If Usual Methods Fail, Let Empathy Prevail
There’s no concrete playbook for how to proceed with content creation and brand promotion during a global crisis. If it’s up to us to write the rules as we go, why not write them with compassion?
Hey there.
These are bizarre times…but you don’t need some random person to tell you that. You’re probably bombarded with posts all across your social media spectrum telling you that already: that we’re living through a crisis, and you’re probably living it all wrong. Maybe brands offer you productivity tips to “crush your workday from home,” or you may have been sideways-shamed into learning Mandarin after your daily 15km run because “those diems don’t carpe themselves!”
I’ve got to admit — as a regular consumer, it feels almost insulting to be on the receiving end of this, hit with post after post telling me how to feel and what to do — cleverly disguised as help during a trying time. As a brand promoter focused on highlighting the humanity behind an organization, I’m left with an even worse taste in my mouth: if callous content has become the status quo, what’s going to keep people coming back for more? Not only that, but shouldn’t brands and creators alike take a more benign approach right now? Aren’t folks going through enough?
As co-lead of the Brand & Creative team at TEDxTUM, I’d like to share some insights about how we’re taking a bit of a different approach to social media this year. Additionally, I’d like to explain the thought behind how we plan to promote our talks, events, and campaigns during the crisis and afterward, as we all feel our way through to the new normal.
First and foremost: words matter! A well-thought-out post or article can brighten someone’s day, or help someone get through this time. A tone-deaf post can kick someone while they’re down.
You never know who is battling PTSD, anxiety, depression, addiction, or any other invisible condition. For these people, just an ordinary, non-pandemic day can be difficult in ways that aren’t often seen or understood by the casual observer. To make matters worse: not everyone has the ability to fire up a Skype call with a therapist — let alone the privilege to pay for it.
In fact, this was the driving force behind our end-of-March editorial newsletter: “Compassion — in a crisis, in the commonplace.” For a range of reasons unrelated to the pandemic, April is a disproportionately difficult month for many people. Sometimes referenced by researchers as an incubator for violence, April’s history of bloodshed is startling. The uptick in brutal attacks during this month in particular means that there are many survivors of these incidents — people for whom these few weeks serve as a gut-wrenching annual reminder. For these survivors, April is already a personal gauntlet. In a nod to those who are working to heal through tragedy just as a global crisis takes hold, TEDxTUM wants to be cognizant of the road they walk — offering a few words of encouragement to light the way.
So…what does mental health have to do with TEDxTUM? Well, let’s face it: a lot of folks feel desperate to connect. Many people out in the world right now are hurting, and they may cross paths with our social media channels. If they find us, we want to welcome them to our digital table. TEDxTUM’s goal this year on social media is to meet people where they are — not tell them that they’re lazy or undisciplined for “not using this time wisely.”
Because really, here’s where people are: wading waist-deep through a global crisis of unprecedented magnitude, trying their best.
This crisis affects all of us. Out of respect, solidarity, and decorum for those around the world who are suffering, TEDxTUM will move through this year with a position of global empathy, recognizing the profound nature of the way our world is changing. Whether it’s a newsletter highlighting our talks, announcements regarding future events, social media campaigns designed to inspire, or any type of reach through the digital divide, our objective is clear: quality outranks quantity, and we will work to uplift our audience as best we can.
Our most recent editorial, “Zoom out — this won’t last forever” focused on just that. We highlighted the ways that technology has shaped our world in recent years, and to what lengths we can go when we dare to visualize a new future. Rather than preach to our audience or patronize, TEDxTUM aims to empower.
When an audience is emboldened to think differently, what kind of world can people forge on the other side of all of this?
Some people, inevitably, will be affected more heavily than others by this crisis. As we all move together through the murk of the unknown, TEDxTUM wants to shine as bright a light as possible. We’re living through strange times, but one aspect is clear: an audience is no longer limited to how many people file into an event hall.
We don’t exist in a vacuum. We have the power to reach further than our geographic boundaries, and during this global turbulence, we want anyone who stumbles onto our social media platforms to feel right at home.
The weight of just one post can be significant; a caption written carelessly could sour someone’s mood all day. A post written with empathy could change someone’s life. Words matter, and TEDxTUM is committed to using them powerfully.
