One thing that everyone in the field of marketing & communications has to deal with wherever they go is a fundamental lack of respect for what they do. For some reason, people who are in completely different fields feel marketing and communications is a soft skill that anyone can really do if they made the attempt. Often times, they feel they themselves are better at it than they are in reality.

It’s a lot like dancing or being funny. A lot of people think they can do these things. A lot of people are wrong.

Yet, despite multiple examples of major companies committing unbelievably stupid marketing or communications blunders, the attitude persists.

Imagine watching football with your friends and one of them makes some mind-numbingly asinine comment like “I can do that too, I know how to run.” That’s how marketing people feel when someone says they can do what we do because they know how to write an email.

Don’t get us wrong, we find it adorable when we read emails from these kind of people. We just wonder if they properly identified their audience and developed character profiles, determined the motivations and interests of each one, highlighted the common spheres of motivations, packaged and customized content to those inclinations, developed counterarguments to likely objections, created a call to action, designed a simple glide path for them to follow, redrafted the content, targeted the identified audience, deployed at statistically-measured optimal times to disseminate, measured the email’s effectiveness, targeted the group who failed to take action with new customized content, socialized the results with leadership in the form of an easily digestible presentation, advised on organizational course corrections in light of the data, built messaging around the new direction, calculated ROI from the aggregated completion of desired actions, then brainstormed on a new campaign series to increase the effectiveness of the next email.

That’s all.

All kidding aside, let’s be frank: Creative marketing and communications professionals are as economically valuable, (if not more), as those working in finance, IT or operations.

We wonder those things because all of that is just one small facet of our jobs, email marketing. Since anyone can do it, it’s baffling to us how people with such busier lives and far more important jobs find the time to do all of it. We truly must be a sad lot.

All kidding aside, let’s be frank: Creative marketing and communications professionals are as economically valuable, (if not more), as those working in finance, IT or operations. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Creatives Can Learn Anything. No One Can “Learn” To Be A Creative. When it comes to finance, IT and operations, there is a certain science to them. You have to be good at calculation. Calculation, though, is a skill. Anyone, including creatives, can learn a new skill. Especially in a world where virtually every knowable skill is available to learn on the spot via Google or YouTube. Talent, on the other hand, is innate. It can’t be learned, only developed. If you do not have the natural talent for marcom, for creativity, you never will.

2. The More Digital Things Become, The More Important We Become. In an increasingly digital world, content is indeed king. The days in which face to face meetings in order to get buy-in, close a deal or work out a project was the standard for business are long gone. Nowadays, the majority of instances in which people interact with you or your brand will be digital. That means the content at each touchpoint is more significant than ever.

3. Creativity Can’t Be Automated. Almost Everything Else Can/Will Be. Machines will only get better at calculation. They’ll get better at seeming human. One thing they won’t ever be able to do is be truly creative. 74% of educators say that the risk of job automation is lower in professions that require creative problem-solving skills. Yes, we know. There’s that AI that wrote a novel. We also know that book sucked. So again, we win.

Many of those in marketing and communications were among the first let go by companies who were impacted by COVID-19 out of a general belief they are not a “critical business function.” It’s unfortunate because many of those companies will quickly learn how important effective marketing and communication strategies are to their business operations. If you understand how important it is to have professionals managing your marketing and communications, contact us today.

As the dumpster fire that is 2020 continues to rage on, things continue to change in what seem to be permanent ways. Small businesses have had no reprieve from their struggles, in-person retail is slowly becoming an artifact of history, exposing your face in public is controversial.

Things are different, forever.

Companies can no longer view their brand strategy in 6-12 month chunks but rather begin looking at it with a generational outlook. People are communally experiencing something and no one who understands what’s happening will ever forget it. Everyone who has lived during this period belongs to the COVID Generation. The only brands that will survive among us for years to come are the ones that speak to us as if they truly understand what this was like.

Screenshots of your employees on a Zoom call? Not interested. Show us you actually learned that modern technology doesn’t require physical presence to get work done and permanently establish a full remote work option for your employees. Donated some food to nurses? That’s cute but we’d really be impressed if you created a nonprofit arm that provides free childcare to those working in the medical field instead. Sharing heartfelt statements from your CEO about whatever injustices the news happens to be covering at the moment? Save it. There needs to be real diversity in your organization, especially at the decision-making executive level.

Now it’s understandable that most companies are still reeling from the economic impact of the pandemic and can barely get their arms around anything right now, much less a massive rebranding. To be fair though, the pandemic has been part of the public consciousness for nearly a year; next week will make it 4 months since lockdowns went into effect. There has been plenty of time to begin reorienting the tone and overall brand direction of any company.

Where your company was once competitive, it needs to be compassionate. Where your marketing team once focused on distinction, it needs to focus on dignity. Soften the edges of your message, your operations and your identity as a company and you will have loyal customers served by even more loyal employees. Here are five easy things you can do now to align with the newly shaped consumer consciousness:

1. Start Thinking About Pricing. Your customers have been through a lot this year and the economic effects of it all will continue to be felt for a long time. If there are ways you can make operations more efficient so you can lower prices while remaining profitable, begin implementing them immediately.

