Nowadays, we are undergoing an extreme transformation within a global context that leads us to have disturbing thoughts, such as that our brands won’t be able to overcome the tests and could succumb, or that these moments of uncertainty can bring our business to end or many other negative ideas that are triggered due to the complicated reality we are currently undergoing.
As marketing director of one of the most important brands in the region, I find it impossible to put those thoughts aside. However, I wanted to analyze them in order to put together a reflection shedding light in these moments of such darkness.
It wasn’t easy to process everything, but I would like to share that this uncertain context has a vanguard of uncertainty and contingency situations -with which we are learning to cope-, which led me to think the following:
All business structures can be moved and shaken no matter how stable they seem. I mean this ”new reality” for business that we could equate to the worst natural disasters in the world such as hurricanes, earthquakes or tsunamis.
This undoubtedly shook the foundations of any purchase, sale or logistics process, which forces us to modify, adapt and transform them to be able to resist these attacks.
And this led me to think, do processes only work in an ideal context?
This question echoed in my mind for many days. However, I think the answer is simpler than I thought.
Not only must processes be robust, but also adaptable. If a process is rigid, it is probably strong in a context of normality. However, it will succumb to the worst situations due to not being able to adapt, but the most important thing is that the processes must be digital (which is the most adaptable form that we have at present or at least the most efficient).
But this shouldn’t make us think that if our processes are adaptable, flexible and digital, we will hence be immune to the worst situations, since they can still hit us anyways. Think of a world without the internet.
But, in any case, I am convinced that you can get lemonade from any lemon, even from situations as bad as those we are experiencing today; because every hurricane weakens, every earthquake stops and every tsunami finally recedes. And when it’s done, we have to be ready. So, how does it work out?
This is a very difficult question to answer, but we actually could say that we must rely on our brands’ strongest aspects, which is precisely that, the essence, the identity, the branding, the brand culture, in other words, it is the BRAND itself.
In my case, in the brand where I work, the whole team realized that the business structures can vary, they can shake, but if we manage to make our brand firm, but also adaptable, not even a contingency like the one we are living today will be able to hit us and knock us down. And that’s right, that’s the ignition button that will allow us to exit.
In uncertain contexts, we can put together many contingency and emergency plans, but we will always lean on our BRAND.
In short, if we adapt business and transform, we become part of what the world demands of us.
“Brands are the asset that gives value to companies and they are those who will seek change”.
Brand Manager de Humahuá
Artketing
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