Communications strategist Arlene Guzman says businesses should embrace their role in helping to eradicate COVID-19 and stabilizing the economy by finding ways to incorporate vaccine-related strategies into their communication efforts.
All across the United States, COVID-19 restrictions have lifted. As a result, people are throwing away the masks that have covered their faces for over a year and are congregating with people they have not been able to see in person since the pandemic started. There is a renewed sense of hope that the country has moved beyond COVID-19.
Communications and business strategist Arlene Guzman says that businesses have to take an active role in helping the communities they serve recover from the pandemic by implementing COVID-19 vaccine-related promotional business strategies. “Getting back to normal is a top priority for business owners. However, the reality is that nobody at this point knows what the new normal is. We know that we are on the right side of the pandemic right now. Still, businesses continue to have an obligation to do their part to promote safety in the communities they serve as we continue on a positive trajectory,” Ms. Guzman said.
The CDC has issued guidelines indicating that it is now safe for people to go without a mask when they are indoors as long as they are fully vaccinated, leaving people to rely upon the honesty and integrity of others. “The CDC guidelines are somewhat ominous and leave businesses in a kind of lurch. Businesses have to trust that patrons that come into their establishments are being truthful about their vaccine status and can also take a proactive approach by incorporating the vaccine-promotion strategies into their communication strategy plans”, Arlene Guzman said.
Many businesses have developed promotions that encourage people to get vaccinated. For example, bars offer free beers to people who agree to get vaccinated or show proof of vaccination, and restaurants all over the country give away free food as a way to encourage non-vaccinated people to get the vaccine. “The bottom line is, we have never seen anything like COVID-19 before. So a way for businesses to continue to recover from the shutdowns and everything else related to the virus is to develop strategies to reward folks who are vaccinated and to incentivize those who are not to get vaccinated,” Arlene Guzman said.
According to Ms. Guzman, the experts have stated that the United States is a long way from reaching herd immunity which may help prevent another outbreak of COVID-19. “The truth of the matter is, non-vaccinated patrons are still a threat to those who are vaccinated and to the financial bottom lines of the businesses they visit. Therefore, businesses need to find ways to include the importance of getting the COVID-19 vaccine into their communication strategies.” Arlene Guzman said.