2. Build Something Meaningful and Permanent. Donating money or food or even your own products once won’t be remembered by anyone. Sorry but it won’t. Instead, start gathering some of your greatest minds and begin formulating a plan to develop a way your company can bake in giving back to a vulnerable group to its permanent structure.

3. Develop Current Diverse Talent in Your Ranks. The COVID Generation is one that is going to be conscious of diversity for a very long time. Saying you support things won’t go far enough anymore if it’s not backed up with meaningful action. So begin a high potentials program in your organization and encourage women and minorities to join with the intention of creating a more diverse executive team in the future. That’s how change is actually done.

4. If What Your Company Does is No Longer Relevant, Change It. A lot of companies are trying to figure out how to make their products or services relevant in the COVID era and in many cases they are trying to square a circle. If what your company does just doesn’t work anymore, change it. Whatever pain this causes your organization is minor compared to meeting its demise at the hands of history.

5. Develop a Visual Presence that Aligns with All of This. This one is deliberately last on the list. Once you’ve actually accomplished the aforementioned, then you should redesign your look and feel to align with it. (Doing this part and none of the others will wreak of inauthenticity and your customers will quickly detect it). Think about colors, slogans, messaging tone and images that capture the compassion and dignity of a company that “gets it.” The only way to do that, however, is to actually get it.

Rebranding isn’t a walk in the park. It takes thought, precision and expertise. If you need to think about your brand strategy going forward in this new era, contact us today.

We understand this isn’t a subject most people want to talk about.

That means it’s important.

Despite superficial reporting that the unemployment rate has improved, the core employment situation has actually worsened. With cases of COVID-19 suddenly spiking, a likely second wave in the fall and no widely distributed vaccine in sight until next year, a return to lockdown mode for many areas of the country is becoming increasingly likely.

None of that is good news for the working person.

Companies are barely surviving now. If there is a repeat scenario of the Spring, many will be forced to make further cost reductions if not close altogether. As uncomfortable as it may make you, if you do not own the company you currently work for there is a chance your position could be eliminated. It’s just the nature of business. There are things you can do to prepare in case that happens, things that are beneficial to do even if it (hopefully) doesn’t happen.

1. Save Samples of Your Work Somewhere Safe. Most of us use our work computers without realizing all of the samples of our abilities are on it and will be immediately remotely erased the second we are let go. Save your samples, (things that are not proprietary of course), to Dropbox or somewhere else you will have access to once your computer and email accounts are deleted by your employer.

2. Create An Online Portfolio of Your Work. The easiest way to send those samples to future prospective employers will be through a digital portfolio. There are a number of free platforms you could use, or you could create a mini-site. Either way, a digital portfolio is a simple, modern way to showcase your work.

3. Up Your LinkedIn Game. It would be prudent to begin increasing your LinkedIn activity if you haven’t already. Take a look at your profile, make sure you have everything up to date or if there is more to add since the last time you edited the content, (there most likely is). Begin commenting on posts, it doesn’t have to be anything that overtly suggests you’re looking for another job if that’s your concern, there are plenty of articles and updates that have nothing to do with that. Follow hashtags relevant to your trade, join groups. The goal is to be more active and stay on people’s radars.

4. Consider Creating Your Own Company. If you are laid off, there will undoubtedly be at least a 2-3 month period before you find your next job. It will be ideal if you can still bring something in during that time. This will not only help you for obvious financial reasons but also psychologically, as it will be something you have a level of control over. One of the things that gives people the most anxiety while being unemployed is a feeling of helplessness. So consider starting your own company to freelance your services now while you are not anxious, it will be better to set all that up now rather than scramble to slap it together out of desperation if you ever get that dreaded phone call.

5. Stay Calm. As devastating as it would be, losing your job is not the worst thing that could ever happen. It won’t feel like it at the moment but there will be another side of things where you are working again and hopefully doing what you love. Panicking won’t help you find another job, in fact it could undermine you in subtle ways. People can detect when you’re in a panicked state, even over the phone. It is unsettling and could work against you in their decision making process. Remain calm, you will ultimately be ok.

If you need help with touching up your resume, LinkedIn profile or digital portfolio, don’t hesitate to reach out. We are here to help.

Your employees are terrified.

You may not want to hear it but it’s true.

It’s not without good reason, the vast majority of companies in the U.S. have retracted in some shape or form as a result of COVID-19. Postings on LinkedIn from beloved colleagues on how their positions have been impacted are becoming increasingly common in our feeds. This is real.

The truth is there’s not much you or any other organization can do about the situation. Everyone is in the same boat. What you can do, however, is demonstrate transparency and treat the people who work for you with dignity in your communications.

A lot of organizations feel compelled to lie or conceal the extent in which they intend to reduce headcount for fear if they don’t, employees will cease to be productive until their positions are eliminated. This is not a strategic approach by any stretch of the imagination, it’s actually as idiotic as it is draconian.

