At the moment it is very limited, more like an appeal, but we are very committed to bringing on board
partners who offer really great exclusive discounts that make it a good value exchange for our users,” said
founder Justine Roberts. Mumsnet has set a target for around 100,000 of its 1 million registered members to
sign up for the premium offer over time. Roberts said there had already been a plan in the works for a paid
tier, but that the current crisis expedited its launch.
Australian Group Nine digital media brand The Dodo, which delivers entertainment to audiences in the form
of animal content, has seen its figures soar. The Dodo’s content consumption over the last six weeks has
grown significantly across key platforms YouTube and Facebook compared to the same period in 2019.
YouTube watch time and views have risen more than 170% and 162%, respectively, while Facebook watch
time and views are up 83% and 70%, respectively. President YuJung Kim said the company has found
that, especially in times of hardship and uncertainty such as natural disasters like Hurricane Harvey and the
Australian wildfires, election cycles or a global health crisis, people proactively seek out The Dodo’s content
because it offers them respite and hope. “During the past few weeks, we’ve been getting a lot of comments
from people who say that watching Dodo videos is a bright spot in their day,” Kim said.
A group of advertising people furloughed from some of London’s top agencies have started a pop-up agency,
titled Not Fur’ Long, to support small businesses with creative and strategic help. “We’ve been furloughed,”
said the team, “which has left us in the unique situation of being paid not to work. So, instead of starting a
podcast or learning the art of baking sourdough, we decided to set up Not Fur’ Long and use our time to help
brands and small businesses survive and thrive in these challenging times. Our aim is to offer strategic and
creative support to businesses during these uncertain times and help set them up for success later down the
line. Most reports suggest this crisis will result in the closure of 1 in 5 small and medium sized businesses.
But these businesses are the life blood of every community. And it’s those businesses we want to help.”
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Major League Soccer has launched the MLS Unites and Train with MLS programs – designed to educate,
entertain and celebrate heroic efforts during the pandemic. As part of MLS Unites, new programming and
content is created and aggregated around a different theme each week (e.g. To Inspire Kids or For Those in
Need). Meanwhile, league partner Captain Morgan will donate at least $500,000 across the U.S. and Canada
to MLS club partners’ charities of choice, earmarked for providing meals and relief to front-line workers, as
well as those most affected by the pandemic. In addition to its initial donation, Captain Morgan also kicked
off The Captain’s Challenge on Instagram. Fans 21 and over can post videos of themselves nutmegging
someone or something, tag @captainmorganusa and include the hashtag #CaptainMorganDonation, and
the spirits brand will donate $25 for each video, up to an additional $50,000, to the cause. MLS senior vice
president of brand and integrated marketing David Bruce said, “The Captain’s Challenge captures the spirit
of MLS Unites—it brings the soccer community together, all while staying apart, to support those affected
during this trying time. MLS is honored to have a dedicated partner like Captain Morgan that’s positively
impacting our local communities across the U.S. and Canada both through a generous donation and a unique
fun campaign that authentically connects with fans.” The league also said all proceeds from the sales of new
cloth face coverings featuring team and league logos via the MLS Store will benefit Feeding America and
Food Banks Canada, and Fanatics will donate one face covering for each one that is purchased.
UK media brand The Telegraph is launching a coronavirus-free weekly newsletter to carry news and
information separate to the global crisis. It is aimed at those who might be seeking a distraction from the
Covid-19 news, escapism or simply a wish to know what else is going on in the world. Kirsten Powley,
Editorial Newsletters Editor, said: “We are delighted to introduce our brand-new Telegraph In Other News
newsletter, which is delivered free to inboxes every Tuesday afternoon. We understand that although we are
in a global crisis, you may want to hear about something unrelated to Covid-19. Whether this is for escapism,
distraction, or simply to know what else is going on, we are offering a respite from our comprehensive
coverage of the pandemic.” She added: “Coverage of the pandemic is everywhere, and we understand that it
can be overwhelming. It’s not easy to get away from it all – made especially difficult when we can’t physically
escape either.”
Italian top-flight soccer team Juventus, along with its First Team players and Juventus Women have launched
a fundraiser in support of the Piedmont region for the purchase of medical supplies, and for the support of
healthcare facilities and all medical staff. The first donation, of €300,000, was made jointly by the club and the
players, “with the desire to send a strong message of awareness: #DistantiMaUniti (Distant but United),”
said the club, “that in respecting the rules to prevent the spread of the virus, we can win this match.”
Tour buses that would usually ferry music stars to venues across the UK have been handed over for use as
“hotels on wheels” for NHS workers. Tarrant Anderson, who runs the touring company Vans For Bands,
said the industry was “on its knees” during the lockdown, but he had moved to help after seeing pictures
of exhausted doctors and nurses on social media. After being checked over to make sure the buses met
lockdown guidelines and NHS health and safety standards, they were stationed in hospital car parks to offer
respite to staff.
