Crisis Marketing Case Study: What Minneapolis Businesses Should Be Doing Right Now

By: Michael Castillo

Marketing In Crisis

What Businesses Should Be Doing

Let me be very clear — crises don’t kill businesses. Confusion does. Silence does. And right now, most businesses are bleeding revenue because they’re frozen, not because they’re broken.

Below is the exact framework businesses should be executing — broken down with high-conviction hooks and clear, visual explanations.

Control the Narrative Immediately

If you don’t tell the market what’s happening, the market will assume you’re dead. And once that assumption is made — you don’t get a second chance.

Think of attention like a spotlight. In a crisis, that spotlight narrows. People are not browsing — they are scanning for certainty. Your job is not to sell. Your job is to remove uncertainty.

When customers search your business and see nothing updated, their brain fills the gap with fear. When you communicate clearly, you collapse that fear instantly.

Action Steps:

• Update Google Business Profile with current status

• Pin a clear statement across social platforms

• Use simple language: open, safe, available

SEO Impact: Visibility replaces rumor. Clarity replaces hesitation.

Shift From Sales Marketing to Trust Marketing

The fastest way to lose money in a crisis is to sound desperate for money. Sales language works when people feel safe. During crisis, safety comes first — purchases come later. Trust is the bridge.

When your messaging shifts from "Buy now" to "Here’s how we’re protecting you," the brain relaxes. Relaxed brains buy. Fearful brains retreat.

What Works Instead:

• Educational posts

• Reassurance-based messaging

• Human explanations of decisions

Key Principle: Trust compounds. Pressure repels

Dominate Local SEO While Others Go Silent

Every crisis creates winners — not because they’re better, but because they stayed visible while everyone else disappeared. SEO is not magic. It’s math. When competitors stop publishing, the algorithm still needs answers. If you provide them, you win by default.

Most businesses pause content during crisis. That pause creates a vacuum. Google rewards whoever fills it.

Required Actions:

• Publish crisis-specific updates and blogs

• Answer real search questions customers are asking

• Optimize for local, time-sensitive keywords

Long-Term Effect: You don’t just survive the crisis — you own the search results after it.

Replace Foot Traffic With Digital Touchpoints

If people won’t come to you, and you don’t go to them — you deserve the drop in revenue.

Revenue doesn’t disappear in a crisis — it relocates. It moves from physical to digital. From walk-ins to inboxes. From storefronts to screens.

COVID proved this: the businesses that created access without exposure kept cash flowing.

Digital Replacements:

• Online ordering and booking

• DM-based customer service

• Virtual consultations

Mental Model: Convenience beats fear.

Over‑Communicate (Yes, Over‑Communicate)

During stable times, less is more.

During crisis, more is more.

Minimum Communication Standard:

• 3–4 social posts per week

• Weekly email update

• Google profile updates

If customers are unsure, they won’t show up.

Align With Community, Not Politics

Businesses should not argue ideology.

They should:

• Show solidarity

• Express empathy

• Offer support

Successful Messaging Tone:

• Calm

• Human

• Grounded

• Supportive

This builds brand equity that lasts years.

Measurable Outcomes From Past Crisis Winners

Businesses that applied these principles during COVID saw:

• Faster recovery post‑crisis

• Increased lifetime customer value

• Higher brand trust

• Stronger word‑of‑mouth

• Improved SEO authority

  
  

These outcomes are repeatable.

Final Case Study Conclusion

Crisis does not destroy businesses.

Silence, fear, and lack of strategy do.

Minneapolis businesses facing today’s ICE‑related disruption are standing at the same crossroads businesses faced in 2019.

Those who:

• Communicate clearly

• Market with empathy

• Stay digitally visible

• Serve their community

Will not just survive — they will lead when stability returns.

Executive Takeaway

Businesses that communicate clearly, market with empathy, stay visible digitally, and serve the community not only survive but lead post-crisis.

Rule: Be present, be human, be consistent — and customers will keep coming, online and offline.

Ready to Take Action?

Let’s Plan Your Business’s Crisis Marketing Strategy

Don’t wait for the next disruption to impact revenue. Book a personalized strategy session to map out exactly how your business can thrive, stay visible, and maintain customer trust — both online and offline.

Email: Info@mcaststudios.com