Pivot: Building your brand when it matters most

How do you build a successful brand? The answer may be simpler than you think: you simply never stop building.

Successful brands have always made a point of continually evaluating and re-evaluating their challenges - but in the time of COVID-19, this kind of continuous improvement approach is enjoying a new popularity. Along with a word that you’ve probably heard a hundred times by now.

Beyond the catchy (scary?) buzzword, what does it actually mean to pivot? Should you do it? How do you get started? How do you get your team on board? And how do you pivot while staying true to your brand purpose?

So many questions, so little time! Not to worry - we brought together three marketing specialists in a live panel to talk about what pivoting means to them and how to do it successfully. Missed it? Watch the webinar on-demand. Or read on, for some gems from this insightful panel:

According to Robin Bonn, Founder of agency management consultancy Co:definery, the first step in all this is breaking down misconceptions around the word ‘pivot’. “There’s this idea that a pivot is a grand departure from your business, but it can be a subtle change, too,” he shares. It’s important to decide what kind of change you’re going to make, and communicate that clearly to your team. “It doesn’t have to be scary as long as you remember that language matters. Don’t let people jump to the wrong conclusion - after all, companies don’t only pivot when there’s a need to secure the business. Doing good and helping in a time of need also justifies a pivot, and it’s something that will be remembered - by your team, your audience, even your industry.” ’Don’t be for everyone’, find your Ikigai: Hear more from Robin (Starts at 7:55)

For Melda Simon, Founder of sustainability strategy and PR consultancy Little Fires, the COVID-19 crisis has brought valuable opportunities for doing good while doing business. “There’s a lot of discussion in our industry about brand purpose versus social purpose - is it a fad? Should brands play a meaningful social role in the world?” she asks.

For Melda Simon, Founder of sustainability strategy and PR consultancy Little Fires, the COVID-19 crisis has brought valuable opportunities for doing good while doing business. “There’s a lot of discussion in our industry about brand purpose versus social purpose - is it a fad? Should brands play a meaningful social role in the world?” she asks. “We all have different views on this, but whichever side of the fence you’re on, it’s clear that the brands living up to their core values are the ones that are navigating this crisis a lot better. One reason is because more than half of consumers say that how brands behave now will have a huge impact on whether they keep buying from them.” Melda shares the brand pivots everyone’s talking about (Starts at 17:09)

How are other well-known brands pivoting in the current situation? For organisations like the British Museum, which have had to close during lockdown, it’s all about providing high value content to museum lovers who can’t be there. As Membership Events Manager Thomas Knowles shares, the lockdown has ironically helped to identify new ways of engaging audiences. The museum has seen its monthly click-through rate double since March after rethinking its member benefits. Today, the museum sends out exclusive footage from exhibitions, articles from curators, behind the scenes content, special content for children, and more. The praise for this initiative continues to roll in, as members thank the British Museum for helping them to cope with the pressures of lockdown. “This has been a chance for us to re-evaluate what we think we know about our customers, or those who interact with our brand,” he says. “When we’re finally able to reopen, we’ll want to make sure we keep that online engagement going, too.” Lifting the soul through digital content: Hear more from Thomas (Starts at 26:10)

By now, our panellists have hopefully inspired you to think about pivoting your business. Your next step? Deciding the best way to make that happen smoothly, successfully - and make the benefits stick. We’ve got you covered with our next webinar: Marketing beyond today’s climate: How brands can build meaningful connections. You’ll hear from Coca-Cola Brand Director George Wheen, former Dentsu Aegis Network CEO Dick E.G van Motman, and Co-Founder and CEO of gaming and esports media company Ampverse as they share insights, practical tips, and more to help you get started. 

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