The actual recession marketing tactics that helped brands survive + how your team can implement them

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In 2020, I interviewed Andrea Lisbona for Forbes about her less than two-year-old hand sanitizer brand, Touchland. The pandemic was wreaking havoc and the very green startup needed to act quickly and smartly.

That they did — tightening their marketing strategy to meet the demands of the times. It was a real-time masterclass in surviving turbulent periods.

Fast forward to today: If the recent $700 million acquisition by Church & Dwight is any indication, Touchland didn’t just survive — they’ve established themselves as a major category leader.

In this post, I’ll review 10 companies, including Touchland, that viewed turbulent times as opportunities to innovate, scale, and build invaluable loyalty.

1. Touchland

Touchland sells hand sanitizers and body and hair fragrances. They feature lovely scents and unique packaging for their products, aiming to turn mundane moments into little bursts of delight.

During the pandemic, Touchland doubled down on empathy, transparency, and two-way communication via social media, email, and SMS, ensuring their customers felt seen and supported.

“During a time of global uncertainty, we leaned into uplifting, sensorial experiences that helped people feel a sense of joy,” Lisbona told me in a more recent check-in for this piece. “It was critical to lead with transparency, empathy, and innovation. We weren’t just selling a product; we were redefining what personal care could feel like.”

Setting out to make hand sanitizer feel less like a commodity and more like a personal care experience, they ditched traditional ads (likely saving them a pretty penny) and leaned heavily into content creators, earned media, and impactful storytelling (including behind-the-scenes footage — something consumers love to see).

What They Got Right

I think what made Touchland stand out from other hand sanitizer companies during the pandemic was their focus on connecting with customers on a personal level. Check out this Instagram post, for example.