Admittedly, it takes a certain mindset to find positives in the current pandemic. But they are there, if you look hard enough. From increased productivity achieved by remote workers; to innovations that enable such workers; to identification of ‘cracks’ in our society and infrastructure (e.g. the need for deeper and more widely distributed inventories of PPE or the shortcomings of offshoring too many of our electronic components) so we can address them going forward.
For marketers like us and our clients, COVID-19 has not only been a catalyst for a wide range of innovations, problem-solving, and adaptation – it has yielded some amazing new stories to tell in support of one’s brand, marketing, or sales objectives.
Question is, have you begun to consider how these duress-derived stories can help you help your business or organization thrive in a post-COVID world?
While each situation is different depending on your industry, it’s crucial to reinforce and, where possible, capitalize on the lessons learned and strategies you’ve developed in these difficult days. Things like:
Empathy for your workforce
So much of what’s happening around us is out of our control at all times, let alone during the pandemic era. What’s not out of your control is how you treat your employees and customers when times are hard. If these difficult days have proved that you care, now is a good time to build on that trust and good will. A prime example of this is how our Hematology & Oncology Associates of CNY is publicly thanking its nursing staff by securing the presenting sponsorship of a regional newspaper’s nurse appreciation promotion.
Advantages of remote work
Having to work remotely has brought about convenience and unexpected productivity; why not utilize those new communication strategies and foster the healthier work/life balance you’ve developed for your team? Externally, tools like Zoom and DropBox have diminished the importance of in-person meetings and physical offices opening up the opportunity to work with, or for, increasingly far-flung clients: If the virus has enabled or even forced your company to do business with clients across the country or even across the globe, consider working that story into your marketing strategy post-COVID.
Technological innovation
Do you have new software, technology, or operations development that COVID forced you to create or embrace? How can you grow that on a larger scale, standardize it, or use it as a differentiator in the brighter days to come? A recent for instance: A client of ours offers premium-quality janitorial services to large-scale industrial and distribution clients; within weeks of COVID’s arrival in the U.S., this company researched, procured, and adopted a new disinfection technology for its client base – which is now central to its value proposition and a gangbuster differentiator ever since.
Bottom line, you’ve proven you can roll with the punches and get creative when you need to. Don’t stop now. Keep the momentum going and look for new visionary moments, new areas to expand and foster that spirit even more!
Enjoyed this blog post? Want to explore ways to leverage the lessons you’ve learned during the pandemic to prosper once the pandemic has passed? Cowley is here to help you build your brand for today, tomorrow, and beyond COVID. Call 315.475.8453 or reach out to schedule a consultation with one of our team members.
