Coordinates 04.20.01
Welcome to Coordinates 04.20.01
First of all: how are you doing right now? I don’t know about you, but I’ve become fascinated by how my weekly mindset shifts around this crisis. It’s been different each week, and yet I haven’t had the mindshare yet to wade too far into the future except in broad strokes—what the game plan needs to be to come out of physical distancing and what actions should be taken to get us ready for that. “Where’s the plan?!,” my brain has been screaming. (Luckily, one is starting to take shape.) Yet, I also very much just want to take things day by day. Be in the present moment. Focus on what I can control.
At the same time, I’ve been amazed by humans’ adaptability. Have you given yourself props yet for being flexible and changing so quickly? We have to take our wins where we can these days. So, appreciate how you have been able to adjust, even if it is hard and even if we know there is so much tragedy out there and to come. The times will provide an opportunity for us to step up to do our part. That can be for your family, your neighborhood, your community, your teams, your customers, or our society. There are such simple ways to give back. I’ve been surprised by how heartfelt my thank you’s to grocery staff are taken in, how even that brings tears to my eyes. It doesn’t take much to make a difference in someone’s day.
In this Coordinates below, we want to inspire brand owners to “Brand for Good” and make this moment matter for your brand and business. We also share a few research resources you might find helpful in determining how to navigate this time and offer a few links to content just for you.
And a reminder: if you have a topic you’d like me to dig into and research for you that would be helpful right now, please let me know. Or, let me know what you’re challenged with right now on your business or for your brand. I’ll share insights back with you directly and in the next newsletters. You can write me here.
Be well, all. Or, as my husband says, “Keep Smart and Stay Apart!” Or my mother-in-law, “Apart with mask is our new task.”
Kathy
Branding Corner
How is your brand showing up in this crisis? Lean into “Brand for Good” and make this moment matter.
How your brand shows up in a crisis says a lot about the brand and your company. We are living through a moment of truth, a brand defining event. Brand leaders are presented with an opportunity to demonstrate what your brands really stands for, what you’re committed to, the type of brand and business you are. Can you meet the moment and make it matter?
Because frankly, you can’t fake caring. You need to “Brand for Good” from the heart and that starts with leadership. We’ve been talking about this concept of “Brand for Good” since 2016, and now is as important a time as ever to embrace the concept.
To start, become hyper-customer focused. Right now, this crisis is not just about the impact it’s having on your business and products. Of course, you have to attend to matters of business health. Yet, if you don’t take care of your customers, more problems will ensue. This time is just as much about the impact the crisis is having on your customer. Most of you don’t need to be told that, but those who are more product-focused may not be as tuned in to customer needs.
As you consider your customer, one thing you’ll need to recognize if you haven’t already observed it in your own behavior is that consumer mindsets will be regularly shifting as we evolve and adjust to what the crisis demands of us next… and then next. Customer behavior will change to accommodate new demands and short-term, ever-changing norms. So, listen closely to your customers and have empathy for them. You must step into their shoes and seek to understand their deep needs, from the functional to the emotional. Look for firms that are doing regular consumer connections to learn what’s important over time. Consider investing in your own ongoing (e.g., weekly, monthly) research starting now to keep a pulse on your consumers’ needs. Leverage social channels for always-on listening. Set-up a Covid-19 consumer panel to allow you to talk and engage with consumers regularly and directly. Get your marketers talking to consumers themselves.
Beyond that, reviewing several research studies and considering The Agency Oneto’s own perspective on Branding for Good, here are a few areas to focus on at this time to best serve and engage with your consumers:
Be present, transparent, and responsible.
Be of service… not self-serving.
Be positive.
Be people first.
Lean into “Brand for Good” and make your brand matter.
Yes, we are in a unique moment in time. Not just because of the virus, but also for what this time demands of businesses, leaders, and the brands they manage. How will you show up? Can you demonstrate genuine care? If you lean into Brand for Good, you have the opportunity to make your brand matter in this moment and make it stronger in the months and years to come.
Read the full article with further explanations and examples here >
Insights to Inspire to Action
Brand & Marketing Resources to Help Manage through the Crisis
Thank you to my friend and colleague, Sammy Dunne of DIG (Dunne Insights Group), for proactively sharing insightful reports available from other firms. Thanks, Sammy!
One of the reports from BBH (Bartle Bogle Hegarty), a creative agency headquartered out of London, was quite good and in-depth in offering marketing insights and guidance for this time. I couldn’t do it better, so I’m paying it forward and sharing with you as a resource. Read more here >
Here’s also a good link to keep handy for tracking marketing responses to Covid 19, from AdAge.
Finally, another good reference is Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2020, Special Report: Brand Trust and the Coronavirus Pandemic.
How to Stay Upbeat, Entertained, and Supported
During this time, we relish seeing the blending of work-life and personal-life. Frankly, there really is only one life. So, with that in mind, here are a few items to serve you as a complete human being with a full, rich life:
Want something to talk about besides Covid-19? Here are a few suggestions.
For a laugh, get your fill of SNL from this past Saturday.
For reassurance, it’s good to be reminded that we are quite resilient as a species. I love The School of Life and appreciated their recent email about resilience (1. Catastrophes are Common, 2. You're Stronger Than You Think, 3. Suffering Can Teach Us, 4. You've Done This Before, 5. This Too Shall Pass), as well as their videos, which tend to be informative and funny. The one on Resilience delivers.
Not sure if the C-suite would agree or maybe if you’re in the C-suite take heed: go easy on yourself and don’t expect yourself to be overly productive during this time.
The Monthly Progress Practice – April
At the beginning of the year, we shared our Monthly Progress Practice. Progress happens through small actions, so we offer a monthly practice of small actions or micro-habits to inspire positive change this year.
April is a time when Spring and nature start to really come to life. It's a time of renewal and growth. It feels bright and lighthearted. And even in this time of crisis, we need to be reminded to find the lighter side. To not be serious and hard-driving all the time.
Our guidance: “Be frivolous. Play is good for us! How can you bring some lightheartedness into your days, both at work and at home?”
With this intent, ask yourself today:
How can I add some play to our team meetings? How can I get us to take a break and laugh together?
How can I give my team permission to carve out time to play during this serious time? How can you make the idea of play productive and energizing?
How can I cherish the time at home and indulge in play with my partner and/or family?
How can I take care of myself and allow myself to do something lighthearted and indulging?
“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” - Winston Churchill
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The Agency Oneto is a disciplined yet agile business and brand strategy agency whose mission is to partner with leaders to make a positive impact on their business and brands and for their consumers and teams, unlocking potential.
We help you build and grow your brand or help you make a positive change to your business. We offer services in Business Strategy, Brand Strategy, Portfolio Strategy, Brand & Product Positioning, Brand Architecture, Marketing Strategy, Content Strategy, Innovation Strategy & Process, Consumer Insights, and Trend Analysis.
We also lead workshops and facilitate strategy and business planning sessions, provide advisory services, and offer Executive Coaching.