Communication in times of crisis and opportunism traps
Keywords:
Pandemia, Crise, Marca, Posicionamento, Comunicação, OportunismoAbstract
The crisis caused by COVID-19 brought challenges to the marketing communication, increasingly based on social networks, which allow direct and instant interaction with consumers. This article aims to identify and discuss communication practices seen as opportunistic by consumers during crises. Based on the analysis and open coding of consumer comments in brand communications on Instagram, four practices were considered opportunistic - radical change of tone, intentional alienation, searching for redemption and false altruism - and the different degrees of consumer indignation about these practices were analyzed. Finally, we propose an analytical tool focused on brand positioning, in three stages: 1. identifying central characteristics of brand positioning; 2. connecting communication in times of crisis to these characteristics, maintaining the consistency of positioning; and 3. reviewing the communication in light of the four opportunistic practices identified in the data analysis before its implementation. Therefore, we intend to offer a guide to brands that helps them to communicate adequately in times of crisis.
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