When in crisis, reach out

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: It is by now common knowledge that companies are all about people. And customers and employees interact with people and not companies. It is also now proven beyond doubt that brands are like living beings and they are what they are because of the emotional connect they strike with the ardent and loyal customers.

I did the above prelude to set the context for what the companies, their executives and brand stewards should be doing in today’s challenging times and more importantly what they should not be doing. I do agree that these are extraordinary times and no one has an idea and clear picture of what we are in for, how long is it going to take. It is made far worse because there seems to be none among all the world governments and central banks who seem to have a good idea of how to handle this.

My point about things like this that are not in our control is that one should not lay too much emphasis on what is not in their control and focus more and more on what is in our control. And be prepared to change as the macro environment changes. At least you would be doing something and have the satisfaction of having done something rather than sounding helpless.

Coming specifically to communication, like they say, during a sandstorm one should not bury one’s heads in the sand. It is in times like this that companies need to come out and communicate. Communicate even more than they do in good times. For, in good times, as everyone is doing well and everything is hunky dory, the fact that you communicated or not becomes secondary, overshadowed by the enthusiasm and cheer all around. However, when the shine goes and the clouds set in, like it is now, people are more aware of what is being said, by whom and of course, what is being said. If silence is all they hear, they make their own conclusions and in dire times one does not need a masters in psychology to figure out the nature and type of those conclusions.