Our Divisions Have Entered the Building
Author’s Note: These essays are from the “unprecedented” year that was indeed like no other – 2020. The audience was marketers, but I think many of the lessons learned apply to many of us and will last far beyond the time that the word “unprecedented” (thankfully) no longer describes the times we live in. This one was about how [sadly] political divisions became part of the pandemic dialogue.
Volume 4: April 17, 2020
For me one of the “silver linings” of this COVID-19 crisis was the uniting feeling of “we are all in this together.” Obviously, we all experience it differently, and for some of us those experiences are far more difficult than for others, but for all of us there has definitely been a heightened sense of citizenship, of community, of shared sacrifice for the greater good. Hashtags like #IStayHomeFor, #InThisTogether, #QuarantineandChill and #FlattentheCurve have popped up all over our newsfeeds, reminding us that we are part of something bigger than just ourselves, our families or even our workplace.
And even while housebound and a little frightened, that reinvigorated spirit of coming together for something important made me … well, happy. I also think it provided marketers with an opportunity to practice rule No. 1 — tap into emotions and make consumers “feel” something. This kumbaya spirit was fertile ground for some truly authentic and powerful marketing and messages of hope from brands from virtually every industry.
For a while anyway, our undeniably divided country seemed almost united.
I’ve got to be honest. That feels like it is changing.
We’re seeing protests in Michigan, in North Carolina and in Ohio with people who fear the damage of the economic impact more than they worry about the health impact. The protesters are angry and distrustful of what they are hearing from government leaders and the medical community. I was scrolling through Facebook last night and saw a post from the woman who cuts my hair — needless to say her entire business literally disappeared for now. In her post, she claimed she literally knows of no one, even indirectly, who has been touched by the actual virus. So, in her world, it is undeniably true that the economic shutdown is indeed her nightmare.
But a few scrolls later, I saw a post from another acquaintance whose wife is a critical care nurse. She is one of those heroes sleeping in their garage, so she doesn’t risk infecting her family. She is still getting paid, so the economic shutdown isn’t her nightmare — hers is undeniably the virus. But her nightmare is no less real than my hair stylist’s nightmare.
This is likely the new landscape that marketers will have to navigate — a tale of two cities, and somewhat, if not extremely, divided cities at that.
I am reminded of a situation with a former client — a well-known and beloved brand you would all know. They had an incredibly compelling and award-winning campaign that redefined what it means to be a family. They showed people that it was possible to think more broadly about that concept than to always visualize a heterosexual couple with kids. They showed same-sex couples, they talked about adoption, and they showed the power of friendships, to name just a few. It was emotional, beautiful and positively impacted their sales.
Then along came the election of 2016 — and without choosing a horse in the race, I think everyone would have to agree that was a historical moment that amplified our differences. My client walked away from the campaign shortly thereafter, and decided that in the new reality, demonstrating neutrality was most important when communicating to their consumers.
Whether that was the right decision or not, I do think it was a bit of a precursor to what is likely to happen now. Messaging and positioning that seemed obvious and unanimously united just a few short weeks ago (we’re in this together, we support our grocery store clerks, our healthcare professionals, etc.) is still likely the right and appropriate thing to do.
It most certainly is what I would do, but I would be failing in my job as a marketer, if I didn’t at least address the elephant in the room. It just got a lot trickier — and likely will continue to be so. Sadly, political divides have entered the building.
What should marketers do? Clearly, the strategies will vary of course, but I do think this advice works for all. Stay true to the brand’s purpose, stay close to your customers and listen to them — but that means listening to ALL of them, even the ones you vehemently disagree with. Then choose your strategies and messages with empathy, and you will find your way to navigate through this.