CONTENTDISCONTENTPART 2:
HOW TO BUILD THE STRATEGIC STRUCTURE TO REACT TO CRISES
In our last post, we highlighted four reasons why brands lose control of the narrative in times of crisis. Now, let’s look at how brands can solve those challenges and build a culture, infrastructure and process to bring effective content to life in real time.
1. Create defined content guidelines.
When the conversation is happening, you need to use your brand voice to guide it. Be an effective moderator.
Your brand is a living, breathing entity, so think about how you want it to look, feel and sound. The world is different now than it was even a year ago, so revisit your brand guide and make sure it’s up-to-date. Build templates and guardrails that enable you to create (and approve) content quickly.
But most importantly, think about your brand’s purpose — what you authentically stand for and what message you want to put out into the world.
2. Break down internal silos to open up collaboration.
Content is king. Collaboration is what allows that content to reign. Just like King Arthur’s Round Table, all internal stakeholders deserve a seat. Involve legal and compliance from the beginning. Establish parameters for revisions and approvals so that you save hours of time and frustration during this crucial step. Everyone needs to be on the same page to present a unified message quickly and effectively, because every hour you delay is an hour someone else is writing your story.
3. Re-evaluate processes to identify efficiencies.
The ability to respond swiftly can be the difference between a hiccup and a crisis. So, take a bird’s eye view of your content creation process. Who is involved at each step? Where can you become more efficient? How can you leverage content more strategically, day in and day out?
With strong processes in place, your team will be ready to jump into action and create content that engages with events in real time.
4. Consider content partnerships.
The right partner can ensure your content reaches the right audience on the right platform at the right time.
At Summer Friday, we live at the intersection of big ideas and nimble execution. Our team is built around an always-on publisher mindset. That means when strategizing and conceptualizing, we aren’t thinking of one-off scenarios, but rather building content and solutions that are adaptable and expandable across platforms and mediums so that they work in real-time settings.
Our entire creative team works and thinks collaboratively in order to deliver high-volume, quality content, quickly and efficiently, so that our partners can tell their story on their own terms. In times of crisis, that kind of partnership can save the day.
