Five things worth sharing from the last week or so, brought to you by a different member of the Browser Media team every Friday.
This week’s My Five is by Joe.
1. What to do in a crisis?
There is no doubt that we are living in troubled times. Many organisations are in a flat spin and struggling to know which way to turn and questioning what they should be doing about their marketing strategy. One option is to hit the pause button. It is a natural reaction, but there is a lot of evidence to support the argument that it is the wrong reaction.
Libby wrote a post last week about some positive spring cleaning steps that you could be taking whilst we are in a state of turmoil. Opinium, an excellent insight agency, has published a report this week which shares some interesting research into our attitudes towards marketing during the pandemic.
It is a little surprising to see how much the perception of marketing during the crisis varies from sector to sector but the overall message is that it is ok to carry on marketing, as long as you are not jumping on the corvid 19 bandwagon for your own benefit.
Another standout is that 1/3 of those asked are desparate to see marketing that is totally unrelated to the coronavirus. We are all fed up with coronamania and welcome any distraction from the miserable news.
The world is (currently) still turning and I think that we need to carry on with life as close to normal as possible if we are to get through this period with our sanity intact. So, it is a big green light for marketing, but with a sensitivity to the real pain that many families are currently feeling.
2. Every cloud has a silver lining
I was out on our door step last night and pleased to be able to contribute to the very moving #clapforourcarers.
It was a fantastic acknowledgement to all those who are at the front line in the battle to beat the virus and a great reminder of the strength of the human spirit in adversity.
Another positive for me during the pandemic has been my discovery of some amazing YouTube channels where doctors have been sharing their experiences. A powerful example of citizen journalism which gives us a real insight into the lives, thoughts and struggles of those who we are all relying on.
There are quite a few such channels, but put a gun to my head and I think I would have to single out Dr. Hope’s Sick Notes as my favourite. It has been really interesting to watch his journey as the tidal wave approaches and the hospitals are working so hard to get ready. Note the marked change of tone at the end of his latest (at time of writing) episode:
Keep up the great work and keep us posted in your vlogs – a great reminder of how we all have a responsibility to help.
3. Handbags at dawn
It has been a bad week for Kirstie Allsopp. Not only does her husband probably have the virus, she attracted an avalanche of criticism for her decision to flee to her home in Devon during their period of self-isolation.
After she complained about the vitriol aimed at her, Piers Morgan retweeted the post, adding: “Kirstie, you’re rich, privileged & isolating in a lavish country home with your family. Maybe stop making this crisis about your struggle with trolls & direct your energy into rallying support for NHS workers risking their lives for us all in very dangerous circumstances?”
Harsh but fair?
Kirsty was not ready to let that one go and things escalated pretty quickly in a very public spat:
Definitely a case of handbags at dawn and I very much doubt they will be on each other’s Christmas card list this year…
4. Social Media Management
Managing social media channels is a time consuming business. Many organisations struggle to work out who is best suited to this role and smaller teams rarely have dedicated social media specialists.
I doubt that ‘head of security’ is the most obvious choice when thinking about who to give the responsibility, but this is exactly what The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma chose to do.
Cue some Twitter magic from Tim Send, who is keeping the USA entertained. Read all about it here.
5. And finally…
A friend shared this amazing video on FaceBook last night and it made me smile:
I don’t know Nick Harvey, but his FaceBook posts are brilliant and the perfect tonic to the news. Thank you very much Nick!
Keep safe (and 2m from others!) and have a great weekend folks.
