When life-altering events like a global pandemic and economic shutdown hit, many business leaders find themselves figuring out how to adapt the way they serve their customers to meet their new and ever-changing needs.

And it’s understandable that when people are focused on staying healthy and employed, it’s even harder for brands to connect with people and keep them engaged. Getting in front of people who are willing to buy from you takes an over-the-top effort in times like these – but the effort must resonate with consumers, or the brand could come across as tone deaf. That can be a fine line to walk.

Here are 3 key takeaways from Endeavor member Hughes Agency that any business can apply during this time of crisis management:

1. However you adapt, stay true to who you are.

Your brand’s vision and mission are your guiding light, so when thinking about how to repurpose what you do, keep focused on what you stand for. How you serve that up can change.

Endeavor, downtown Greenville’s coworking community, is known for bringing creative professionals together to help inspire their work with its popular Collaborators & Cocktails professional development and networking event series. When in-person events were no longer possible, Endeavor held its first ever virtual version of the event with two top tier marketers as speakers. This was their highest-attended event in the series’ four-year history.

2. Contribute to the greater good of your community.

When times are tough for everyone, it’s important that people see your brand as a group of humans who genuinely want to help those in need. Brands that find a way to connect with people’s hearts by authentically shifting their efforts to help alleviate a crisis or burden win loyal fans.

When small businesses in Greenville – from restaurants to retail establishments – were suffering through the shutdown, City Councilmember Dorothy Dowe proposed that the City of Greenville redirect $250,000 of funds allocated for Unity Park construction toward 250 $1,000 grants to help these businesses cover expenses. In addition to garnering media coverage, the City took to the streets to visit many of those recipients and share the check presentations on social media to help bring awareness to the situation and to drive business back to the establishments that make Greenville such a unique community.

3. Good press can keep your employees motivated and proud to be a part of your team.

Don’t forget that your own employees are also your most important customers, and how they feel about your brand resonates with everyone else who interacts with your business.

When the pandemic shut the YMCA of Greenville’s doors and they could no longer serve the community in the same way, their team pivoted and worked tirelessly to coordinate many food and blood drives, organize an emergency childcare program for essential workers, delivered food boxes to some of Greenville’s most vulnerable, virtual group exercise classes and even delivered a virtual Easter Sunrise Service live from Pretty Place. They executed a massive PR initiative to stay in front of members, program participants and donors so they could continue to serve Greenville. The coverage gave the Y’s internal team a sense of pride, knowing that others could see the impact of the work they were doing every day.

One thing this time of crisis taught us all is that if you want your business to survive, you can’t think or do the same as you did before. Including smart marketing and public relations efforts in your game plan can help set you on a path to not merely survive, but to thrive as you and your customers continue this unprecedented journey together.

See even more tips + lessons learned here.

Meet Endeavor’s corporate members here, and learn about joining Endeavor here. Ⓟ

Question:

Are you part of a local business that’s been affected during COVID-19? Let us know what you’ve learned, how you’ve pivoted, or what tips you want to share with other businesses during this time of uncertainty.

Here's what a few of you had to say:

"Just keep on working. It is easy to throw your hands up and walk away. Don't! All will right itself with focus."

"Our company is Monogram Concierge (not a "monogramming" company)....we are a Personal Assistant/Concierge firm and, surprisingly, COVID has not had too much of a negative impact on our business. The main difference is that we can no longer work "in" in the office, so at times the employees feel a little 'disconnected' from one another. Overall, however, we've been able to help a lot of people in our community by running their errands and getting their groceries. Several high-risk and/or elderly people are not comfortable going out right now, so we can drop things off / pick up things at their front door to help them feel safe. We are fortunate to have a staff willing to go out and make a difference!"

"The industry has been tremendous. Professional and college athletic team transportation is the majority of our business. I was out of work from March 13 to June 27. Since June 27, I have worked every day. During most of the time, I spent remodeling the house. Time and money were both available. I prepared the meals at the house. I am in the midst of pursuing my next step in life. I was able to take a class without having to take time off. I will update this once I get to the final step and have my license and business license."

"Adapt to the situation, utilize state of the art technology, and stay positive!"