There are five main components to a strong brand, and one of them is connection. To have genuine connections with the people most important to your success and that requires understanding, concern, and empathy. That’s just one of the reasons that brand messaging in uncertain times is critical.
In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a lot of anxiety out there in the world these days, particularly in the United States—from political unrest to the ever-increasing energy costs which are having a domino effect on practically all other costs. That in turn fans the flames of economic uncertainty and the threat of a recession.
The Morning Brew reports that The Conference Board, a nonpartisan think tank, polled 141 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies during Q2 and returned a confidence score of 47, a 12-point drop from Q1. Anything below 50 is considered negative. But that’s not all from the demoralized C-suite:
- Only 8% of CEOs said conditions worsened in Q1, but that share exploded to 47% in Q2.
- Forty percent expected things to get worse over the next six months, up from 13% in the previous survey.
If connecting with prospects, clients, and employees is a prerequisite for having a strong brand, how are companies to act in the face of so much uncertainty? Should they detach themselves from reality and pollyanna their message, asserting that all is well? Or, should they swing to the other side of the spectrum and lean into a fear-based, gloom and doom message?
The answer lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes, but where within that middle is different for everyone. So when determining where your brand lands on that scale, consider these factors:
- Who are you? Are you a brand that is encouraging, optimistic, and empowering? Or, do you have a more stoic, no-nonsense, keep it simple kind of vibe? Whatever the answer, it’s critical you stay true to who you are because another one of the five main components is authenticity. The minute people get a whiff of “telling them what they want to hear,” is the minute they start looking around for someone else.
- Who are they? One of the soapboxes I’ve been known to ascend from time to time is that we often forget exactly what it is we sell. Accountants sell confidence; Financial planners sell a sense of security; I sell the relief that comes from solving a challenge others can’t solve themselves. Those descriptions may not show up on invoices, but make no mistake how we make our clients feel is just as important as the deliverables. Your brand will thrive when you know what you’re selling—how people want to feel—especially in uncertain times.
- Where are you? If you engage in a dialog about some of these issues, will your people wonder why? More importantly, if you do not, will people wonder where you are? For example, it would be odd for a transportation company to stay silent on energy costs. In either situation, the key is providing context. Why are you commenting? Why are you not?
- Will it bolster or hinder your work? That’s a pragmatic question for something as subjective as branding, and in no way am I suggesting that an organization turns a blind eye to important issues simply because they are unpopular. But, how much good can you do if you’re no longer in business? As the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg said, “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
- Finally, although I suspect there might be more to add to this list, you have to ask. Another aspect of connecting with people is communication, which I hasten to remind folks, is a two-way street. Conduct small focus groups on how people are feeling and what the want, and need to hear. Talk to your teams. Find out where people’s heads and hearts are.
What did I miss? I’m sure there are others and I’d love to hear any that you have.
The common thread to all of these is undeniable: In order to thrive in good times and bad, you have to have a brand strategy, a clear messaging framework. Only then will you truly know how to connect most successfully with the all the ones counting on you.
Want to talk through messaging framework? Let’s do it.
