We are in the midst of a crisis that requires all sections of the global society to come together in order to survive. Fortunately, a lot of people have realized this and are stepping up to help those worst affected by the pandemic. Brands have also come up with solutions to help those in need.
Brands from different fields have stepped up to help their customers and also those who are struggling to survive owing to lockdowns imposed in many parts of the world. Here is how some brands are contributing for the wellbeing of the society.
Media and Entertainment Brands
Media is the main source of information for a large part of the global population. Currently, it is very important that correct information reaches to the masses so that people can take proper precautions and safeguard themselves.
Publishers like The New York Times, The Washington Post and Bloomberg News have removed paywalls for COVID-19 related information to allow as many people as possible to access necessary information about the pandemic.
Reading subscription services Scribd and Kindle have reduced charges for access to their digital library to allow people to unwind and take a break from the news related to the pandemic. Entertainment groups have arranged a number of events to keep people stuck at home, entertained. The Universal Music Group is supporting a COVID-19 relief fund called MusiCares that aims to help musicians struggling because of the pandemic.
Food Delivery Apps and Restaurants
Restaurants have been one of the hardest hit businesses during this pandemic. Due to lockdowns, many of them have been shut down for several months and the ones which have managed to open, are receiving very few customers. If it wasn't for delivery apps, there was no way restaurants could survive these months.
Delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy have been permitted to continue their services in many regions despite restrictions being imposed. Several of these apps have committed to delivering free meals to the needy. UberEats has committed to providing over 300000 free meals to the first responders.
GrubHub has suspended its collection of commission for the time being to reduce strain on restaurants. Zomato has waived delivery charges for several struggling restaurants. Bigger food chains like KFC and Taco Bell have stepped up and donated quite a lot to non-profit organizations that are helping people during this pandemic.
Fitness, Health & Wellness Brands
Fitness centres and gyms have been shut across the world to avoid people coming in contact with others. Fitness training, which was usually an in-person activity, has now gone online owing to the social distancing norms being practiced.
Several online fitness training platforms have stepped in to help people stay physically active while staying indoors. Many of these platforms are also contributing to fitness centres to help them survive. ClassPass is one such platform. It has decided that 100% proceeds from its live streaming workout classes will go towards their local fitness partners.
Health and Wellness blogs have stepped in with many of them reducing or eliminating subscription charges in order to allow people to access their blogs regarding staying fit during the lockdown. MyFitnessPal, a health and wellness blog platform has been publishing blogs regarding reducing stress and managing anxiety on a regular basis to help people deal with the psychological effect of staying indoors for so long.
E-Pharmacies and Big Box Retailers
Big box retailers and pharmacies have been deemed as essential businesses across the globe. This has allowed them to function and help consumers with essential supplies.
Companies like Walmart and Target have offered up parking lots of several of their outlets as drive through COVID 19testing locations. Pharmaceutical brand Johnson & Johnson has partnered with BARDA to help in developing a potential vaccine for COVID-19.
E-pharmacy giant PharmEasy had partnered with BMC to help train the doctors in Government hospitals in Mumbai. Also they are making people aware of the covid situation by updating them with the latest information on its website.
Final thoughts!
These brands have already helped millions of people across the globe and are still continuing to help those in need. They have made it a bit easier for their customers and the people suffering due to financial losses to overcome this crisis.
