Agility and Adaptability - the new motto for the changing times. How brands can evolve their narratives in the post COVID-19 era?

“Agility is the ability to adapt and respond to change…agile organizations view change as an opportunity, not a threat.” – Jim Highsmith

The 2A’s (Agility and Adaptability) have become core points for brands to focus on, as businesses and sectors navigate through these trying times! The pandemic has caused long-term psychological shift in how to communicate emphatically with the audience.

Here are a few ways how brands can be agile and adaptable which is the need of the hour and will continue to be so.

Focusing on the tonality of brand communication

During these trying times, consumers are sensitive to the communication made by brands and hence they need to be more mindful in their approach. This has opened a path for brands to explore and showcase their core vision, mission and values. For example, established brands can change their tone of communication towards being empathetic during product push strategies. Smaller brands or startups, however, can focus on foundation of the content to achieve direct results. This is the time for brands to communicate about ‘serving customers with a smile’ which will define its success and recall value.

Reinforcing ‘the new normal’ approach

As the ‘new normal’ has become the talk of the town, brands must focus their messaging on safety being the first element and how their products or services are enabling a better tomorrow. Another, approach that the brands can adopt post the pandemic era is to create campaigns which talk about working towards a new future. It is essential for brands to build confidence among customers reinforcing joint efforts to overcome forthcoming challenges with agility and adaptability.

Being agile and opportunistic in taking decisions

This crisis has taught all businesses to be agile in picking up the best opportunities to serve customers in need. For example, during the crisis, delivery segregators started contactless delivery of groceries to customers; SMB’s switched to cashless payments to grow their customer base. In the post COVID-19 era, it will be critical for brands to continue to communicate to the audience about their continued new ways of expansion/ diversification in approach, product lines and services.

Communicating ‘we are with you’

Post these trying times, it has become all the more important for brands to build an emotional connect with employees and customers.  Brands must appreciate their employees who are there with them now to help bring the organization get back to stream and make it grow further. The phrase – A friend in need is a friend indeed, applies in this strategy. It is essential for brands to showcase their ‘people’ to the customers, talk about their warriors and communicate that the brands will stand by them during all times.

The post pandemic era will test how brands continue to remain agile and adaptable to the changing time. The above communication strategies will surely help them build fundamental messaging and plan their actions accordingly.