As South Africa went into its initial lockdown – a time where citizens were completely house bound unless in need of medical attention or food – the country and the entire world were suddenly thrust into a moment of massive change. Life altered significantly overnight with entire industries being closed and in some cases banned (such as the sale of alcohol and restaurants). Many people were retrenched, many had their jobs suspended and many had to work remotely. Schools were also closed, which made homeschooling the new norm. In short, life changed dramatically overnight.

For life insurer BrightRock, whose business is built on the understanding that change is an inevitable part of life, this was an opportunity to really speak to its core values and principles. H+K set up editorial meetings with the BrightRock team twice a week to develop and repurpose the wealth of content BrightRock had developed on the topic of change. Examples included the science of change, first-hand stories of how people had coped with change and suggestions on how best to navigate it. The team would meet to unpack the latest trends, evaluate the current mood of South Africans, the media appetite and then create or repurpose content that best spoke to this.

In a time where many media houses in South Africa were facing demise due to job losses and shutdown, H+K secured 73 pieces of coverage across print, online and broadcast during the months of March to November. This proactive press office approach helped to keep BrightRock firmly in a conversation it could legitimately own, strengthened its positive media relationships and ensured a constant stream of coverage.