People People People
When asked what I do, I respond that I am a brand strategist. Which I am, but it does not really properly define what I do. What I actually do is work with people (yes brand teams, research folks, ad agencies, product development leads — that’s their functional description but they are, in fact, people) to clearly articulate their ultimate ambitions and then design and create programs, the outputs of which are the stepping stones that pave the path to that ambition.
Why the elaboration? Because Brand is just a part of it. And right now, I dare say, the least important part of it. When I think about the world we are currently living in — specifically as it relates to work — I see words just jumping around in my head. Money, job, unemployment, financials, brand equity, momentum, loyalists, frustration, fear, our future, our people, people, people, people. And I get really stuck on people because in my view that is what matters most right now.
I am not so naïve as to think that companies — and their brands — are not going to be super focused on maintaining cash flow, staying top of mind, staying relevant, and getting to the things that have been de-prioritized over the years (like digital transformation). And they should be thinking about these things and acting on them for their survival. But it can’t end there.
This pandemic shines a light on the importance of having a strong digital presence and capability. It shines a light on the things that people really need vs. what may be otherwise unnecessary (as it turns out I am super excited to just get 2 ply toilet paper vs. my usual 4 ply — so that innovation project you had in place for the 6 ply version may not need as much attention as you have been giving it because when push comes to shove, all we really want to do is wipe our asses and move on). Marginal innovation, volume and equity driving activation, and clever advertising seems a whole lot less important now. As it should be.
While it is important to keep businesses afloat for shareholder value, it’s more or, at the very least, equally important to have peoples’ livelihood and wellbeing in the fore. And it is super critical for businesses to focus on people people people now, because those who do it well will be doing the right thing, and in the process, they will retain the best talent and attract more of it in the future. This is not about the warm and fuzzies — though that is a happy side effect — this is about what really matters for the health of any business — because what is a business but for the people who make it all happen?
Focusing on brand right now feels yucky to me. Now is a time to look inward. Who are you as a company? What really matters? Why do you exist? What would the world miss if you went away? In answering those questions you’ll find no one will miss the 6 ply toilet paper they never even knew they needed. But they may miss a great place to come to work and the employer that put their people above all else.
