How brand managers can show authenticity on COVID-19

How are organizations showing empathy for their consumers and employees—without coming off as opportunists looking for a headline?

We asked Dustin York, director of undergraduate and graduate communications at Maryville University, to share his insights on brand managers that were using the right tone and sharing clear and effective messages.

One brand that York takes a close look at is UberEats, the food delivery wing of Uber that is seeing increased demand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is Uber getting it right? Here’s what York has to say:

Ragan: When it comes to efforts by UberEats, are they striking the right tone amid COVID-19?

York: I’d say yes, for the most part. A lot of large brands are doing really well. Through crisis communication and outreach, UberEats specifically is being very specific on what they’re doing to support communities.

The big play is that they’re waiving fees for local restaurants, showing community support. They’re trying to position themselves as the outlet for you to support your local community, and I think that’s a really interesting angle—and they are doing it very genuinely.