Pivoting business

I have finally started watching the show, 'Silicon Valley', and boy, am I hooked! I know I'm awfully late to the party for a show that has a wide follower base from the tech and startup ecosystem. While I enjoyed the wry, satirical, and often self-deprecating humour, it gave much to ponder about the underlying thinking of the businesses. Being agile is an essential skill where the ability to pivot the business to meet change or uncertainty is key. Pivot — that word is an oft-used expression in the business community today. Sometimes, being able to spin on the axis of your business with a view to change its direction becomes crucial for the survival of the business. Covid-19 has caused this pivoting of various businesses that have had to reimagine themselves and their communications to remain relevant in the recent topsy turvy times.

The best businesses changed their products after sensing an opportunity in the crisis. From making masks, PPE kits, swabs, sanitisers to pushing business digitally through tech tools or transitioning brick and mortar restaurants to cloud kitchens, businesses have done what it takes to stay afloat and, in some cases, turned challenges into opportunities. Hula Global, Bioline India, Shree Shakti Enterprises, Suparshva Swabs — the list is long, their stories equally fascinating.

The evolution of brand communications to Covid-19 has been interesting as well. Remember, during peak second wave there were Instagrammers who were posting pictures of exotic beach holidays in the Maldives, and life-altering messages on 'thirst trap' photos? Hundreds were gasping for oxygen, dying in ambulances, families losing many members in quick succession — and there were our Insta-socialites, radically insensitive and blissfully unaware of the tragic ground reality. In those few weeks, some like me were in a social media limbo. Every non-Covid aid post seemed callous and crude. I, for one, just went silent on social media; if you have nothing meaningful to say, don't say anything at all, right? This is pretty much how brands reacted too. Some, like a few shallow Instagrammers engulfed in denial, peddled their products through advertisements, their messaging was completely out of sync with the chaos and pain being faced by thousands of people. Some others, like me, completely shut off all communication, no commercials, no advertisements, they simply went quiet — a sensible but safe option. The smarter ones, however, learnt to pivot their communications.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) decision to go ahead with the Indian Premier League (IPL) was one such instance of viewing the world with rose-tinted glasses. Starting at a time when the second wave was peaking and at its worst, some news organisations publicly declared that they would not cover the 14th season of the game. Finally, IPL 2021 was cancelled — not because it seemed inappropriate to have such a grand event when hundreds of Indians were dying without oxygen and our healthcare system was stretched beyond capacity — because the ever-tenacious Covid-19 had infiltrated the bio bubbles of some cricket teams.

In times of crisis, brands must bear in mind consumer sentiment and temper their communications. Only a myopic brand would not acknowledge the problems that are being faced by society at large, because brands and businesses do not and cannot exist in a bio bubble. They are part of a larger social construct, and as such, the trials and tribulations of the society must affect them too. Clever brands such as KFC dropped their slogan 'finger lickin' good' given the importance given to hand hygiene during Coronavirus. Some had their own crises to face during the pandemic. Fortune Oil's brand ambassador of heart health, Sourav Ganguly suffered a heart attack. After facing intense trolling, Fortune Oil made a comeback with an advertisement addressing heart ailment issues.

But the brands who won the day were those that quickly realised that they don't belong in a silo. They effectively used their channels of communication to garner aid, spread disease awareness, distribute ventilators, oxygen cylinders, and medical support. They junked glossy celebrity endorsements and focussed on the real heroes of the time — doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers. Dettol's 'people's campaign' saluting 100 unsung heroes of Covid did just that and touched the hearts of consumers and brand-marketeers alike. Changing brand communications to reflect the tough times was and will remain the best bet for brands. The true winners of communication amplified the real heroes of Covid fight and celebrated the human spirit.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal