Overview
Communication during a crisis is like a superhero that pacifies people, giving them direction and hope for better times ahead. It is one of the essential factors that can aid in keeping things in their intended way during such a moment, especially when human nature is bound to be panicked and confused during such a moment of crisis.
Effective crisis communication focuses on how a precarious event is controlled or contained by timely measures to mitigate the situation. For instance, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic had put more emphasis on delivering the correct information and avoiding spreading of rumours.
Hence, a well-developed and consistently updated crisis communication plan ensures that your organisation has the infrastructure to respond to unexpected issues. They require a solid team of experts who can translate your efforts to the public and build trust.
In 2020, India was gripped by a coronavirus, and the government had to declare a nationwide lockdown. Where the government was engaged in preventing a deadly virus, people and businesses faced the double whammy of this pandemic.
At the same time, being a creative agency, we were doubly responsible for conveying our clients’ message in such a crucial time to communicate solidarity and also think of creative ways to keep the ball rolling even when people had no other option but to be at home.
Project
As we mentioned, coming back to communication during a crisis is vital to convey an organisation’s efforts to the people. And to do so, it needs experts to design a robust communication strategy.
At the peak of the pandemic, when people were losing their loved ones to Covid-19 due to lack of medical resources in their area. At such time, when the government was working tirelessly on the issue, many reputed organisations came forward to engage their resources to help people. However, due to corona-related limitations, there was a clear communication gap regarding the availability of medical resources.
Decode Mediacom stepped in to fill this gap for our clients as they sought us out and wished to outsource some of their communication requirements from us.
Dhanvantri Hospital, GMDC ground, Ahmedabad
In collaboration with DRDO, the Government of Gujarat had established a temporary Dhanvantri Hospital at Gujarat University Convention & Exhibition Centre. The hospital was well-equipped with all the necessary facilities and proper sanitation. In addition, the authorities introduced the Covid-Saathi service for isolated patients to converse with their relatives through a video call. Decode Mediacom documented the scenes from the temporary facility and collected patient testimonies to highlight government’s efforts during the pandemic.
1200-bed Covid hospital at Mahatma Mandir
Home Minister Shri Amit Shah had declared to set up a 1200-bed Covid-19 hospital at Mahatma Mandir to aid people in Gujarat’s Capital and its periphery to take treatment for coronavirus. In a few days, the venue was converted into a massive state-run Covid-19 hospital comprising all the amenities.
First Temporary Covid Hospital, Chhota Udepur District
Lallooji and Sons (LJS), a well-known event management firm, took charge of building a temporary hospital with 100 beds in the Chhota Udepur District during the fatal COVID19 outbreak. The hospital was constructed in a record-breaking four days and intended to be used exclusively to care for COVID 19 patients.
To inform the public regarding the availability of the facility, Decode Mediacom created a promotional video that was conceptualised, filmed, and edited in only one working day. Prominent accounts, like that of the Gujarat Chief Minister Shri Vijay Rupani, shared the final video more frequently on social media.
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Covid Hospital, Lucknow
Bolstering the medical infrastructure during the surge in Covid-19 Cases, the Ministry of Defence, in coordination with the government of Uttar Pradesh, stepped up to establish a 500-bed Atal Bihari Vajpayee COVID Hospital in Lucknow. In a record time, the authorities had set up a hospital equipped with 20 KL Oxygen Tank, dedicated power backup and biomedical and other waste management, and serving free medicines and nutritious meals for patients.
Adani Covid Centre, Ahmedabad
To support the state in its fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, Adani Foundation devoted its resources to helping the public seeking medical support. In a span of four days, the organisation engaged all its resources to erect a temporary Covid Care Centre at Adani Vidya Mandir to care for the patients.
Apart from filming videos for the organisation, we were instrumental in designing the structures of these temporary hospitals to declutter chaos and bring order in such facilities. In addition, we designed signages, notice boards and hoardings to direct and inform people.
