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What Brands Can Learn From The Popularity of ‘Contagion’ During the COVID-19 Pandemic
‘Contagion’ is now the second most-streamed movie behind Harry Potter. Why watch a show that scares us when we have a pandemic in real life? Because thrillers and horror movies can increase feelings of safety and decrease fear. There are big takeaways in the popularity of ‘Contagion’ for brands and organizations about what people need and want in times of crisis and how they benefit both the consumers and them. This is a time when the spotlight is on how brands behave in response to a crisis.
Spoiler Alert:
The most important messages from ‘Contagion’ and our real-life pandemic are the importance of hope, grit and the sense of community. Brands have an opportunity and, in my mind, an obligation, to emphasize our interconnectedness, resilience and sense of collective agency through whatever means they can. Even if it hurts the bottom line. There is a lot of suffering and hardship out there. Our health is dependent on the behavior of everyone, not just those who are vulnerable. We all need to step up.
Information Provides Comfort
In a time of uncertainty, people search for comfort by increasing their sense of control We feel control by getting information that makes the world more understandable…
