Right now, life is shifting. The COVID-19 pandemic is making its way through the U.S. and we are still seeking the light at the end of the tunnel. Life is significantly different as we socially distance ourselves, exclusively work from home offices, and learn how to engage with our children, families, friends and coworkers in new ways.

In marketing, we are also seeing shifts. Our blog post this month is simply a list of my observations of the business world and how it’s changing; how marketing is changing, and how it will forever be changed.

I am taking a few moments to reflect on where we are now, so that we may better prepare for the future. Take a few minutes to think of your own observations, too, and write them down. If for no other reason than to look back on them later and feel gratitude for all that we have.

My Observations:

• Some businesses that could be taking advantage of everyone being on social media aren’t.

• Some businesses are embracing this moment, but others were unprepared and are scrambling to do something.

• Crisis communications is a necessity, it requires preparation, but it is still consistently under prioritized.

• Business, for many, keeps going, but it feels more human and much less demanding.

• Fear is the most powerful emotion there is. Love is the most powerful action.

• Innovation is happening. Creativity is at an all-time high. Businesses have an opportunity to think, think differently, and plan ahead in a way they weren’t compelled to before.

• Competition matters more than ever - but for different reasons. Small businesses are coming together, partnering, and co-promoting to support each other in order to survive.

• Humans are self-reflecting, spending more time outdoors, talking to their loved ones, cooking at home, and feeling bored for maybe the first time in years.

• Businesses are giving away products, services, or content for free in true service to others (they maybe always could have done this, but were afraid to or chose not to).

• Having to buy access to breaking news about a pandemic seems odd. Maybe that is why media has historically been advertising-driven for revenue, not consumer-driven.

• Responsibility and ultimate accountability lies at the top, no matter what organization you’re in. “The buck stops here,” as Harry Truman said. It’s appalling to watch leadership take absolutely no accountability for the teams they’re in charge of or their decisions.

• Vulnerability, humility, compassion, and resilience are being tested and rewarded.

• Technology is being used to solve real-life problems, and is no longer being implemented simply because it sounds cool.

• Content marketing is a necessary strategy in today’s business.

I leave you with this…

During this weird, sometimes scary, time - both personally and professionally - I’m choosing to look at this as an opportunity. The fact that I even have that choice is a blessing in and of itself. I’m sure at some point, we have all lamented our overly busy lives, wishing for some downtime, fewer meetings, less running around, more quality time, more quiet time…

Ferris Jabr writes in this Scientific American article about why the brain requires rest:

“In making an argument for the necessity of mental downtime, we can now add an overwhelming amount of empirical evidence to intuition and anecdote. Why giving our brains a break now and then is so important has become increasingly clear in a diverse collection of new studies investigating: the habits of office workers and the daily routines of extraordinary musicians and athletes; the benefits of vacation, meditation and time spent in parks, gardens and other peaceful outdoor spaces; and how napping, unwinding while awake and perhaps the mere act of blinking can sharpen the mind.

What research to date also clarifies, however, is that even when we are relaxing or daydreaming, the brain does not really slow down or stop working. Rather—just as a dazzling array of molecular, genetic and physiological processes occur primarily or even exclusively when we sleep at night—many important mental processes seem to require what we call downtime and other forms of rest during the day.

Downtime replenishes the brain’s stores of attention and motivation, encourages productivity and creativity, and is essential to both achieve our highest levels of performance and simply form stable memories in everyday life. A wandering mind unsticks us in time so that we can learn from the past and plan for the future. Moments of respite may even be necessary to keep one’s moral compass in working order and maintain a sense of self.”

That time is now, and I am choosing to use it to focus on a few of the things that I’ve wanted to take time for. Even though I am still working full-time (my role is accustomed to virtual work) - and I am humbly blessed to still have work to do - I am making sure I take time to reconnect, disconnect, pursue forgotten goals, and let my brain rest from the unforgiving and unsustainable pace that has become the norm. I wish you all a bit of rest. Stay home, stay well, and take care.