As we navigate unchartered territory during the COVID-19 pandemic both from a human and economic sense, it’s been an experience to be involved and witness the way brands have handled the landscape.
At Agent99, we’ve been buoyed by several brands who have really stepped up to the occasion, have changed the narrative, and have provided essential services or needs to their audience and community.
Here are just some of them (please note, that there are so many worthy brands, but we simply couldn’t cover them all, and selected some of our personal favourites):
With dedicated shopping hours for the elderly and people with disability in the community, it’s no doubt that these supermarkets have had to pivot their offerings.
As more people flock to grocery shops and cause havoc, the supermarkets’ response has been closely monitored by the public and media.
Whilst there have been glitches and some oversights (to be expected given there are no rule books here!), we believe they have been doing the best that they can to service Australians.
We were also pleased to see Woolworths introducing their “Basic Box” earlier this week, which contains meals, snacks and essential items for those in genuine need at a cost of $80, inclusive of delivery. We’d also like to give a shout out to independent grocery stores and food providers that are also pivoting. We urge you to keep supporting these businesses to help keep them afloat! For example, my local ‘Friendly Grocer’ are only allowing 5 people in the store at one time to obey social distancing rules, or much-loved restaurants are providing pre-made meals or delicious take-away options.
Australia’s most highly awarded distillery, Archie Rose, reallocated their spirits production capacity to create hand sanitiser. The product formulation is based on the World Health Organisation as well as Australian Department of Health guidelines for effective and safe sanitiser.
The response was enormous – an almost instant sell out for their first releases and a long waiting list. Their efforts were noticed by the likes of Broadsheet, Pedestrian TV, Boss Hunting and SmartCompany, just to name a few…
Fjällräven has been creating durable, functional and sustainable Swedish Outdoor Gear since 1960. With two physical stores in Australia, located in Melbourne and Sydney, they had to strategically react and make the decision to close the stores to protect customers and staff, and to focus on their e-commerce offerings.
They were one of the first brands to make this call. They’ve also started a web-based content and blog series that focuses on how people can still make the most out of their time outdoors. To help consumers on their journey, they are providing online discounts for their gear, which is something that they rarely do, considering their superior quality and materials.
The Italian fashion empire is the latest recruit in the fight against coronavirus, as they’ve pledged to produce 80,000 medical overalls and 110,000 face masks this month.
Upon further research, we also found out that they’ve already donated medical equipment to a number of the capital’s largest hospitals. If you google this initiative, you will see reams of coverage and positive comments, especially from loyal Italian consumers.
Fashion designer, Jade Sarita Arnott, made the painful decision to close the retail shops and factory of her Australian sustainable brand, Arnsdorf, in an attempt to save the business. Instead, they are looking to obtain work for their staff to make personal protective equipment (PPE) – masks, gowns and possibly sheets for hospital beds.
While they are waiting for the government tender process to proceed, their efforts have been noticed by The Sydney Morning Herald and Ragtrader. We hope that these can give you a glimmer of inspiration or hope. Some of us are not in a position to ‘change the world’ or provide life-changing resources, but we hope that you find ways to instil confidence in your community and help navigate them through this difficult time.
By Agent Amelia
