I’ve been thinking a lot about adaptation lately.
(You may be able to tell by my latest posts … like this one about starting a business during the 2008 economic crash and this one about returning to “normal.”)
And that’s because adaptation is the key to success.
Although it’s natural to want to cling to what we know and what has worked in the past, businesses that adapt are more likely to survive.
The need to adapt is super apparent these days, but successful companies are actually doing it all the time.
Pivots are adaptation. Launching new products are adaptation. Reaching your consumers in new ways is adaptation. Finding out you don’t need your team in the same physical space everyday is adaption. If you don’t adapt, you’re forced to resist. And that never goes well.
(This would be a good segue into talking about our climate crisis, but I’ll save that for later.)
Now, let’s shift that same thinking to consumers. It feels like there are a lot of companies that are just trying to get their consumers buying like they used to, trying to get back to the old normal as quickly as possible. But consumers are adapting too.
For instance, now, more than ever, consumers are making conscious purchasing decisions. Price is definitely a factor, but if there ever were a time in which being a Constructive Brand will help break through purchase considerations, it’s now.
Telling the right story can tip the scales your way.
But what part of your story do you tell? And how? And where?
Right now, consumers don’t want to know the widgety part of your sustainability or that you’re just simply in business for good. They want to know the soul part of your company and how you’re adapting to meet their needs.
A lot of brands have a hard time articulating this part of their company because they don’t know how to articulate it themselves, or they fear sounding inauthentic.
But, it’s my job to tell you that the deeper part of your story is exactly what people want to connect with right now, and it’s what makes the best Constructive Brands what they are.
Is your soul hidden or hard to articulate? Maybe you’re just too close to it.
Here are some questions to ask yourself in an attempt to free it up:
- What really do you sell? Think deeper than product to why your consumers pick you.
- Why does your company exist? What are its roots?
- What business decisions are you proud of?
- Who’s your super core consumer? What do they care about during “normal” times? Why do they love your brand?
- What level of connection did you have with your consumers before all of this happened? How deep and personal can you go?
- What are your consumers feeling or thinking now? How are you still relevant in their daily lives?
This is the time to connect your “why” to “why buy?”
Don’t be afraid to be real. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. It’s time to move your guardrails and adapt.