#133: Why we can't stop checking the news, how to research a new normal, cannabis and COVID marketing resources
A message from our CEO... just kidding.
Our inboxes stand as a reminder that many businesses believe they are the center of their customers' universe.
I know we're concerned about pipeline as marketers/leaders and what's to come next.
But, unless you're sending something helpful (an extension on bills, 90 days free, true resources for this trying time, not more WFH tips, service disruptions for critical tools/services) perhaps the mantra of "less is more" applies.
Call me old-fashioned but there's just no reason to pile onto the onslaught of noise/information overload unless you absolutely have to.
Not everything requires your commentary. And more importantly:
There is no such thing as "being top of mind" during a pandemic. Your brand, by default, takes a backseat to how we are navigating this "new normal."
Proceed accordingly.
In that aim, this week's collection is intended as a helpful resource for this trying time. (Though who knows, maybe I'm just adding to the noise. Wash your hands.)
1. Why we can't stop checking the news
2. How to research a "new normal"
3. What is good PR during a pandemic? (THURS 3/26 1PM)
4. To market, or not to market?
5. Coronavirus anxiety and the cannabis boom
6. New scammers and Zoombombing?
7. Quote of the week: get yourselves an imaginary coworker
1. Why we can't stop checking the news
TL;DR: We're addicted to the news. Be there, but only if helpful.
This WIRED article from 2017 explores how our brains are info-addicts during a crisis:
“We scroll through our Twitter feeds, not seeking anything specific, just monitoring them so we don’t miss out on anything important,” says Shyam Sundar, a communications researcher at Pennsylvania State University.
This impulse could stem from the chemical hits our brains receive with each news hit, but it could also derive from a primitive behavioral instinct—surveillance gratification-seeking, or the urge that drove our cave-dwelling ancestors to poke their heads out and check for predators.
In times of perceived crisis, our brains cry out for information to help us survive."
Surveillance gratification-seeking -- that's the new FOMO.
For us, we need to take breaks from the overload. For marketers, it means less is more, and relevance matters. Be there, but only if helpful.
2. How to research a "new normal"
TL;DR: Meet your audience where they are. Ask, don't assume.
Yesterday I continued my new livestream series, Exceptional Truths.
Watch my conversation with Jess Mons and Lindsey Brinkworth from research firm, dscout.
Our topic: Gender identity inclusion for businesses and UX design.
The broader meaning right NOW: We're all being forced to question "the way things are" (working from home, social distancing, childcare.) This mindset can lead to growth. In this talk, Jess and Lindsey offer a framework by which to research and find what this “new normal” can be.
In this case study, they used it to make respectful space for those who identify outside of the gender binary. (Read their full case study here.)
I found it helpful for any business who needs to adapt to meet the new realities in the unknown spaces this pandemic is creating. Good luck.
3. What is good PR during a pandemic?
TL;DR: The PR industry needs an intervention.
This tweet from CNBC advertising/marketing reporter Meg Graham made me laugh, but also cry a little inside.
We need an intervention.
I called in the big guns for this one. Thursday 3/26 at 1:00pm I'm going live on LinkedIn with Katelyn Holbrook as she walks through a new guide on what to do - and what not to do - in your PR programs during a pandemic.
Join us! Add to your calendar here.
4. To market, or not to market?
TL;DR: Don't stop marketing (it was never an option), adapt.
Two smart marketing consultant friends in my world (lucky me) put out solid advice this past week to their respective audiences.
Should B2B firms stop marketing during a pandemic? Lee Odden says no, but proceed with caution.
During this time of transition, it’s also important that marketers review their planned advertising, social and marketing messages to be appropriate to what customers are dealing with right now. Publishing marketing messages as if everything is normal will not resonate or be useful.
The inimitable Mandy McEwen has good advice for plastic surgeons / medical professionals during this time as well.
With the rise of telemedicine, comes the opportunity to connect with your patients remotely. However, keep in mind that leveraging this form of communication requires you to adhere to HIPAA guidelines. Using secure messaging solutions ensures you maintain doctor-patient confidentiality and no private data is breached during this time.
5. Coronavirus anxiety and the cannabis boom
TL;DR: Your buyers are anxious. We're all anxious. Smoke some weed. (jk, kind of)
In other news, cannabis companies are reporting a huge surge in new customers (double their normal new customer numbers) and online orders for delivery.
One contributing factor is that this is a time of unprecedented anxiety and insomnia. Psychologist Justin Ross explains 3 key ingredients causing anxiety:
Unpredictability: when we don’t have a clear sense of what may happen next.
Lack of control: when we believe we do not have direct control for managing issues appropriately.
Threats to people or things we value.
6. New scammers and Zoombombing?
Two new concerns coming out of this pandemic are new types of scams and trolls.
First, from NBC News, scammers are exploiting the global thirst for information about the outbreak to make $$ and steal info.
Criminal hackers, scammers and even governments have been sending fake coronavirus-themed emails designed to trick people into opening attachments that download malicious software, allowing access to their data, experts told NBC News. Some messages have impersonated the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while others have masqueraded as communications from health authorities in other countries, including Ukraine, Vietnam and Italy.
And for those of us now living on Zoom...
But the trolls of the internet are under quarantine, too, and they’re looking for Zooms to disrupt.
They are jumping into public Zoom calls and using the platform’s screen-sharing feature to project graphic content to unwitting conference participants, forcing hosts to shut down their events.
On Tuesday, Chipotle was forced to end a public Zoom chat that the brand had co-hosted with the musician Lauv after one participant began broadcasting pornography to hundreds of attendees.
From Taylor Lorenz who is truly a national treasure. Other articles of hers that I highly recommend:
7. Quote of the week: get yourselves an imaginary coworker
These past 2 weeks have given rise to a wave of sudden WFH experts. There's been a lot of advice guys. Zig, zag, and all that advice...
But, in a tweet heard round the world (and inspiring legit plagiarism from others, SHADE) Molly Tolsky gives us all the real work-from-home advice we need:
Helpful resources I've come across:
Katie Deighton (The Drum)'s freelancer's guide to the coronavirus downturn.
Kate O'Neill's AMAZING thread of resources/alternatives to binge watching.
Hang in there, friends.
Best,
Katie
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PR During Coronavirus feat Katelyn Holbrook of V2 Communications (Thursday 3/26 1:00pm ET)
Brands Pandering in Women's History Month feat. me! (Tuesday 3/31 2:00pm ET)
Context Marketing feat. Mathew Sweezy of Salesforce (Tuesday 4/7 2:30pm ET)
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