We have had very bad days, we continue to live and we will continue to do so for a while. Whether the people around us are directly affected by the earthquake or not, they are not good. They won’t be for a while. At this point, people, and especially managers, who are somewhat less affected by this process, have a lot of work to do. Brand Consultant and Social Scientist Serhan Ok, Psychologist Miray Kapan Yurttakalın and Psychologist Seda Erduran, who continue their work under the umbrella of Goodjob Brand Consulting and Insight Research, have written the communication steps that brands should follow through the mourning processes under the name of “Griefing Guide for Brands” for Marketing Turkey.
Such social disasters are of great importance to brands. Because some brands, good or bad, stand out. Memory records important events along with their sense. When those feelings match that brand, nothing will ever be the same again. We evaluate this process we are in terms of the Kübler-Ross change curve and “Psychology of Mourning” with examples:
1. Shock
When people encounter a shock, they try to grasp the reality and extent of the situation.
It should be: What is important in this moment of shock is to share up-to-date and true information with everyone immediately. It is necessary to share current and true information by constantly updating it.
What Happened But when people needed to learn more about other issues in the region, they quickly became aware of the extent of the disaster. Brands serving in the field of transportation and communication were insufficient in providing transparent information. For example, no mobile operator stated how many base stations were damaged, and how much of the region had communication problems in the first 24 hours. Airline companies should also provide information on the availability of airports in the region or the number of flights. If this is not expressed, it is inevitable to be declared responsible and guilty in the following processes.
2. Denial
It is the moment when people normally believe the news to be false, living in the preferred reality over the tangible reality. People do not want to accept their shock and refuse.
What happened: The denial phase was only applicable to people whose relatives were affected by this earthquake disaster. The scale and reality of the disaster were completely clear to others.
3. Frustration and Anger:
When they get to the stage of frustration and anger, people get over the shock and accept the reality of the event. Although what is felt is sadness, this is often brought to life by anger. When it is in healthy sizes, it has a healing effect. The person can direct his anger toward any person or institution around him. In the earthquake we experienced, this anger was sometimes directed towards malicious people, sometimes at politicians, sometimes at contractors, and sometimes to brands that could not take the right attitude in such an event.
It should be: Brands should empathize at this stage. They should tell how upset they are and how this disaster affected them. Empathy and empathy.
What Happened But brands made two basic mistakes at this stage. A group of brands was met with boycotts and protests on social media for not sharing their feelings. This is very unfortunate because memories are stored with emotions. Now these brands are engraved on these earthquake memories. Another group of brands immediately announced the help and privileges they applied to people, much earlier than their time. However, what people wanted to hear in this period was not benefits such as debt suspension. They needed to hear how upset the brand and even the person representing the brand were.
Starbucks and Netflix were the brands that were placed on the target board in this process. Netflix, which has 2.3 million followers on Twitter and has exemplary social media management, made its first statement three days after the earthquake. There was little to no sympathy in this statement. This explanation, in which the aid was given, went beyond making up for it, angered people even more, and was not found sincere and realistic. Likewise, Starbucks made a statement three days after the earthquake and on the reactions. Of course, the question is: Do brands have to make a statement? Social psychology is dynamic; it means it has and it means it will be in the future.
Likewise, Oxygen Newspaper’s sharing of photographs by adding literary texts became the focus of justifiable criticism, as it was “timeless”. Oxygen should have done this work not 3 days after the earthquake, but 13 or even 23 days after the earthquake. Unfortunately, in the same period, we even witnessed movie suggestions that reduced the pain… What was done in the 4th phase was done in the 2nd phase.
3. Depression:
The depression stage is an emotionally intense process where anger is relatively reduced and we struggle with the new reality. The length of the process varies from person to person, but it would not be wrong to say that most of us are at this stage right now. We will stay here for a while longer.
It should be: Brands should give the message that we stand by them with an emphasis on unity and togetherness, and leave a mark on the minds by distinguishing themselves with original and true stories. Getting out of the feeling of lack and loneliness together connects people to the brand with positive feelings. It’s time to talk about the community, not the person. The motto “Brand is responsible for people” should be acted upon and false and untimely statements should be avoided. Brands should know the needs and play a role in these needs without giving place to opportunism. It should show the message “I am with you, I am ready to help” with concrete evidence. It should use a language of communication that is beneficial to the society, realistic, valuing the society, meaningful and related to people.
Motivational discourses such as life goes on should be avoided, we are together, we are aware of our responsibilities, and we should develop discourses. It should be said that time is the time of brands that are always together, in good times in bad, and all the ups and downs in life. There is a need for a language of communication that contains not a message of superiority, but a message of protective solidarity.
In the current situation, people cannot live healthily even during the mourning period and the stages of mourning. Being a brand that avoids seeing the truth in such a period and giving the message that everything is okay or will be okay is not a healthy communication language. Messages such as we will return to those old times should not be used when society going through a depressive period is experiencing a great mental breakdown. Instead of using words like “it will get better”, and “it will pass” to the society that will progress with a missing life instead of the old life, focus should be placed on the messages that everyone goes through the same unhappiness process and we will heal the wounds together.
What Happened There has already been talking of new housing projects in the region. It’s too early for that. Or, the roles of brands in the reconstruction process of the region are discussed, but this is not the place and time. On the other hand, in this process, brands began to share their losses. We are witnessing brands that share them as a list of names. Each of them is your employee and each has a story.
4. Trial:
It is the phase in which people try to continue their lives almost from where they left off. For this, they need to take some actions in their own lives. For example, he wants to make sure that the house he lives in is safe. It aims to secure its situation against a possible similar disaster.
Must have: Brands should focus on two things in this process. He should describe the actions he took to overcome the current situation. These should be steps that will make it easier to adapt to the new order. Rebuilding what has been destroyed, restoring broken orders, restoring broken morale…
For example, providing training to all employees against emergencies, carrying out activities to raise awareness of earthquakes… Informing their employees and customers that brands owning venues/stores are located in safe buildings. The second action to be taken is to make responsibility projects that will protect their employees and what they leave behind. This is critical to employer branding.
Finally, decision and integration; are The processes in which people take action and reintegrate into their new life.
It should be: Brands have very little work in this process.