As a communication person, I said during the previous crisis and I am saying now that in difficult times, we need good news stores that encourage fighting spirit, lead out of the crisis and bring customers back.
There is talk of a “new normality” coming after the crisis, which will force people to radically change their consumption habits. Today, we do not yet know exactly what this new normality is, but on the one hand, consumption is affected by the economic situation that has hit people and companies, and on the other hand, our consumption and behavioral habits may indeed be reviewed and choices changed.
It is necessary to invite customers back to us. Of course, building trust is always a long way off, but it needs to be done again. Entrepreneurs and business people look for the positive in numbers first, but if there are no beautiful numbers at the moment, it makes sense to offer optimistic quality content. As regularly as possible and in different channels.
But what to do then? The team came together again after a few months of isolating in the home office, the office is working hard, the factory is in production again, the shop and the restaurant are open – share photos and lively messages on social media. Despite the crisis, you continue to act vigorously – do you find supportive comments or even numbers for the economic news? Or work part-time at home now – talk about what it looks like and how it will benefit your business. You changed the service, are planning a new product, or even received a decent order – let us know about everything good!
We have many channels to talk about. Certainly, classic media in print, radio TV as well as on the web, and due to the new normality, more and more on the web. Social media also allows you to post a moving image. Ask your people once a week, “How do you feel?” and share with others. Or make great in-house videos with employees to keep you motivated. An interesting output could be a blog of the new normality, where the company honestly describes its exit, the changes to be made and how customers will come along with it.
What good news has communications agency In Nomine witnessed recently? At a time when passengers cannot be carried and economic results are deteriorating sharply, Viking Line has been looking for positive messages elsewhere, such as the progress of freight transport. Because the ship that sails twice between Tallinn and Helsinki on weekdays is full of trucks, freight transport works. The Finnish side also listened the recommendations and shared this positive news in their local media. Viking Line’s freight traffic is growing.
Together with the construction company Mapri Ehitus, we focused on informing about the completed projects, as well as talked about the completion of several new buildings and the laying of the cornerstone of the Estover biogas plant. The cornerstone event received proper media coverage in the time when “real news” are left on the background. Biogas station sends oil shale based fuel to the past.
In the meantime, with the financial technology company Fitek, we thought that the forced digital revolution that has pinned people down to their screens could make people use e-billing channels even more, and we bought out supportive growth numbers.
However, if, instead of good news, the media decides to focus on the not so positive news, let’s just accept it and, at best, rub our hands, as competitors are not doing any better in the eyes of the media either.
Let us talk about our actions to others and share the good news. The slogan of the former telecom company Q-GSM “Talk to people” fits perfectly here. Because if you don’t talk, no one will know. So, go ahead, and toot your own horn.
