As we face times of trial, it’s important to keep a clear mind and focus on opportunities for growth and not get frozen by fear.
Sustaining a brand through uncertainty can be challenging, but making the right moves can help you shine through in dark times.
Time For Reflection
In a recent conversation with a VC, author and friend of mine, he mentioned that the most common practice amongst successful CEOs that he noticed they all do was meditation.
Meditation is a form of mind relaxation that many leaders have been using for decades to advance their business and vision.
Allowing time for reflection, relaxation and submission to the creative mind is crucial, especially during challenging times.
The lack of human interactions and meetings can play to your advantage. In fact, both Warren Buffet and Bill Gates shared that their weekly calendar doesn’t have more than 2 meetings per week.
Use this time of pause to clear your mind and start with an empty canvas of opportunity.
All Eyes Online
Over the past decade we saw the fall of great retail giants like Sears, Toys R Us and other favorite brands. That was mostly due to the digital takeover of our shopping experience, but what’s to come is even more uncertain as companies now are in a shifting puzzle mode.
Sustaining your business and brand in times of uncertainty is a challenge, but it can also be a great opportunity for brands to go even more digital, the right way.
Being on social media channels and producing content online is what everyone is doing. But how you do it is what’s going to make it or break it now, as all eyes are turning online and the quest for entertaining and engaging content will be at all times high.
Travel & Hospitality
Some operations may be put on hold - Travel, hospitality, airlines, cruises, transportation. This is a great opportunity for these companies to start creating virtual social experience for guests, providing people a much needed mind escape.
Through images, videos and storytelling, they can still take people on visual trips, even when not available in the physical world, and that can keep them connected to people until the gates of the world open again. A good example for that would be these Virtual museum tours
Virtual Work / Work From Home
Moving to a virtual environment is a good test for your business. Accountability and productivity can be enhanced if employees learn how to work from home. Less distractions from the office, less extra long meetings, less water cooler conversations and gossip can actually enhance a company’s productivity.
Also, it removes any in-office personality clashes and politics from the equation, which often distracts from true work performance. Your employees now have the chance to rise and shine through based on true productivity.
Globalization
The world’s talent is now at your fingertips as virtual work can be done from anywhere.
That means that you can use the creative minds of designers from Italy, the advanced tech capabilities of web developers from Romania, the technology geniuses from Israel, and content creators from all over the globe to showcase your company and services. All unlimited by a geo location.
This has actually been the case for a while now, yet bricks and mortar shops got a bit stuck in old patterns. This forced virtualization of the workspace will blast us into a more productive virtual future.
Innovation
It’s not only a rumor that most of the world’s greatest innovations were created in the minds of introverted geniuses.
Giving these people the chance to sit quietly and pause the daily hustle can groom innovations, beyond what we’ve ever seen before.
Putting all the mad professors in a lab with a ticking economic bomb may just be what we needed to bring another boost in innovation.
Entertainment Surge
As events are being canceled throughout the world and travel is limited, people will go online to search for alternative entertainment methods.
Netflix and Amazon Prime May not be enough...
New entertainment channels will emerge. Personal branding will be at all time high. Content creation and distribution will be in overdrive, and just like the brands and employees, some will rise and shine through. Digital Social gatherings will be on the rise: groups, chats, boards, forums. Virtual events, podcasts and shows will rise. Hosted by favorite online personas.
And finally...
Humanization
In times of fear and uncertainty, the brands who care will shine through.
Openness, Personalization, Authenticity, Inspiration and Humor will breakthrough the noise.
Brands and businesses who truly capitalize on humanization, caring and giving will rise to the top.
Through Employees benefits, Discounts, incentives and community giving, combined with a calming, confident and authentic tonality, companies can lead the way in a fragile and emotional environment.
This is the pathway for brands to show up, for real, for who they truly are. All masks are off, and make real, authentic and deep connections with people, like never before.
This is an opportunity for CEOs to step to the front lines, show their face, lead and nurture their business through authentic relationships with their consumers, and give.
This is the time to make real connections that will make impact beyond current events.
This is the time to build legacy brands - ones who will last forever.
About
Limor Ben Ari is an advertising veteran who worked with over 100 brands, including Fortune 500 companies and new start ups, managing their branding and marketing operations.
She was a Communications officer in the Israeli Defense Forces and later worked for the Ministry of Defense, Communications Department in New York.
She is a marketing executive, working with health, wellness, lifestyle brands and the entertainment industry, representing and co-producing TV shows. She is the founder of the marketing firm, Dvashh, Inc. and multiple online media channels.
