How Have Our Clients Responded To Lockdown? 6 Inspiring Examples

The first few months of 2020 have been far from easy. But there’s still plenty to be positive about at our content agency. From the arrival of Adam – our Ops Manager – to a plethora of new copy, social and design work, there’s a fair amount to celebrate. 

Our love for the written word has kept us sane during lockdown, and our clients’ messages matter more than ever. People are looking for confidence. Empathy. Sound advice. And we help brands deliver just that.

So we want to look back on what we’ve achieved as we’ve adapted and strived to add value in the current climate. Here are the projects that stand out for our team… 

Feedly – The newsfeed you never knew you needed (Josh)

What do you do when you wake up in the morning, yawn and flip the laptop open? Maybe browse Apple News or check your Google Alerts? Fair enough. But Feedly leaves those news-monitoring tools in the dust. 

Feedly is a super-smart application that scans more than 40 million web publications – such as blogs, articles, reports and keynote slides – and says, “Hey, this is what your market’s doing, want me to save it for later?” Like an AI butler who gives you amazing reading material every day on a silver platter, and then tidies it away on a shelf. 

This matters all the more during the coronavirus pandemic. With so much happening so quickly, analysts, businesses and researchers need to be on point with their information. To help, my latest Feedly article demoed a handy feature. Users can prioritise articles that contain the virus as a topic, or they can look past them altogether – some welcome respite if you’re after other updates. 

The blog was hugely satisfying to work on. It’s great when you get to amplify a company that has so much potential – and a cute robot mascot to cheer you on. 

Optimal Solicitors – Some light relief during dark times (Lucy)

With a lot of negative news dominating the headlines and endless scaremongering stories on social media, Optimal Solicitors wanted to do something different while reminding their followers that they are there to help.

Unlike anything else we had done for them (in fact, unlike anything else I’ve done for a client!), we set out to create a tongue-in-cheek lifestyle scenario quiz that would assess whether the reader’s relationship would survive lockdown. It was a welcome break from my typical tasks. Not to mention the fact that I was able to complete the questionnaire myself…

But this wasn’t the only reason that I enjoyed working on this project. It showed that, as a business, you can still be relevant – even in the most challenging times. All you need is a little creativity and something unique that will really grab attention. 

GoSimpleTax – A fresh perspective for a long-standing client (Lucinda)

Self Assessment tax return software provider, GoSimpleTax, is one of our content agency’s oldest clients. Having recently renewed their contract for another 12 months, we were already taking stock of the work we were producing for them and exploring different ways that we could take their marketing strategy.

Then the pandemic hit, and the government started to introduce measures to ease the burden on many people – including those that usually submit a Self Assessment. We worked quickly to produce a longer-length guide that explained the measure (a deferral of the second payment on account deadline) and what this meant for taxpayers and their future finances.

Producing reactive content like this is challenging. First, you have to unpick the information, which has only just been released and may still have grey areas. Then, you have to work collaboratively to ensure the right points are covered and that you’ll be offering some genuinely useful insight for your readers. Of course, add in to the mix that those responsible for the strategy, creation and distribution of the content are all working from home, and that challenge becomes even greater.

I think the fact that we quickly turned around a compelling argument (to consider your tax position well in advance), while we sit several miles away from each other, is testament to how well we work together. When we can anticipate someone’s views on a certain word choice, and all be typing away in a document in real time, amazing things can happen.

Made Smarter – Coming back stronger, better and smarter (Miranda)

These last few months have put the spotlight on the manufacturing industry. After all, what would we do without those who make the likes of hand sanitiser, toilet roll and pasta? Seriously – what would we do?

It’s all thanks to the industry’s tireless hard work – and their use of technology – that this demand is met. And Made Smarter is core to this. Their support is empowering manufacturing enterprises to maintain continuity, whether they’re adapting to an increase in demand or they’ve had to manage their factories remotely. 

Made Smarter continues to support future technology projects so that businesses can come back smarter post-lockdown. This focus has seen me switch from writing about their programme generally to a series of pieces all relating to the theme of ‘#ComingBackSmarter’. It’s fantastic to create positive content in the current climate.

By communicating the value of Made Smarter’s support both during a crisis and following it, our content agency is playing a small part in ensuring that the manufacturing industry can thrive – something that’s crucial for us all, even if we didn’t realise it before.

Silven – Coping with life in lockdown (Grace)

Silven recruit in the food manufacturing industry – a sector that has proven its weight in gold in recent weeks. During the pandemic, they were keen to maintain relationships with their clients, highlighting their value while remaining sympathetic to the cstuation. 

As well as creating topical blog content and sharing commentary on industry news on social media, Silven wanted to send helpful guides that would go one step further to support their network.

From ‘Advice For Managers’ to ‘Working From Home Tips’, I created a variety of PDFs that could be sent out to their network. Providing critical information in times of need showed that Silven are there for their clients and have their best interests at heart – whether there’s a role involved or not. 

A leading pharmacy group – Writing words of reassurance (Sam)

If ever there was a need for a pharmacy to deliver to the front doors of the vulnerable, it’s now. Yet our client, a leading pharmacy group, has long been setting the pace in medicine – delivering prescriptions across the US and aiming to make healthcare affordable.

In a recent blog, we were able to delve into how we as humans react to events such as ‘the lockdown’. While the media can often sensationalise the truth, it’s not an exaggeration to say some are taking social distancing and the closure of businesses hard. Many people are suffering from debilitating anxiety and depression as a result.

Our client appreciates this, and we at MYC have been fortunate enough to write articles that speak to people that may be anxious and afraid, reassuring them that there are strategies for coping. Whether that’s exercise or access to the necessary medication, our client and their team of pharmacists are on hand to remind anyone who needs it that this too shall pass.

Words of strength and encouragement are central to any marketing strategy in this climate. Brands that support, educate and entertain their network will be rewarded when we come out the other end. What about your business? Tell us what you have in mind for content that keeps up with the extraordinary times we’re living through.