Our event is canceled (or soon will be). Our school has been shut down indefinitely. Our restaurant is closed, except for takeout orders. We are determining if camp will be open or closed this summer. “What do I do now?” It’s the question we keep hearing ever since COVID-19 upended everything.
In uncertain or difficult economic times, it's natural to hunker down and cut costs, which includes your branding and swagging budget. Coronavirus has closed our schools, restaurants, and many businesses. All conferences, trade shows, conventions, and other special events also have been canceled or postponed. It’s what we need to do to flatten the curve and keep people safe and healthy. As a business owner you have two choices: create an attack plan and go on offense, or pull the covers over your head and play defense.
Option #1: Offense
Attack! New ideas! Rally the team! Focus! Look for new angles and create new revenue streams that will remain even after this pandemic is over. ATTACK!!!
Option #2: Defense
Curl up. Layoff. Cut marketing budgets. Cancel events and programs. Be scared. Close your eyes and hope for the best.
Which one do you choose? One of these puts you in control and allows you to be creative and save your business or organization. The other forces you to be an observer and whatever happens will happen (which probably means ending your business/organization and canceling your programs).
We choose OFFENSE! We choose to pivot. We choose to not roll over and die. We choose to double down on the next 10 weeks. We WILL make it while creating new ideas and positioning ourselves to be even stronger. How?
As business owners or nonprofit executives, time is our most valuable resource. If you find yourself with an abundance of it during this crisis, it's important to maximize it. Use this unexpected pause in operations to focus on your organization’s future. If you zero in on getting your branding and swagging strategy in order now, you'll be in an advantageous position.
Forward-gazing organizations understand that the moment the threat of this pandemic is over, programs will start again, events will be back on, and restaurants and businesses will reopen. Conferences, trade shows, conventions and special events will resume as quickly as they were canceled. And it may happen in record time--because participants, venues, and vendors will all be excited to move forward and ready to go.
When that moment arrives, a lot of organizations will find themselves surprised because there won't be enough time to get custom-printed swag and promotional products made. Printers will be inundated with orders, rush orders will not be available and even standard turnaround times may be extended.
Everyone will be in the same boat--which is why now is the best time to consider revisiting your branding and marketing strategies.
Now is the time to take a look at your branding along with all of your collateral. What does your swag game and logo say about your business? Is it telling the story you want told? Does it generate sales/registration/brand awareness? Have you ever tracked its return (besides anecdotally)?
If you do this now, when the threat of this virus is gone, and the business world reawakens, you'll be prepared for the return of your events, programs, and businesses, with new prospects and a supply of new t-shirts, Yeti-style water bottles, wireless earphones, bags, and other physical marketing items featuring your updated branding and marketing strategy.
The crisis that businesses and non-profits are all facing right now is real. This is an unprecedented time that no one saw coming. But no matter how it has already impacted your organization, you still have the choice to go on the offense and adapt and grow. The COVID-19 crisis is a hardship that is full of opportunities for every business. Go on the offense and find yours!
Bryan Goltzman is co-owner of Liquid Screen Design, a Branding and Swagging company that helps non-profits and business with their physical marketing needs and strategies.