The first night of the National Football League draft, held digitally from living rooms and offices across the
country, was the league’s most-watched opening round ever. An average of 15.6 million people watched
Thursday night on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network channels, according to the league. That’s up 37 percent
from last year, and a 26 percent jump from the previous record for an opening round set in 2014. The NFL
draft usually goes up against Major League Baseball, National Hockey League and National Basketball
Association games, forcing it to work a bit harder to grab viewers. But because of the coronavirus-spurred
shutdown, it was the only major sports telecast of the night this year.
Hospitality & Travel
To help the badly affected restaurant and hospitality industries, e-grocer FreshDirect has joined forces with
on-site dining management company Restaurant Associates on RA Kitchen, an alliance that expands
FreshDirect’s capacity in the prepared food category, enabling the company to serve more customers with a
rotating selection of heat-and-eat meals, while bringing furloughed Restaurant Associates employees back
to work. Earlier this year, FreshDirect and NY Common Pantry revealed a philanthropic partnership in which
FreshDirect customers contributed to the organization through point-of-sale donations. Over the past two
months, FreshDirect customers have donated more than $340,000 to NY Common Pantry.
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website: interbrand.com
contact: hello@interbrand.comCoronavirus:
Brand Moves 9
In a gesture to its hometown, New Orleans chicken chain Popeyes is launching a NOLA Strong promotion.
Available nationwide, fried chicken fans can get a family-size NOLA Strong Meal with 12 pieces of Popeyes
fried chicken, two classic sides, six biscuits, and a NOLA Strong T-shirt and hat for $28, with all proceeds
directly supporting New Orleans families who have been affected by Covid-19.
Arne Sorenson, Marriott International Inc. CEO, has said that the coronavirus pandemic will change the
experience of staying in a hotel – at least temporarily. “No one knows when the lodging industry will rebound
from impacts of COVID-19. But one thing is clear,” he said. “Marriott is devising new ways to keep guests
and hotel workers safe, including improved cleaning, hotel employees wearing masks, and social distancing
measures. I’m hopeful those things aren’t permanent, but instead are about communicating through the
operating tools that you can be safe in our hotels, whether you work there or are staying there.”
Fast food chain Burger King has been posting mathematics problems on social media, aimed at school
students, and offering prizes to successful pupils – those who solve the puzzles can claim coupons for free
Whoppers via the company’s app.
Hot dog brand Oscar Mayer, which typically does big business during the spring and summer barbecue
season, is suggesting people do a Front Yard Cookout where they can see their neighbors, but from
a distance of at least 12 hot dogs apart. Each time someone shares an image from a cookout with the
#FrontYardCookout it will donate a meal to Feeding America, which is already getting 1 million meals from
the Kraft Heinz brand.
Fast food brand Denny’s is joining in with the boom in online gaming by participating as a gamer on PS4 and
Xbox One, where it plays as Dennys247. It’s also on Nintendo Switch, where it hit the limit on its number of
friends on the platform in less than a day. The diner brand is giving codes and discounts to people it connects
with in gaming, and it’s leveraging fan engagement with gaming-related posts on Twitter and Instagram.
McDonald’s is devoting its next two weeks of advertising to Thank You Meals, its new push to give free
meals to first responders, and its biggest coronavirus-related marketing move to date, showing that COVID-
19-related efforts are not slowing down in the restaurant industry.
While restaurants are closed, including those in stores and amusement parks, some brands are continuing to
offer their iconic dishes – at least remotely, via home cooking. Swedish homeware giant IKEA, for instance,
has released the recipe for their well-known meatballs, while Disney has been posting recipes for some of the
dishes offered at its venues.
After closing its brick and mortar locations, upmarket coffee shop chain Alfred has launched a coffee
subscription program which will allow people to automatically receive their coffee order in the comfort of their
own homes. They’ve leveraged social media to support this, posting tutorials like “how to make cold brew at
home”. They‘ve also launched a fundraising campaign to support UCLA Health’s COVID-19 Coronavirus
Patient Care Fund by selling exclusive “I’m a Friend of Alfred” hoodies; 100% of the proceeds will go to
UCLA Health.
Charities & Non-Profits
Pioneer in microfinance and social enterprise FINCA International has launched its first-ever FINCA
Emergency Response Fund for COVID-19. Grants and donations raised from this campaign will provide
immediate and ongoing financial, livelihood and health needs of customers and their communities across
FINCA’s global network of banks and social enterprises in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We know that
our customers, staff and partners living and working in low-income countries will bear the greatest burden
from COVID-19. Their financing and health needs will be immense and must be addressed with right-sized,
long-term solutions for greater resiliency,” said Rupert Scofield, President and CEO.
/ends
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