When the economic chips are down, the only currency anyone in the working world has is their word. Most people are not going to go back on their word to you on the fundamental premise of your contract with them: they work and you pay them. They will, however, kick into fight or flight mode and ensure their own self preservation if you as an employer have let uncertainty and doubt take root by not being clear or truthful in your dealings with them.

On the other hand, if you communicate with them clearly in a way that transcends the employer employee relationship, in a way that conveys “We are human just like you and don’t want to mislead you, things are bad. We are doing everything we can to minimize the impact to as few positions as possible,” they will give it their all until they can’t anymore for an employer who had enough respect to be honest with them about where things actually stood.

Simply put, people are not going to stop doing their jobs if you clearly communicate to them that there is a possibility they will be let go in the coming weeks. They will stop doing their jobs if they can’t trust you when you tell them they won’t be.

At JJS, we understand how delicate the subject is for your organization. We also understand the best way to maximize productivity is by building trust.

If you think your business could benefit from our help in framing the internal message to your employees in an honest way, contact us today.

It’s no fun being let go from your job, especially due to something completely out of your control. There’s no way around the initial shock and panic you feel. In time, however, you could soon find that it may have been a huge opportunity thrust upon you.

Whatever it is you do, businesses obviously need it. If they didn’t, you wouldn’t have had a job in the first place. So as you’re searching for the next full-time position, in addition to offering your services to companies and contacts in your network at a freelance rate you should also consider creating an online course.

There are several great course creation platforms such as Udemy or Thinkific that you can easily get started on. All you need is decent video production equipment, organized content and you’re good to go.

Once you’ve created your course, promote the hell out of it on your social media, especially LinkedIn. That’s where you will find the most potential customers. (LinkedIn has its own Professional Course Learning platform LinkedIn Learning that you can apply for as well).

Historically, professionals have been reluctant to share their expertise freely for fear that if what they knew was ubiquitous and easily accessible, it would drive their own economic value down. (This is something that organizations deal with all the time, subject matter experts refusing to truly collaborate outside their silos out of fear of becoming obsolete).

It’s an absurd anxiety, you want to share what you know with others so they can not only appreciate the value of what you do but also view you as a thought leader in your field.

When you first research it, creating a course will seem like a daunting task. If you need help, don’t hesitate to contact us.

It’s no secret that many businesses have had to significantly reduce their workforces in the wake of COVID-19. Organizations have had to cut wherever they can in order to remain solvent.

One of the first places executives tend to reduce headcount is in marketing and communications departments, something mid-level managers know just compounds the workloads of remaining resources as the work of creating content and producing assets still needs to somehow get done.

We understand this dilemma very well and are here to help.

If your company has lost key resources dedicated to graphic design, managing your website content, creating presentations or handling your social media presence, we can fill the void until budgets improve. We will do the work you need for less than the cost of one full-time resource.

Once things improve at your organization and you are in a position to rehire, we will smoothly transition things over to your new staff. No hard feelings. No awkward conversations. That’s our promise.

As the world slowly attempts to regain some semblance of normalcy, many businesses are in the midst of a major self-assessment. For some, returning to a pre-pandemic level of performance is a matter of time and disciplined operations. For others, such a state will simply not be achievable for the foreseeable future. The challenge is first knowing which category you’re in and, if the latter, how to operate efficiently going forward.

Unfortunately, the economic impact of the pandemic cannot be understated. Companies have been forced to eliminate positions and roles throughout their organizations altogether. Still, certain functions must continue to be performed. Support functions such as communications, Human Resources and Information Technology will need to be owned and executed by someone.

Executive teams with little understanding of these roles will likely first attempt to consolidate job duties to fewer resources, sometimes to just one. They will soon find the productivity and quality of work will begin to suffer, something that simply cannot happen when it comes to communications.

Imagine the look and feel of your brand suddenly taking a turn for the worse, more grammatical errors in your email blasts, your social channels going dark. This can all have a self-fulfilling prophetic impact on your business performance altogether. Your customers will detect decline and lose confidence in your ability to deliver. They will go somewhere else, leading to more decline.

Your new marketing & communications strategy will need to take into account more people seeking to minimize their physical interactions with the outside world, even after the virus is vanquished. It will need to have more of a focus on customizing its messaging, as we have shared a massive communal experience, people have felt lumped into a broad global category for far too long. They will be hungry for companies to speak directly to them for once. You will also need to account for the fact that many will not be at their optimal financial strength for some time, the tone of your messaging will need to empathize with this reality. All of these things matter more than ever and cannot be adequately addressed by one or two employees who are also tasked with keeping the communication lights on for your organization.

At JJS, our value proposition has always been the same but it is perhaps more significant during this period :

We will provide your business with the same level of marketing & communications support you would receive from an entire department for a fraction of what a department would cost. We can do this because our consultants have been doing just that for some of the largest brands in the world. Instead of the cost of one person handling internal communications, another spearheading external, another managing executive communications and still another taking care of graphic design, we can do it all at one affordable monthly rate. Perhaps this model is closer to what the “new normal” of marketing & communications support looks like, at least for a little while.

If you are leaning up operations but still need marketing & communications support, we can help.