Covid-19 is accelerating the push we were already seeing for brands to be steered by principles of caring for people and the planet. Our panel discussion on values-driven branding felt very timely, as marketers and communicators are tasked with navigating the appropriate tone and messaging during this time.
 
We heard from Whitney Bauck, Senior Sustainability Editor for Fashionista, Melody Serafino, co-founder, No. 29 – a communications agency specializing in brands with social impact, Gigi Ganatra, Vice President Corporate Affairs and PR for Nordstrom, Hildy Kuryk, founder of Artemis Strategies – a consultancy at the axis of media, politics, philanthropy and consumer engagement – and K.C. Kavanagh, Senior Vice President & Global Chief Communications Officer for Bacardi.

The takeaways: 

• CSR (corporate social responsibility) needs a rebrand. This represents the most personal and authentic ways a brand can demonstrate its culture, purpose and strategy
• Today, CSR is less of an “add-on” and more about a brand’s DNA 
• It’s crucial to listen to the consumer now. What do they need? Where do they want to be communicated to? 
• Look to brands with a heart, the ones who have been doing it right for a long time, for inspiration. These brands are offering their followers a sense of community and value beyond products (at a time when it’s tough for some to spend) 
• Don’t add to people’s anxiety, but take every opportunity to alleviate stress through entertainment and value in a way that’s organic to your brand. The tone is changing daily; stay on the pulse and be agile
• People still want to see beautiful things!
• The consumer demand for transparency is growing, as consumers want to know what’s going on behind the scenes, and this is shifting the rhetoric from purely sustainability 
• Instead of being overly political, find ways to talk about civic engagement in a way that is meaningful to your brand. Identify your core tenants and work with organizations that support those causes 
• Instead of focusing on politics, focus on community engagement to foster brand loyalty and appeal to people’s humanity 
• Virtual experiences are not necessarily a new concept but we’re seeing an acceleration of something that had already started 
• Different categories are moving into the virtual space, i.e. groceries and alcohol e-commerce are normal in places where that wasn’t typical 
• Now more than ever we need to make sure we are creating a diverse world and not silo-ing ourselves only with people who believe what we believe. 
• Work with people that have different values than you do. Find ways to come together — even the smallest commonalities — and have open and respectful dialogue