2020 was a ruin with major gems
2020 was a year that made me question everything that I thought I knew about human behavior, which is at the core of marketing…genius marketing that is. At The Image Republic, we help small businesses grow and connect with their communities using consumer-centric strategies. We start with trying to understand exactly who you are targeting — what they care about, how they shop, why they shop, and why they may come to you over a competitor. Human behavior is fascinating to me because it’s always changing, informed by the world around us.
During this crazy ass year, we have been tested in so many ways. We started off with hope. We declared 365 days of 2020 vision. We knew that by the end of the year, we would likely get rid of a dictator and begin our journey to healing. I started off the year drinking wine under the New Zealand sky and basking in the Bali sun. I recall hearing about COVID-19 and dismissing its truth as if there was no way that it could reach American soil. The arrogance in believing that we were above a deadly disease is so ironic now as we sit as one of few countries unable to manage and support our citizens. This year was dark, but it illuminated the truths that for so long hid in the darkness of America. And in the light, I’ve found a few gems that might help you with your marketing for 2021.
GEMS
GEM #1: Community vs. self-centeredness
None of us have been following the CDC guidelines to a t. It has been made abundantly clear that we prioritize our personal desires over the greater good of our community. In fact, the idea of community feels less attainable at times with technical restrictions being groups of 10 people or less. There are some folks who haven’t seen loved ones or friends in months! Combined with this pervasive selfishness, COVID-19 has taken away our ability to truly embrace community.
How will marketers use their brands and media to bring people together? Marketers will have to find a way to use their brand’s messaging and media placement to provide creative solutions to creating community from afar (not another Zoom HH) and celebrate togetherness. Consider the following:
Create brand tentpole moments around holidays or create your own holiday that you can use to galvanize communities
Consider a sharing mechanism to your brand — literally or through a referral program
Create owned content / programs that allow your consumers to find their fellow tribesmen — others who care about the values of your brand
GEM #2: Validation isn’t about being needy…it’s about giving people hope
Years ago, the Stanford Graduate School of Business hosted Oprah for a discussion on Career, Life, and Leadership, during which she discussed the importance of following one’s instinct. She said something that has stayed with me since I first watched — a common desire among humans is that we seek to be validated. Validation can catch a bad reputation for neediness, but I think it’s about hope. Validation in terms of marketing can be translated into user generated content aka UGC. User generated content can be defined as free marketing from your fans. When they speak positively about their shopping experience or their unfiltered love of your products/services, you save it (with their permission of course), add your branding and reshare as a part of your content calendar. It creates a mutually beneficial relationship — you don’t have to stress over missing content and fans get to see themselves on your social media.
There are two brands that have killed UGC this year:
Chipotle
Chipotle’s social team (or person) is fucking genius. Their content never seems overdone or overtly meticulously planned. It’s timely and funny as hell. A lot of their content comes from fans who love Chipotle enough to make TikToks and clever tweets that the brand can share.
2. Telfar
AKA the Brooklyn Birkin. AKA the Telfeezy. Telfar Clemens has built a standout brand in luxury with his staple tote that comes in three sizes and several colors. Although the Telfar bag debuted a couple of years ago, it gained fame this summer during the #BuyBlack craze (that’s here to stay!). Telfar leverages drop culture to drive hype and excitement, and UGC to show off how versatile the tote is. The instagram page highlights Telfar on a date in the city, Telfar as a puppy holder, Telfar as a suitcase, Telfar for your mom, dad, sister, aunty and them.
Fans want to know that you see them! They want the gratification of scrolling through your feed and recognizing that their experience was cool enough to be the poster child for your brand. Engage with them and create products that make people feel cultish.
GEM #3: The Search for the Truth Continues
When Trump was elected in 2016, the country was thrust into the disinformation age, starting with the Russian media interference leading up to the election. Since that moment, consumers have been on a continuous search for the truth.
People are skeptical and quick to call out bs. This is the case especially for Gen Z and the subcultures that have emerged because of them. If it doesn’t feel authentic, fans will call it out, label and broadcast you as a fake.
We are seeing the need for truth come to life in the features of social media. In 2020, Twitter launched a number of updates to combat “alternative facts”. It started with Birdwatch, which launched in the late summer, and served as a reporting tool for users to inform one another about misleading tweets. Later, as the election approached, we saw Twitter enhance its tools with labels that made it clear what tweets could be trusted. It was a bold move after 4 years of users asking for stricter guardrails against the president.
So, finally, truth is becoming more of a mandatory, and it will continue to be so for brands. Brands should be ready to walk once they make bold claims. The people want receipts. Cute mission statements and manifestos are no longer enough.
How will your brand lean into authenticity? What actions can you take, small or big, to demonstrate your values and make your fans trust you?
Overall, we can all admit that 2020 was a rough year. The declaration of clarified vision was not made in vain. The truth about our society and the way that people behave in chaos became clear. Don’t shy away from these truths. Embrace them, no matter how ruinous they may appear. Find the gems and activate your community.