How VL OMNI Customers Are Pivoting To Help The COVID-19 Relief Effort

With social distancing becoming the new normal and online shopping growing rapidly, we’ve seen great brands redistribute their resources to promote unity and do what they can to help. Here’s how VL OMNI customers are pivoting to help the COVID-19 relief effort. 

Pivoting Effort During COVID-19

We are talking about the adapt-or-die movers and changers, those brands actively responding to the current state, rethinking strategies, and changing their business models. Therefore, adjusting their offerings and transforming their production line to supply certain necessity products like face masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, medical gowns, etc.

Moments of crisis encourage periods of change and innovation. And that is one good thing that has emerged from the pandemic. In fact, it’s key that eCommerce businesses focus on the value they can bring.

That being said, we’ve chosen to mention some brands that are having a direct impact during these unprecedented times. These brands have strong back-end systems and operations that have enabled them to quickly pivot their strategies. They are VL OMNI customers that have trusted our agile and scalable connectors to seamlessly integrate their different marketing automation, ERP and ecommerce systems, and other applications.

VL OMNI brands going above and beyond to help out

Whether that’s through adapting their production lines to produce hand sanitizer and reusable masks, taking measures to keep workers employed and safe, sharing helpful data, and more, the following brands are doing a phenomenal job addressing needs in light of the pandemic:

Nicole Miller  

While a few months ago anyone wearing a mask in public would have drawn stares in many places around the world unused to this behaviour, they are now a reminder of the strange times we live in. As governments around the world and global organizations recommend the use of cloth face coverings, a growing number of people are opting to wear face masks in public.

Nicole Miller, the lifestyle brand known for bold prints and sophisticated designer womenswear, was quick to shift from their usual designer creations to rapidly produce face masks to meet the demand, and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. With their strong messaging of “Be Safe, Stay Strong & Wear a Mask!”, they seek to foreground the importance of wearing a mask to be mindful of your well-being and those around you.

Grace Management Group

Grace Management Group is a leader in the fragrance industry and specializes in fragrance research and development with a variety of products under their four distinct brands: Bridgewater Candle Company, Votivo, Willowbrook and Greenleaf. Their brands Votivo and Bridgewater Candle Company have also refocused their resources to address the hand sanitizer shortage and help out during this time of need.

Besides offering high-quality fragrances and candles, Votivo and Bridgewater Candle Company are both producing fragrance-free liquid hand sanitizers for immediate use to prevent the spread of the virus and fight germs.

Oliberté

Oliberté, the well-known sustainable handcrafted footwear brand that founded the world’s first Fair Trade Certified factory in Ethiopia, also joins the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak by focusing their resources and attention on manufacturing masks. As the world changes in the wake of COVID-19, Olierté has pivoted to produce disposable and KN95 masks besides their boots range. Within a mere few weeks, they have sold more than 8 million masks and there will be more to come.

Brands like Oliberté have shown endurance to redistribute its resources and expertise to respond to the growing demand for health care products. Oliberte recently has made moves to make open up their own mask-making operations right in our local HQ of Oakville Ontario.  Helping front-line workers right here at home, they begin production of Medical Masks on June 22nd

Sabre Industrial 

Sabre Industrial, an industrial equipment supplier based in Surrey, British Columbia, has also shifted its efforts to produce hand sanitizer or “liquid hand cleaner” in various formats and package sizes, as well as washable face masks. The supplier continues operating as usual while following safety guidelines to keep their supply base healthy with minor delays in production, and their workers employed and safe.

Change requires innovation

The world is changing rapidly in light of COVID-19. Brands can either be socially aware and focus on the well-being of customers and those around them or be completely forgotten. Change requires innovation.  Just like the brands mentioned above, it is important to start utilizing your resources and expertise to offer solutions and keep customers fully informed about how to gain access to your products and services. As a growing Merchant, strongly consider what you are doing to respond to this crisis as it says a lot about your brand to customers.

Consumers trust brands they have been using for a while and look to them for information about the crisis and how it is affecting employees, products, and services brands provide. That being said, leverage your resources and power to assist people in ways that governments and public sector organizations may be unable to.

Remember: Offer perspective not panic, and speak with empathy and integrity thoroughly.