During this strange period we’re all experiencing, it’s hard to know what to do with all the time we’ve suddenly got back. Yes, it’s not like it’s golden time we’re able to spend on trips to restaurants and holidays. More a spare change of minutes and hours, days even, when we’d normally be commuting, sitting in pubs, or even training for since-cancelled races and trips.
There’s talk of long-spooling novels being written; extensive crochet undertakings finally taking shape; and in the case of a colleague’s father, a model of the Bismarck being built - a model he and his siblings bought him in 1993.
When it comes to our industry, you could also say how this time can be used as a period of reflection. It’s something not necessarily afforded to them before now. The pace of daily business has been relentless, and only now is there (an enforced) pause.
The key behaviour we're seeing from senior brand marketers right now is them taking a step back and reflecting on the future they want to create. And not just for their brands, but for their teams.
With our silver lining hat on, we’d call it a rare opportunity to look ahead and plan strategically. To really build and finesse a high performing marketing team and culture. But like most circumstances during this period, this one is new and whilst the sentiment may be there, knowing how to go about it is another challenge entirely. That’s why we’ve put together the below tips on how we can help.
Empower the curious among your team
Think of the greatest innovations throughout history and they all, however different the end product, result from one key trait: curiosity. The value of this cannot be underestimated. It is not simply about asking questions, but feeling validated to challenge and probe the unknown; to get you and your teams acclimatised to creating exciting alternatives and possibilities. That simple act of seeking information is integral to exercising creativity.
And now is when that empowerment is more important than ever. Your teams will be in need of inspiration, to break the malaise this period of disconnect can have. With a platform resource like BITE, we give them the perfect passport to insight and trends that might otherwise escape their attention. Instead of having to comb the netherregions of the internet, here they’re all in one place, curated for marketers to help them put into practice. Whether new work in the form of hot picks, far-reaching trends or groundbreaking thought leadership. According to research from the Harvard Business Review, “when we are curious, we view tough situations more creatively.” If there’s a silver lining to be had during this time, curiosity is the key to unlocking it.
Better connections mean better work
It can be difficult to navigate the agency landscape, with a heavy catalogue of disciplines and specialisms to sort through. Not only that, but new agencies are popping up all the time, whilst others merge, or simply change their proposition to further define themselves in a crowded marketplace. And navigating all this is especially difficult in a year where an unprecedented number of awards ceremonies and festivals have been cancelled. Without those shortlists, there’s a lot of agency noise to contend with. But we recommend tuning in to it. Using our extensive agency database, with its evocative and expressive profiles to find breaking agency work, case studies, insights and webinars. We pride ourselves on offering a unique way for agencies to tell their own stories in their own words. With each agency profile, you’re getting the agency world according to them - something integral to knowing if they’re the agency partner for you. Brands need to become better connected to agencies, and now is the opportune time to get the lay of the land.
Speaking the same creative language
The above points may be great for the individual, but to make them really shine, it’s about connecting within your teams. Our platform isn’t designed for the standalone; instead it provides you with the goods to create a high performing appetite for marketing excellence, and then enables your team to connect and ensure they’re all speaking the same creative language. This way, they ensure your brand is consistent and the best ideas are distilled into something truly transformative. Through Pinboards, they can share ideas and inspiration virtually as they would in a boardroom with their teams and with their agencies.
And where does this all lead to? Speaking the same creative language can mean your team fosters increased creativity and produces more effective work. They not only become higher performing, but know the key to unlocking more engaged customers, and therefore greater revenue.
Use this time to excel
When all this is over, we’ll return to a version of normal. Right now, it might seem out of reach of the imagination, but there’ll come a point when we’re able to hug our loved ones, down the pub, and up to our knees in loo roll. What’s essential is that we plan for that, and make the most of this moment to do so. For brand marketers, this period can be a window of opportunity to recalibrate, reassess, and reshape. We’ll return to a world changed after all this, and you’ll undoubtedly be having conversations about how your brand should change with it. Ensuring you have empowered your team during this time, and given them the necessary tools to have the impact you want them to have, is integral. Don’t waste it.
