With a freezer packed full of meats and vegetables, and a little ice cream, I’m feeling pretty good about my eating options while hunkered down in my home. Then I see a Facebook post from one of my favorite local restaurants pleading for people to order off its new takeout menu.

Should I don a mask, head out into the infested streets, and open my wallet for food handled by strangers? Sure, I would, because local brands matter to me.

From favorite restaurants to farmers markets, we have formed human connections and trusted bonds with local businesses. We’re regular customers and know the owners and employees well — we consider them friends. We want to help them survive this, as well as have familiar places to patronize after restrictions ease.

Trust goes both ways, too. I have great faith that local restaurants source and prepare food safely for us. Local businesses are tied to the community in ways that go beyond profit. Owners, employees and customers all have families that know each other; their children play on the same little league teams.  

Many restaurants also locally source ingredients, which has an added benefit. I know the food hasn’t traveled far, thus reducing supply-chain complexity. Nor does it come from countries where coronavirus protections may not be available to laborers.

So, when I receive a marketing message from a local business under duress, there’s real meaning behind it, and I heed the call to action. It’s all because of a real human connection.

That’s a far cry from the types of marketing messages flooding Lisa Nirell’s inbox. In Marketing Magnified’s spotlight story, “Stop Messaging and Start Making Meaning,” Nirell writes: “Many retailers, lenders and hospitality companies are dispensing pablum. Every message sounds identical: ‘We know it is a difficult time, and we are here for you.’”

Nirell draws a sharp distinction between marketing “order takers” who focus on canned communications and marketing “growth champions” who focus on real conversations. It’s not about lead generation, she advises, rather it’s about customers remembering how you made them feel when the recovery begins.

Our feature story, “Exiting Stronger Than Ever — Crisis as an Opportunity,” carries similar tones about human connection being the critical piece in a company’s survival and recovery. Helena Mah writes, “In times of crisis, caring for customers starts with thinking about employees first. Keep them safe, offer genuine support!”

Caring lies at the heart of the relationship between the community and local businesses. In marketing speak, we’re talking about consumer confidence. Global brands can learn a lot from their local counterparts about nurturing consumer confidence.

In the example of restaurants locally sourcing ingredients, customers are clearly concerned about the supply chain: where and how food moves from the farm to the table. They want to know the measures in place to ensure their safety, and companies should provide a high level of transparency throughout the supply chain.

Global brands need to consider sourcing locally whenever possible. Not only does this flatten the supply chain, it supports jobs for neighbors and friends. It’s the kind of message that resonates with people and forms a human connection that endures.

In a crisis, people care most about their community.