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Marketing through the Coronavirus crisis

With 40 years’ PR and marketing experience, at PRG we’re used to handling crisis situations and have helped more than a handful of clients get back on track when disaster has struck. But when the Coronavirus hit the UK, this was a crisis we were not prepared for, nor did we know how to react.


Like many marketing agencies (or those that would admit to it) our first reaction was to panic. In just a few short weeks businesses were being forced to change their working habits, with many having to furlough staff or set up their teams working from home to adhere to government’s call for social distancing.

This inevitably lead to some of our clients putting their marketing fees ‘on pause,’ or holding off on large projects we had planned and budgeted for. There was one week in March where we felt we were being delivered one blow after another.

But, we are not a marketing agency that will be easily defeated. In our 40 years delivering tailored PR and marketing communications, we’ve bounced back from several trying times. The 2008 recession being one of the most challenging but more recently a flurry of staff maternities coupled with the tragic loss of a team member to cancer, lead to a really difficult year for us.

Marketing through the Coronavirus crisis may be our biggest challenge yet, but what we’ve demonstrated in the last 40 years is that our talented team has unwavering resilience.

We also believe in the art of positive thinking and are busy pushing out positive messaging, encouraging businesses to stay visible and relevant. Whilst we might be lighter on fees at the moment, it means we are open to opportunity but also available to give our ongoing clients even more support at this very challenging time.

One such client is Goplasticpallets.com, the UK’s largest supplier of plastic pallets, who we’ve been supporting with PR and marketing for the last 10 years. Whilst they’ve been busy responding to the urgent needs of the food and pharmaceutical industries to keep these essential supply chains moving, we’ve been busy making sure our PR communications remain timely and relevant. Not only have we ramped up activity on LinkedIn, we’ve also been working more closely with the pallet supplier’s manufacturing partners, as in times like this it’s important to remain connected and united!

Following a call for businesses to help make NHS ventilators, one of Goplasticpallets.com’s pallet boxes is now being used in the manufacture and distribution of these crucial devices. They’ve also had lots of enquiries for another of their products for the handling of test kits!

New client Albion Languages has had an enquiry for its communication services in relation to investigating the possibility of converting anaesthesia machines into long-term ventilators. This month has also seen us take on their social media management, in addition to the content/PR activity we’re already doing.

Our client SpeedyHen, a supplier of books and e-books, is busy getting orders out the door keeping everyone entertained in lockdown, and Energy Technology Control are working hard to get their combustion products to key locations such as hospitals and factories, whilst we’re raising their profile on social media to keep customers up-to-date with their business activities.

We’ve also been supporting the LTA after the announcement of the cancellation of all grass tournaments this summer, by taking the lead with the communication to hospitality guests about the Nature Valley International tennis tournament.

It may be an uncertain time, but the PRG team are here to help you with your marketing through the Coronavirus crisis and beyond!

Should you need support or advice, we’re only a call, email or Zoom meeting away!


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