The team at Kelso Communications (Kcomm) keeps a running list of jargony, overused words we can’t hear without a cringe. In 2020, we’ve added “unprecedented” to that list. But the truth is, no matter what industry you’re in, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented circumstances.
So many well-planned projects, plans and strategies haven’t just been put on hold. They’ve been placed squarely in the trash as the pandemic we’re in continues. The bright side? Many of the lessons we’ve learned are ones that will continue to serve us well after the pandemic has ended.
As you’re building your “new normal” (also on the cringe list), here are four things we’re taking away from this “unprecedented” time.
1. An AUTHENTIC Picture Speaks 1,000 Words
Today, we are well-conditioned to mask-wearing when social distancing is not possible. As the pandemic hit, the importance of wearing a mask was only starting to become common knowledge as healthcare professionals educated the public. Suddenly, brands found themselves at a loss for up-to-date imagery that included masked individuals in a variety of situations.
While there was a period of time where continued use of “unmasked” photography may have been permissible for many organizations, that was not so with our colleagues at Tryon Medical Partners. Tryon communications bore a responsibility to educate the public as we moved quickly to share the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 from common symptoms to the satellite testing sites that opened just four days after the first confirmed case in Charlotte. It was our responsibility to share and model safe practices not just in our written messaging, but visually as well.
Rather than taking the time of Tryon’s medical staff for a photoshoot in the midst of a pandemic, we coordinated with staff who shared their own photos right from the front lines. As marketers, we often put pressure on ourselves to preen every visual to perfection, but authentic imagery sends a stronger message than any perfectly produced photo ever could. And this proved itself true in the analytics.
Texted selfies from masked team partners became the key imagery on Tryon’s homepage and, month after month, the content we’ve curated in partnership with staff has been the most popular across all social media channels. The story of nurse Janet Cline who created homemade masks with clear panels to allow deaf patients to lip read became the most popular piece of content ever shared.
For an organization that prides itself on putting patient relationships first, authentic communication is a linchpin of our style and tone. While in some cases these images may be considered “unrefined,” they have done nothing but refine our process and put into practice the strategies we’ll use well beyond the pandemic.
2. Think About Who You’re Pitching FOR as Much as Who You’re Pitching TO
Audience definition work is the critical infrastructure upon which any successful communications work is built. In traditional public relations, we talk a lot about who we are pitching TO, but not as much about who we are pitching FOR. Both are equally important and our work with Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy illustrates that point.
In a prior engagement, Kcomm assisted Legal Services of Southern Piedmont with rebranding efforts, including the decision to change its name to “Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy.” As part of this process, we worked extensively on identifying and personifying their audiences – who they were, what they needed to hear and most importantly, what we wanted them to do.
Fast forward to this year. When Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy needed to educate the public on the availability of their COVID-19 related legal services, they reached back out to Kcomm. Our prior research and experience helped them with communicating their commitment to changing the systems that disproportionately challenge the generationally poor. It also helped us create an emergency PR plan focused on media relations, ready to implement within days.
In four months we earned more than 20 placements. Beyond the number and high quality of the content, our success is measured in the careful crafting of stories perfectly matched to the outlet designed to generate awareness and requests for help among those who need it most.
3. Don’t Throw Out the (Branding) Baby
Canopy Realtor®️ Association is one of the Southeast’s largest trade associations for Realtors®️, with more than 12,000 members across the Charlotte region and western North Carolina. We kicked off 2020 by developing a campaign to illustrate the value of working with a professional when buying or selling a home, anchored by the theme, “With a Realtor®️, you see it all.” Graphics focused on the deeper understanding a Realtor®️ brings to the issues you may not see at first glance or under the surface: confusing words in a closing contract, highway expansion encroaching on an otherwise idyllic dream home, faulty wiring or foundation settling in a seemingly picture-perfect kitchen. The campaign launched and all was good. Then March hit.
Suddenly, the mere thoughts of visiting a home, welcoming strangers at an open house, or even standing within six feet of your Realtor®️ all sent up big red flags. We needed to communicate a message of safety and reassurance, which was especially important in the spring, the year’s most active real estate season.
So we created a sub-campaign with the same look and strategy, but with one essential word added: “With a Realtor®️, you see it all safely.” The graphics evolved to creatively reveal the CDC-recommended guidelines that Realtors®️ would follow in the new no-contact, hand sanitizer-drenched world, and a primary visual featured a welcome mat proclaiming, “Home Safe Home.”
Thinking fast is the name of the game in marketing. With Canopy, we took a hard (and quick) look at the landscape in order to truly “see it all,” and the resulting sub-campaign supports our client’s time-sensitive message without diluting the impact of their core brand promise.
4. There’s Strength in Sensitivity
Without a crystal ball in hand, we started the year with a new campaign to attract police officer recruits to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD). It was all about the benefits of life in the dynamic, fast-growing city of Charlotte. This Work/Life concept focused on the off-duty hours, and officers were invited to… Mingle with the crowd at an NBA game! Gather with friends at a brewery! Hit the soccer field with the team! Meet a date at a trendy (and packed) restaurant!
We could go on, but you get the idea. And the challenges. Maskless communal life just couldn’t be a thing anymore, especially when advertising for a police force, where safety is a fundamental part of the mission.
But even in a pandemic — especially in a pandemic — we needed to communicate that Charlotte is still a dynamic place. The necessary change would come from showcasing the spirit of a strong community, if not the up-close-and-personal aspects of it. Masks became part of the CMPD uniform, and we hit the streets on foot and on bikes to photograph officers against the skyline, as well as in conversation with (also masked) citizens.
Messaging conveyed Charlotte’s ability to come together to face any challenge: “A community of strength.” “Stronger together.” “In this together.” Yes, the look is more severe. But the compassion and support inherent in civil service work now shines through in a whole new light.