These months have been a time of immense and drastic change. You’ve seen your inbox. And you’ve seen the news. By now you’ve seen the countless updates released from brands this month. It feels like everyone made its their mission to figure out what’s happening. 

Everyone is so loud. No one knows what will happen next.

A strong brand stands out regardless of times of change. Now, all brands are looking to reach out right now, but only the mission-driven brands stand out more than ever. How are their mission statements reinforced by these changing times?

Hope, not fear. Mission-driven, not reaction-driven.

Where does your brand stand in this time of change?

Mission-driven brands like Dirty Knees Soap Co are not only relevant right now.  Their mission of keeping things simple (including their products) is resonating loud and clear. Dirty Knees Soap Co. proudly (and simply) states, “Life is complicated enough, yes? Why add to the chaos.”

Take another one. Milk + Honey, with their slogan “Hyperclean. Effective. Safe.” are selling out without having to do much more. Their mission-driven founding principles are clear: “to create an exceptional spa experience, commit to hyperclean ingredients, enrich our employee’s lives, and give back to the community.”

Milk + Honey continues to incorporate those principles in their process and products, and their customers notice.

Okay, one more. Freshly-prepared dog food producer Bone Idol shared that their online sales have increased by 50%, despite closing their brick-and-mortar stores. Bone Idol is also doing well at updating its customer-base while highlighting its core values. “Is the dog healthy? Is the dog happy? Then we can make them Fabulous!” and they mean that about their customers as well.

And the mission-driven biohacking brand, Life Cykel, continues to share its message of the importance of boosting the immune system. Building and maintaining one’s immune system is a focus of many these days, and Life Cykel has focused on encouraging their customers to do that. 

If you believe your brand can be of help right now, what else can you do? How else can you genuinely show up without adding to the noise?

Give your customers what they need

Queen Creek Olive Mill and Beast Sports give their customers what they need – food and mindset tips in these times of change.

Queen Creek started creating food packages for pick-up and accepted contract cancellations. And people started thanking them for that on social media. Beast Sports, a workout supplements brand, made content around not only what you can do – but how you can keep your mindset in check. Check out their Instagram posts we love here and here. 

Not sure how to act? Stay on brand.

Organic brand Pretty Frank keeps it real and blunt by asking their customers what they’d like to see more of. Or like Nettle’s Tale, which values honesty and values a personal touch with their customers. They’ve recently introduced virtual appointments, and their audience loved it. 

Or Axiology, keeping it purpose-driven and straightforward with a short Instagram post and a blog post not on how to stay safe but on how their audience can help.

You don’t need to talk about it.

You can show support and acknowledge what your customers think and go through with simple tweaks to your website. This brand modified their store banner to simply say, ‘we’re open, we’re here if you need us. 

Give more, receive more.

Nothing highlights your belief behind your mission-driven brand than giving. In keeping with their ‘giving’ model, Ruby Cup announces free worldwide shipping besides their usual “Buy 1, Give 1” business model. With many health products missing from store shelves, the brand reports many first-time users looking for disposable pads alternatives. 

Founder Julie Weigaard Kjær shares advice to fellow brand owners in these times:

• Adapt how you do things. “For instance, we wanted to film tutorials on how to use a cup. We’d put it off for budget reasons, but now with everyone staying at home and wanting to try something new, we’ve started experimenting with filming online tutorials at home. Our team has been sharing their experiences using a cup for the first time, and it felt good to share, to make a small step in breaking the taboo around periods.”
• Giving back. “Our business is based on a Buy One Give One model giving to those experiencing period poverty. We’ve had to pause this and have pivoted to donating cups to healthcare workers who are often working very long shifts, making it hard to get to a bathroom to change period products. We have sent 287 Ruby Cups to hospitals in the UK, Spain, Romania, Poland, Croatia, and Italy. It feels great to be able to contribute in this small way.”

These times of change will be a real test to many companies of how much they stand behind their mission and messaging. These times call for change. They take focus and dedication to your customers. And these times of change need innovation as markets and societal change continue to fluctuate.

Not sure which direction to go in these times of change?

Your business is doing well already… but it can do better. The strategists at Insights Lab can help you unearth opportunities unique for your business and create a strategy that will make your business unstoppable. Care to give it a try?