︎ How loyal can brands be to their employees and costumers?
Written by Giacomo Felace
2020.09
Social, environmental and economic crisis continue to reshape the way brands, customers and employees interact. Recessions are often a period of innovation and invention for brands but this is not going to be an ordinary recession.
The scars will be deep impacting society, business and culture shifting to a more “self-sufficient lifestyle”. People expects brands to show leadership during these moments and do everything they can to help their employees, customers and community.
Brands are realizing that they need to be fluid and agile platforms so they can figure out what consumer and employees needs are, and how to effectively meet those needs. But as the social and economic effects of the pandemic and deepen, the shifts in expectations are reshaping the relationship between people and brands.
I’ve starting to see that the challenge for companies is not only about offering a helping hand or bringing relief where needed, but reimagining their business and the relationship between brands, customers and employees.
︎︎︎ Customers expect brands to take action during this time. They want brands to focus on building and educating communities, revist their values and allow them greater control and personalization of their experience.
︎︎︎ Employees expect companies to be a voice of change. They need stability over wealth. They want flexibility both in terms of location and schedule. Organizations should be more dynamic in terms of internal processes, cutting out the middleman empowering employees more. It’s time to consider employees like true stakeholders.
It’s clear that empathy and optimism, although appropriate, won’t make the difference in this game. The mission for brands today is action, by taking care of their people and their environment. The right question today is not how to ensure the loyalty of customers or employees, but how loyal can brands be to them.
People’s needs are constantly changing as the effects of pandemic continue to appear. It is important that companies continue to listen and adapt to customers and employees. Brands need to reshape their values, ways of working and strategies to ensure they are being expressed appropriately at this disruptive and unique time.
If companies are not activating the true meaning of their brands they could lose customers, employees and relevance.