Business lessons from the Chinese recovery from the coronavirus crisis

In March the Harvard Business Review published an in-depth look at How Chinese Companies Have Responded to Coronavirus. All of the recommendations laid out in the article are worth trying, but not easy to execute with a small team. Below we explore ways to work with agencies to fashion the coronavirus response for your business.

Harvard Business Review says: “Look ahead and constantly reframe your efforts.”

In any crisis, your company goes through stages, from ignorance to understanding, to response, to aftermath. The authors note that “this process must be fast — and therefore CEO-led — to avoid getting stuck in complex internal coordination processes and being slow to react to changing circumstances.”

TDA says: Enlist outside help for a quick response

The part about the process being “CEO-led” is crucial, but the CEO does not have to come up with a strategy for a response on his/her own. Trusted advisors can help speed up the process and define your company’s response. A public relations agency, especially one that does crisis PR, can be an invaluable resource for companies during a crisis, but the important part is to have one before a crisis hits so that you can be prepared to respond quickly.

Harvard Business Review says: “Proactively create clarity and security for employees.”

Small companies can keep communications simple, gathering the team, either in-person or, under the current circumstances, online to communicate about topics like employee security. Many large companies have large human resources teams that have developed employee handbooks and other documents that play a key role in managing crises. But medium-sized companies are often caught between these two extremes when a crisis hits.

The authors state that “employees will need to adopt new ways of working, but they won’t be able to do so unless they have clear, consistent information and overall direction.” Your graphic design agency doesn’t have to be limited to designing external communications. Use your agency to design a clear plan that all your employees will understand in times of crisis.

Harvard Business Review says: “Shift your sales channel mix.”

Being prepared for a crisis often means being flexible. As an example, the authors gave referred to Chinese cosmetics company Lin Qingxuan which “redeployed its 100+ beauty advisors from those stores to become online influencers who leveraged digital tools, such as WeChat, to engage customers virtually and drive online sales.”

TDA says: Deploy your influencer marketing program

There is a fine art to influencer marketing. Most business leaders don’t have the time to spend getting up to speed on the best practices of a type of marketing that is almost constantly changing, like influencer marketing. Having an influencer marketing agency assist you in crafting and executing an influencer marketing program can keep you up to date and up and running during a crisis.

Harvard Business Review says: “Look for opportunity amid adversity.”

Crises tend to put us on the defensive, but smart business leaders throughout China took this advice to heart. The authors pointed out how “demand increased in many specific areas. These include B2C e-commerce (especially door-to-door models), B2B e-commerce, remote meeting services, social media, hygiene products, health insurance, and other product groups.”

TDA says: Invest in e-commerce

Even with an existing e-commerce solution in place, making sure your product is easily and readily available is largely an e-commerce problem. An agency that specializes in e-commerce can help you get prepared for future crises, thinking through all of the contingencies and making sure your e-commerce functionality is durable.

Harvard Business Review says: “Spot new consumption habits being formed.”

The authors remind business leaders that “the SARS crisis is often credited with accelerating the adoption of e-commerce in China.” While it is too early to tell what kind of an impact the coronavirus outbreak and response will have on consumer behavior, it’s never to early to plan for what will happen next.

TDA says: Get ahead with an app

E-commerce was already well on its way to becoming the default way people in many places shop. While it’s impossible to predict what other technologies will be adopted in the current crisis, it’s clear that apps can play a major role in how people shop online. So working with an app development agency is a great way to prepare your business for the future of e-commerce and therefore, unfortunately, future crises.

Putting your coronavirus response plan into action

While the coronavirus crisis is, by no means over finished, there are examples of how to find the right help crafting your company’s coronavirus response. With proper planning today and assistance from the best digital agencies in the world, you can make your business more resilient and prepared for future crises.