We’ve Found Our Voices in Protest
Author’s Note: These essays are from the “unprecedented” year that was indeed like no other – 2020. The audience was marketers, but I think many of the lessons learned apply to many of us and will last far beyond the time that the word “unprecedented” (thankfully) no longer describes the times we live in. This was about adjusting to marketing in era of turbulence.
Volume 8: July 2020
If the first few months of the pandemic and lockdown were marked by anything, for me it felt like they were marked by a relatively universal acceptance (if not embrace) of the need to “do the right thing” for our neighbors, our family, our friends, America. But how we expressed that conviction was by staying home, basically by staying quiet. If we had thoughts to express, we were limited to conversations with family, Zoom calls with friends and colleagues and social media outlets. Over time, that staying home/staying quiet behavior started to morph into less quiet, out-of-home protests demanding the economy open or that people must wear masks … or conversely don’t have to wear masks. And to cap it off, the killing of George Floyd certainly, and understandably, accelerated all of that exponentially. I think it is fair to say we have now entered a protest era. In fact, it is rather remarkable that in the midst of a pandemic, we are witnessing the most sustained series of protests in decades. I read a survey that said one in five Americans have participated in a recent protest (and it bears repeating) in the midst of a pandemic!
As marketers, we need to wrap our minds around the idea that we will need to communicate our messages if not in support of, certainly in the context of these movements. I honestly believe we are trained (and temperamentally) well-suited to do so.
After all, the purpose of effective marketing is not entirely different than the purpose of protests (with the notable distinction that protests are usually against something and often a last resort when other efforts have failed). Both are all about changing behavior and calling for action. Getting people to do different things. Think different things. Try different things. Un-seat the powerful (or take share from the dominant brand).
In the interest of never wasting a teachable moment, let’s be sure we observe what is working (and what is not) in terms of these protests so we can bring these learnings to our marketing tasks.
Here are some early observations:
Protests work because they grab our attention. They force a conversation that may not happen otherwise. Isn’t that what good marketing does?
Protests work because they often signal a shift in power. Don’t we all feel great professional pride when our marketing efforts make our competitors sit up and take notice?
Protests work because communal action can be a life-changing and long-lasting experience. Shouldn’t the best marketing make sure we are creating a sense of community (and building loyalty along the way) amongst our customers and brand fans?
And as the wise Malala Yousafzai, the youngest to ever receive the Nobel prize, reminds us simply and powerfully, “If people were silent, nothing would change.” That is especially, and certainly most importantly, true for the important work of creating social change, but it also true for creating good marketing.
Let’s not sit either opportunity out.