Tit-Bits and Take-Aways from the Collision Feed

Simplify Brand Messages. Get Back to the Office in order to Create Better. A message from Digital Nomads: We want to Work where we’re Chilling!

Animation credit Jamie Paul | Pictured: Business guru Ray Dalio

The core messages in Brand Building Post-Pandemic weren’t rocket science by any means. They were pretty much based on concepts marketing gurus like Seth Godin have been advocating for as long as I’ve been reading Business blogs. However, they were a solid endorsement of the things we’ve learnt (and should have implemented in our businesses during and post lockdown): First and foremost, we should simplify our brand message as best we can, secondly, we should focus on product experience and not just on our product(s) – this would include building communities around our brands and products, and thirdly (and vitally) – we should see our customers as users, not buyers. To summarize, the days of blatant selling and flogging a product are well and truly over. A far subtler touch is required in this new normal – brands have to give (surprise, surprise) much more to their customer, some of it free of charge.

Reimagining Marketing in the Next Normal pretty much reiterated the message Brand Building Post-Pandemic gave and expanded on it: Our brands need to offer experiences, not simply products. There were a few words of wisdom about the ‘new normal’ for office environments too: contrary to the belief that working from home is ideal, creatives need to, in fact, get back to an office environment to better create. This environment must contain a new sense of belonging, flexibility and community. Furthermore, the speakers advocated the importance of digital marketing and leadership styles in this ‘new normal’ hybrid environment of some home and some office working.

A few take-aways from the Travel sector (Travel Post-Pandemic – Booking.com) included, unsurprisingly, that punters will want accommodation with better health and safety guarantees, and that the trend for ‘staycations’ will persist. Moreover, holiday makers will increasingly want a more personalized experience (which MUST be great news for the likes of Airbnb) and most unsurprisingly, they’ll want somewhere they can work from remotely.

From the communications industry, TV in particular (A Golden Age for TV) we were told that broadcasts have become more personal, that the tone of reporting is generally more positive and empathic and that the current emphasis is on communities coming together. (One can’t help but wonder how long this trend of goodwill will continue – humanity has a tendency to be far more blasé as soon as a crisis is over …)

I’ll leave you with a few pearls of wisdom from a personal favourite guru, Ray Dalio (Leveraging People Intelligence for Bottom-Line Business Impact – Ray Dalio and Arianna Huffington): Know the direction you’re going into, be comfortable receiving feedback and get organized – being disorganized is stressful!

Oh, and consider it sage advice to get in synch with yourself and others – meditation is a tried and tested method to achieve this.

Namaste