Khakhi Tane Salaam Chhe - Gujarat Police
During the COVID Pandemic, a few sectors witnessed not only an increase in the demand, but also a complete change in their image. The most prominent of these were the Police Department and the Medical sector. We had worked with Gujarat Police and Ahmedabad Police earlier and had nurtured with them a bond that was based on trust and mutual admiration.
During the lockdown, they entrusted us with the responsibility of bridging the communication gap between the police and the public. It was also the time when there was an increased need to create awareness on the issue and to ensure that every single person realizes the gravity of the situation and the threat that COVID19 presents.
Mitigating the threat posed by fake news was another primary objective of the endeavor. For this, we created posts and videos for them. These were posted on the official Gujarat Police handles on various social media platforms and succeeded in evoking empathy amongst the people about the Police personnel, apart from creating awareness amongst the people
Fighting together. Winning together - Gujarat Police
We, at Decode Mediacom, pride ourselves at being an entity that is empathetic towards the socio-political and the environmental needs of the society. During the Lockdown, we felt that it was our responsibility to sensitize people about the work done by the Police department and evoke empathy towards their work. While brainstorming ways to do so, we felt the best medium to strike a chord with the people is through music.
We reached out to a few prominent artists in the city and they all readily agreed to collaborate with us to compose a song. These included music director Nishith, Mehta accomplished singers Aishwarya Majumdar, Kirtidhan Gadhvi, Jigardhan Gadhvi and Aditya Gadhvi, writer-orator Kaajal Oza Vaidya, various RJs and others.
The song, Khakhi Tane Salam, was conceptualized, recorded, shot and edited in a span of 3 days and was released on social media. In no time, it struck a chord with the masses and became an instant hit, garnered thousands of likes, and was shared and retweeted on a very large scale. We were truly proud of our ode to the policemen and the love and adulation we received for the same.
Salaam Hai ! A Tribute To Nurses - Adani
Apart from filming videos for the organisation, we were instrumental in designing the structures of these temporary hospitals to declutter chaos and bring order in such facilities. In addition, we designed signages, notice boards and hoardings to direct and inform people.
We reached out to a few prominent artists in the city and they all readily agreed to collaborate with us to compose a song.These included singers Aishwarya Majumdar, Jigardhan Gadhvi.
Challenges
What could have been a bigger challenge than working in a Covid-19 hospital? Yet, donning PPE kits, our team joined corona warriors on the ground in mid-summer to film these videos. No matter how draining and dreadful the situation looked, we finished our task with utmost determination and precaution.
Another challenge for us was to work under restrictions; we had to go through numerous checks before commencing our work. It was a bit taxing on the on-field team in the safety gear. Adding to this, some of our team members got contaminated, leading to emotional turmoil. Our designing team worked from home while recovering.
Opportunities
Like a fish in troubled waters, we swam through such a challenging task with ease and expertise. We were able to deliver on deadlines by figuring out alternative action plans to proceed. Not only did it help us unlock our new potential, but it also helped strengthen our team bonding.
While working for the government and prestigious organisations during such testing times broadened our perspective and trained us to deal with an extraordinary crisis that also involved us. It was a valuable opportunity that gave us a significant experience in crisis management.
Lastly, we intended to become catalysts of hope in such testing times, and these projects became a perfect medium. We are glad to offer our services during the crisis and join the force against such a deadly virus.
Impact
In a panic-stricken state, when people witnessed death in their families, we were able to support the government in maintaining order. We extended our hands and joined its mission to fight corona. In a moment of misinformation and viral videos spreading fear about government hospitals, our videos spread awareness, helping people to trust.
As it boosted their confidence in available services, the government was able to serve better and lessen the mortality rate. Additionally, our interior branding at these hospitals stimulated the visitor’s flow at the venue. Another great aspect of our films was to be able to highlight the hard work of people- our corona warriors- who perspired day and night to serve people. Through these projects, we celebrated their spirits and cheered them up in such depressing times.
