A brand that did social media the right way during COVID-19

As we all know, COVID-19 has shaken the entire world. Our lives have changed for the foreseeable future. One thing I have noticed during this time is how brands are utilizing social media. With such a large landmark in society, brands have taken to social media to do such things as make statements or start initiatives to help with COVID-19. According to an article from impactplus.com , one of the ways a brand can use social media in an appropriate way during the pandemic is by using cause marketing. Part of this strategy is to make your brand seem more of a friend to consumers, rather than you just being concerned about profits.

Now a brand that I think that has been using social media well during the pandemic is the food delivery company, DoorDash. One of the biggest blows to the American economy during COVID-19 was the struggle of local businesses, in this instance restaurants, in this country. DoorDash does allow delivery for a lot of chain restaurants like McDonalds or Chipotle, but they also can be partnered with fairly easily by local restaurants as well. DoorDash started the initiative #OpenForDelivery. This was to allow customers know which restaurants, chain or local, that would still be open for delivery through DoorDash during the pandemic. This ties in to the idea of cause marketing, as DoorDash is showing that they care about their customers by keeping dashers out on the road in a safe manner during the pandemic.

Another initiative DoorDash proposed that was posted on their website/blog is their COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program for their drivers. Once again, I think this connects to cause marketing. Sure, this benefits DoorDash employees, but it also projects a positive image of the company to their consumers, therefore increasing their trust within DoorDash. Overall, I think DoorDash handled social media very well during the pandemic. Given their role in keeping restaurants running, it was crucial for them to do so, and they handled it well.