London, Friday 3 April: Some of the best known household brands have today launched a campaign calling on shoppers to do the right thing during the Covid-19 crisis.
With retailers under exceptional pressure, brand owners are using their collective might to urge consumers to stay home and stay safe and respect shopping hours for the elderly as well as NHS workers, who are working around the clock to keep us safe. The campaign goes live today with messages on the retailers’ websites, in email communications and is accompanied by a #ShopResponsibly social media campaign.
The Shop Responsibly campaign promotes the following key messages, which are aligned with government advice: stay home, stay safe, respect elderly shopping hours, keep two metres apart, support NHS shopping hours and only buy what you need.
The Shop Responsibly campaign was developed by Publicis Groupe UK to drive positive consumer behaviour change.
Annette King, CEO, Publicis Groupe UK, said: “Overnight we’ve seen an irreversible shift in the role retailers and brands play in people’s lives. We’ve also seen incredible efforts by so many businesses and their hard working employees to do the right thing in this difficult time. Shop Responsibly unites the sector in an urgent entreaty to consumers to behave responsibly and think about others. We invite retailers, supermarkets and other business organisations to sign up to the campaign.”
Amos Susskind, Managing Director, L’Oréal UKI, said: “During this unparalleled time we all have a role to play in the battle against Covid-19. Whether as an individual or a business we must come together and act to support those most vulnerable and exposed. This is especially true when it comes to the way we shop, and as a leading FMCG company we have the responsibility to amplify this campaign, reminding our consumers of the basic but fundamental principles of ‘Stay Home, Stay Safe and Shop Responsibly’.”
Dave Lawlor, European President, Kellogg, said “As a food company we have a unique role to play at this time to ensure that we can continue to supply our customers and keep food on supermarket shelves. Our frontline employees in our plants are coming to work every day to make this happen. We support this initiative as it will ensure that supply chains can continue to run smoothly and that everyone can shop safely, shop confidently and appropriately and access the goods they need during this crisis.”
Susan Egstrand, Reckitt Benckiser’s Regional General Manager for Northern Europe and UK & Ireland, said: “We fully support the Shop Responsibly campaign in an effort to drive change in shopping behaviours – reminding consumers to buy only what they need, when they need. We all should prioritise the needs of the most vulnerable and think about helping our neighbours.”
Nicola Coronado, Marketing Director of Essity, said: “Every brand and retailer is doing their best to manage a difficult situation. Through Essity’s support of the Shop Responsibly campaign, and our activation across our portfolio of essential hygiene brands, Cushelle, Plenty, Bodyform and TENA, we aim to drive heightened consciousness among consumers about the potential impact of their behaviours on others and in turn, ensure that everyone – particularly the most vulnerable in our society, as well as our courageous and committed key workers – is able to access the products that they need.”
Phil Smith, Director General at ISBA, said: “We champion an environment that is transparent, responsible and accountable and this is more important now than ever. Advertisers have a vital role to play in driving positive behaviour changes during this crisis. In the coming days and weeks, the Shop Responsibly eye-catching bright yellow logo will be used across the advertising channels of various brands within our network, their websites and social media platforms, urging people to think of others in their community who might need their support. This includes the elderly and vulnerable, as well as our key workers, who are working around the clock to keep us safe.”
Publicis Groupe has waived its fees to develop and create the campaign. The campaign incorporates paid, owned and earned media donated from media owners. Industry leaders like AdStream have waived delivery fees.