Summer on Mute: Did COVID-19 Hijack The Summer 2020 Brand Story (And Who Saw The Opportunities) ?
Some say the fragmentation and fluidity that characterize the summer of covid-19 makes it challenging for a coherent narrative—for example, a summer theme song—to emerge. However, the shared uncertainties and anxieties create unprecedented opportunities for such a story. I make an attempt here to describe the characteristics of a unifying brand story, and brands that achieve unity in these disconnected times.
Come with me, fly you out to Greece
Full speed, survoler Paris
Drake and DJ Khaled’s enticing summer hit “Greece” invites us to escape the time warp COVID-19 trapped us in and fly out to Greece. The song blasted from Bluetooth speakers from the hiking trails of southeast Asia to the port front cafes of the Mediterranean . I love and welcome the nod to Greece from two of the most influential artists in the world whose combined Instagram following exceeds the population of Germany (but, after listening to the lyrics, I do wish they had seen a few monuments before shopping at Gucci and Louie V). Anyway, the song seems to look optimistically forward to a hopefully COVID-free next year and its anticipated surge in tourism in Greece and elsewhere. The hit song may not exactly be a theme song, but for me it represents a fun bright spot in a dark year that admittedly has no clear frontrunner the way that Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” dominated popular imagination last year.
Those who have made the claim that this summer and perhaps the entire year so far has no anthem have speculated that COVID-19 mixed with our charged political climate and other music trends like a curious reduction in streaming, combined with the emergence of platforms like Tik Tok where music consumption is not easy to measure, have fragmented the world and the music industry rendering us housebound, and making it difficult for an anthem to emerge. But quarantine, despite the boredom, confusion and alienation, has the potential to foster unprecedented moments of connection. I think of the universal shock over Netflix’s Tiger King, and the teen hordes who flocked to battle royale gaming apps like Fortnite (despite the game’s current trials and tribulations). If those things can unify us, why couldn’t a theme song (I look forward to the first lockdown-era anthems) or other unifying moment emerge?
Brands have taken advantage of the opportunity to seize this unifying moment, although too often the efforts have prioritized self-interest and profiteering over the public interest and the audience’s interests at a time where public interest and business interests are aligned. It is hard to determine which branded efforts benefit the bottom line and which ones serve the public interest, because often the business and public interests are tangled in the same web. For example, if a liquor company puts out a meme that encourages people to wear masks, is the audience more likely to remember to wear masks or to buy liquor? The answer is unclear because the intentions of the branded effort are unclear.
It seems the most unifying branded efforts of the moment have three components:
Tapping into the shared hopes and fears of the present moment
Reminding us of the company’s values
Doing something genuinely good
It is important to seize and speak to the moment, because that gives a brand relevance, relevance is almost a currency for today’s audiences who always crave what’s next. Reminding the audience of company values is important because they represent its reason for being and identity, which remains steadfast even when profits slip and slide as they do at the moment. Finally, doing good is where brands put their money where their mouths are, which is critical because the actions companies take speak louder than their words now more than ever.
JetBlue is one company that comes to mind that in my mind represents these principles. For those who are not aware, JetBlue is a local airline in the United States whose core values include safety and caring, somewhat unexpectedly headquartered in New York, a city known for toughness and grit. JetBlue emerged at the turn of the century in the heat of the internet boom, positioning itself as a small innovative, agile company that could pose a worthy challenge to the old guard of airlines that had long dominated the US airspace.
But the thing is, JetBlue embraced innovation through the lens of its own values, not just for profit or for the sake of innovation. For example, the company set precedents by installing free live TV in every seat and offering the most legroom in economy class. JetBlue has also dealt with crises through its values, for example, when unfortunate weather events left a JetBlue plane stranded on the tarmac several years ago, JetBlue responded by implementing a customer bill of rights, which it strictly adheres to today.
Finally, during COVID, JetBlue once again responded through its moral compass by flying first responders to their work sites at no cost, and leaving middle row seats free. These moves certainly came at a cost, yet JetBlue made them confidently because the company knew that simply sending out a sleekly designed, heartfelt message would not be enough (JetBlue has a gifted design and content team and a standout brand), and could have left it there, but doing so would come at the cost of the company’s values. This why JetBlue reminded us of its values through its actions (while maintaining its prior commitments, for example carbon neutrality), speaking to the moment, awarding the company the share of voice in the conversation, setting itself apart as an airline in the airline industry’s darkest hour, and creating the unity I described above through its caring and compassionate message in ruthless times.
Who are your brand heroes in these fast and furious times? leave a comment below or reach out!
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