Coronavirus Response: An APAC Communications Round-up

Over the past four weeks, the global news cycle has been dominated by a novel coronavirus (officially known as COVID-19) crisis and its effects on various industries. The World Health Organisation has declared a global health emergency on January 30 as this virus extends its reach beyond China.

As the spread of the coronavirus is now affecting business, companies are communicating internally and externally on operational changes such as imposing travel restrictions and allowing employees to work remotely as precautionary measures. Besides announcing these measures, companies are re-affirming that their supply chain operations and production process are running smoothly.

Companies are also stepping up their corporate social responsibility efforts, through monetary and/or providing in-kind donations to aid relief efforts. These socially accountable practices can help to bolster the public’s trust in companies. According to the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer, ethics-related factors such as integrity, dependability and purpose drive 76 percent of the trust capital of business, while competence accounts for only 24 percent.

Over the past month, PR Newswire has been serving companies that leverage our global distribution network to send coronavirus-related communications. As of 6 February, our team has handled over 150 of these press releases.

To help APAC communicators calibrate their responses in the face of uncertainty, we have compiled a round-up of how companies are reacting.

1. Communicating operational changes 

As coronavirus-related updates are coming in, companies must be nimble and anticipate the requirements of their customers, while adapting their operational procedures to comply with government regulations.

Chinese online travel agent, Trip.com Group, which has expanded the voluntary cancellation waiver period for about 30,000 global hotel groups outside of China, which includes Hilton, InterContinental and Accor.

Mr Ray Chen, CEO of Accommodation Business at Trip.com Group said: “In view of the recent developments, including the spread of the virus within China and other countries, it is necessary to expand the initiative and include hotels in other markets The safety and well-being of our travelers and the community is our top priority.”

The Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts has extended a waiver on cancellation fees to guests from Wuhan who have booked stays in its resorts from 22 January to 8 February. The resort group also assured guests that it has stepped up health and safety measures in its properties in line with World Health Organisation guidelines.

Besides tweaking customer operations, companies are enacting precautionary measures and demonstrating their concern for employees as well as the community. One of them is Hong Kong Broadband Network, which announced that all employees across its offices across Asia can work from home till 16 February. It has also temporarily stopped all business-related travel to and from Mainland China during this period. The telco has also waived charges for its mobile office solutions for its customers.

As businesses become more global, it is vital to reassure their business partners, investors and customers who may be getting concerned. Shenzhen-based TCL Electronics issued a press release to affirm that its business operations and global supply chain remain unaffected. It also lists a series of employee policies to keep the virus at bay. These include daily disinfection of its work premises, strict control of personnel and vehicle access to its buildings and postponing the return of employees from Hubei province.

Another Chinese company, WuXi Biologics provided an operational update to state that the company is executing its business continuity plan to mitigate potential business risks, and assured customers that its supplies for labs and manufacturing are not likely to be affected.

2. Highlighting Corporate Social Responsibility

The coronavirus developments have spurred organisations to ramp up their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts to put their corporate values into action. Besides making cash donations to purchase medical supplies and equipment, some companies are offering their relevant goods and services, to help medical staff, patients and communities. Here’re some examples.

Logistics services 

Global logistics company UPS has shipped more than two million protective masks and 11,000 sets of protective clothing to China while waiving the delivery fees. The UPS Foundation is also sending over 280,000 pairs of medical gloves in its collaboration with non-profit healthcare organizations and the Red Cross in China.

Medical supplies

As part of the virus relief efforts, pharmaceutical company Bayer is donating 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) worth of medical supplies to the Red Cross. These supplies include vitamins and antibiotics.

Honeywell has sponsored US$1 million worth of equipment to support medical services in hospitals in Wuhan. The equipment includes air and water purification systems, ICU air management solutions and scanning and mobile printing equipment. The company is also supplying over more than 20 million masks in China.

Philips Foundation, the CSR arm of electronics conglomerate Philips, is donating 15 million yuan (US$2.1 million) worth of medical equipment. The equipment includes CT scanners, which aid in the diagnosis of pneumonia, and air purifiers to filter and sterilize the air in hospital wards.

Global medical imaging firm United Imaging has donated medical imaging equipment and protective medical gear valued at more than US$1.4 million to hospitals in Wuhan. The company dispatched its staff to install CT scanners at the newly-opened Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built within two weeks.

In Singapore, Novena Global Lifecare, a healthcare and aesthetic group, has pledged to donate up to one million masks and other medical supplies to hospitals in China including Wuhan. The company will work with non-profit organisations such as the China Youth Charitable Foundation and medical institutions to carry out the distribution.

Macau integrated resort operator Melco has pledged to donate HK$20 million (US$2.5 million) to purchase medical supplies including face masks and hand sanitizers for the communities in Wuhan and Hubei.

Food products 

Swiss food and drink conglomerate Nestle has contributed about 40 million yuan (US$5.7 million) worth of cash donations and food supplies that include milk powder, cereal and biscuits. Nestle staff pitched in to donate these food products to front-line medical staff.

Education services 

Hong Kong-based EdTech firm Studycat is giving out free use of its language learning apps that teach English, Chinese, Spanish, French and German to families in China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. With the recent slate of school closures in the region, children can learn languages from these apps at home.

Technology 

Agriculture technology company XAG has set up a five million yuan (US$700,000) special fund to support drone disinfection operations in China. It will fund the use of the company’s agricultural drones that carry out aerial disinfection to curb the spread of coronavirus in rural villages and densely populated outdoor public places.

On the international front

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, set up by Microsoft founder Bill Gates and his wife, has committed US$100 million to step up coronavirus defences. The funding will help strengthen detection, isolation and treatment efforts, develop vaccines, therapies and diagnostics, and protect at-risk populations in Africa and South Asia. The fund will also assist virus relief efforts by the World Health Organisation and Chinese front-line responders.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has extended the use of a tool to detect coronavirus to any Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-qualified laboratories in the U.S. The use of the tool previously limited to CDC laboratories. With this emergency use authorization, 2019-nCoV Real-Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel can be used on any patient who meets CDC’s criteria for the testing of the virus, in a bid to speed up diagnoses.

 Click here to get a copy of the Crisis Communications in the Age of Digital PR whitepaper for the best PR crisis tactics. 

This blog post is written by Kenneth Goh, Senior Marketing Executive at PR Newswire. A former journalist, he relishes keeping track of breaking news as much as telling stories with trends and data. Connect with him via Linkedin.