Found’s webinar series kicked off on Thursday 28th May with a deep dive into brand messaging.
Leena Keshishian, who is a creative strategist at Found, spoke about uncommon sense and how brands have handled their messaging throughout this pandemic. James Sandrini, our guest speaker from 48.1, then took us through tearing up the rulebook when preparing for a post-COVID world.
You can find the slides used by Leena and James below as well as some of the things they discussed. If you want to signup for future webinars, please click here.
Most brands have been coming up with similar key messages throughout the COVID-19 pandemic that include:
- “we’re all in this together”
- “unprecedented times”
- “now more than ever”
- “even though we’re apart”
- “in these challenging times”
- “new normal”
This is the sort of messaging that as a brand, you don’t want to follow. It’s cliché, repetitive and boring for most consumers.
In Leena’s own words: ‘Messages like the above [Microsoft Teams COVID-19 Ad] repeated start to lose their heart (if they had any to begin with) because as a brand, it’s a lot harder to make it seem like you genuinely care, than to just be useful.’
The only way for brands to win with their messaging is to forge their own path; to recognise the circumstances without that being the message.
You can check out Leena’s blog post on her webinar topic, which outlines her thoughts on the topic in more detail.
This is a crisis that is different to anything else we’ve ever experienced in our lives. This is why we have to throw away the rule book, we’re all in this together facing these strange circumstances for the first time.
Our needs and world views have drastically changed during this time. We’re all facing a sense of loss. We’re all suffering through stress and discomfort. We’re all being forced to balance our risk quotient. We’re all inundated with acts of civic activism. We’re all discovering new ways to live our lives. This is now a reality for everyone, so we’re all in the same boat.
Some of the trends that have come from this pandemic aren’t showing any signs of going back to normal anytime soon. Flight volume in Europe, unemployment rates and the Zoom share price are some of the most drastic changes we’ve seen. With a conservative government paying over £100bn of wages to millions of people across the UK, you can see why these are unprecedented times.
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48.1
Opening minds, not closing doors
Based in Shoreditch, 48.1 are a multidisciplinary creative agency made up of strategists, designers and filmmakers, centred around the belief that different opinions, collaborative thinking and the spirit of discovery serve as catalysts for great work.
Covering all things brand, digital, motion, packaging and campaigns, 48.1 work on transformational projects for brands including LEON, Gozney, GLH Hotels, Gymbox and Franco Manca.
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