Empathy, Courage and Optimism
I’ve been talking to a lot of people about Smiling Lions lately. One of the areas I’m trying to help clients focus on are the cultural shifts happening as a result of a year plus of lockdown, divisiveness as a reflex and the general malaise hanging on culture like a a low fog. Those brands that emerge and thrive as we move forward will be those that earn attention of buyers through the living (vs. stating) of the shared values they have with their customers. Earned Attention is increasingly driven by Empathy, Courage and Optimism.
This week I came across three examples of this in action. Each shows a level of empathy by sharing a unique frame of reference on an issue in culture, courage to make their shared values an intrinsic part of the creative idea and optimism that by learning more about each other, we can move forward and we can get better. These elements can be dialed up or down, but all are factors. These pieces have all earned attention for themselves (proof is in the numbers) while making a positive deposit in the communities they share with their customers.
EA SPORTS FIFA21: Midnight Ramadan League
The FIFA 21 video highlights the Midnight Ramadan League, a soccer team set-up to help people continue playing during the month of Ramadan. This is a nice piece on an underrepresented audience that does a great job of giving a look into the life of a Muslim and the moment of Ramadan.
The EA Sports campaign won Channel 4’s Diversity in Advertising award in which they were challenged to “authentically represent UK Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic cultures in advertising.
The campaign was inspired by research that showed that just 0.25% of the UK’s 4,000 professional football players are Asian despite Asians making up 9.7% of those who play recreationally.
Expedia’s New Post Corvid Brand Position
We all have the desire to travel again but I think we all recognize that it will be different and emotions will be heightened as we try and navigate something that was already fraught with confusion and concern. I like the empathy that is at the core of this new positioning. (Click for story)
“For the past 25 years, we’ve been focused on volume and transactions as our way of growing our business,” he said.
“What we’ve found, however, over the past year is that our customers want more from a travel company….Like many travel brands, COVID-19 has forced us all to look inwards and reflect on who we are as a brand and what that means to our consumers.
“It became clear to us that in order for our travelers to have an amazing trip, it matters who they travel with, and we need to understand the important role we play in being that partner.
Go Fund Me: Land Back: Help Reclaim Indigenous Land
I’m a huge fan of using the channel and in this case the product and a focal point of delivering the brand message. In this effort, Go Fund me is working to help Indigenous people of Canada reclaim their land and at the same time showing courage by living the brand values rather than simply making a donation. (Click for page)
Indigenous rights to land are not often protected, so we must preserve their rights to ownership.
By advocating for Indigenous Land Back, we also prevent further pollution and harm from projects that wreak havoc on our natural ecosystems.
Together, we can honour Indigenous land, preserve Canada’s biodiversity and fight climate change.
