The news was rapidly changing with information and protocols being shared on an hourly basis, causing a lot of public unrest.
With lockdown firmly set in, and many people furloughed, it’s no surprise that, in times of crisis, many flocked to social media to stay connected and look for a form of escapism in platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
Influencers are proven to be incredibly persuasive and trustworthy. Our recent whitepaper found that over a quarter of consumers in the US 🇺🇸 and UK 🇬🇧 and over a third in DE 🇩🇪, trust social media influencers more than high profile public figures/celebrities that promote brands.
Influencers can help drive targeted messages and interact with consumers in an empathetic way, no matter what the current needs or mood of the public is, making them ideal for sharing key messages and advice during these difficult times.
As lockdown and social distancing continued, mobile phone usage continued skyrocketing, which meant not only was there more opportunity than ever to reach consumers through mobile but that influencers could be used to help spread essential public health messages via their platforms.
During COVID-19, Takumi launched several pro-bono campaigns with our trusted network of creators across Instagram and TikTok.
The campaigns, which ran in the UK 🇬🇧, US 🇺🇸, Germany 🇩🇪, France 🇫🇷, Italy 🇮🇹, and Spain 🇪🇸, aimed to drive awareness, spread positivity and support, during isolation.
Takumi supported the #SafeHands initiative, partnering with the World Health Organisation to help raise awareness of protection measures against COVID-19 with creators, highlighting what could be done for 20 seconds whilst washing their hands; e.g. keeping the ball off the ground etc.
Given the fear and uncertainty during the lockdown, consumers were craving information on both essential goods and services that they could rely on, as well as factual content and best practices to help stave the spread of COVID-19.
In total, we saw 56 of our creators take part in the campaign, with each piece of content-generating positive and accurate information that played an important role in protecting public health, whilst also championing government advise.
A great example of the content that was produced, was a post shared on TikTok and Instagram by @laula.co; an adorable account that follows the life of a dog called Laula.
View this post on Instagram
The quick, fun, video was a great way to engage with her community and spread practical steps that could help the public protect themselves and those close from COVID-19.
Alongside the WHO campaign, Takumi set up an activation that would help support the public’s mental health during the unprecedented times that many were facing.
Pro-bono work was a valuable way we could lend our skills, knowledge, and relationships to support local communities.
#TheMindfulMovement was set up to ensure that anyone following social distancing measures was kept in the loop with the latest coronavirus updates and the best tips to protect their mental health whilst being at home.
The campaign saw over 185 creators across the globe join the movement, where our creators encouraged mindfulness across Instagram and TikTok by showcasing what they were doing to look after their mental health whilst in lockdown for example; sharing exercise tips, homeschooling stories, good books to read or in general checking in with their communities.
A piece of content that inspired during this time was created by @theyoungsmiths, a content creator based in New York, who documented what many families were facing — homeschooling.
The post shared a personal experience of a parent, who like many, found themselves picking up the role of the teacher during the lockdown.
Her inspiring piece of content engaged with her community of 10.3k followers and shared an honest message of what the first day of homeschooling her child was like, whilst asking her fellow followers how they were finding adapting to the new normal.
In the UK, Kindred, a brand that helps you support charities from what you buy, created a rainbow t-shirt in collaboration with Clap For Our Carers, where 100% of proceeds went towards NHS Charities Together.
Takumi partnered with Kindred to help promote the charity initiative by using creators to help spread awareness of the incredible cause.
A stand out piece of content from the Kindred pro-bono campaign was created by @allmumstalk where she shared an image of herself in hospital after giving birth to her baby, which was later picked up and published by The Evening Standard.
The post thanked the NHS for looking after her and was a beautiful way to pay tribute to the hardworking front line workers, who helped her give birth during a pandemic, whilst also referencing where her followers could purchase the rainbow t-shirts to support.
In total, we saw 24 of our creators take part in the campaign, with each piece of content driving awareness and traffic to the Kindred site to support the charity.
All over the world, we have seen an outpour of support and solidarity. Despite physical distancing, people have found new ways to connect, help one another and be figureheads in sharing positivity to help one another.
Influencers have played an integral part by standing together and help tackle misinformation by educating their audiences who predominantly do not consume news through the traditional mediums.
Takumi would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to all of our creators who helped support and raise awareness for these causes, and bring people together in times of such uncertainty.
We are all in this together and we must continue to work collaboratively, as influencers have shown by doing so, we become stronger. 💪💪
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