Wisdom > Data, Regular, & Sesame Street Simple
We Need a Recovery Mantra
I have been giving communications a lot of thought lately because we’re into a new phase of COVID-19 — recovery. I know that we have been talking about recovery for a while not but it hasn’t felt real into you hear of other countries and states starting to reduce their restrictions and open up. Since we’re starting to recover, we should have a mantra and maybe even a theme song, to rally around. Something catchy yet instructive that anyone can understand. Any ideas?
If you missed any of the previous updates, this page has a list of them all.
Full details on the Economic Recovery Task Force can be found here.
Summary
I really like the Flatten the Curve mantra to help solidify and make crystal clear what we had to do during the crisis phase of COVID-19. Mantras are essential to any kind of movement. It’s these mantras that you hope to turn into memes so that we can all Keep Calm and Carry On your way to a better world.
I’m not exactly sure what type of recovery manta we need to be Kind and Rewind back to the way things were. My guess is that the Brave New World we’re in cannot be the Just Do It life we had before. Rather, all of us need to be kind and plan ahead for what is to come.
What I do know about communications (albeit not as much as Tom over at Marketoonist) is that, especially in a crisis, it’s essential (actually required) to be clear, concise, and compelling in your comms. The buzzword bingo, boilerplate, tone-deaf corporate-speak won’t work. The same holds true with Recovery.
One of the other interesting things I found is how different generations consume media. It’s a fascinating read that I summarize below (Top 3):
- Gen Z: Online Videos (51%), Online TV/Streaming (38%), and Video Games (31%)
- Millennials: Online Video (44%), Online TV/Streaming (41%), and Online Press (36%)
- Gen X: Broadcast TV (45%), Online TV/Streaming (38%), and Online Videos (35%)
- Boomer: Broadcast TV (42%), None (24%), and Online TV/streaming (21%)
Clearly any communications must be multi-media and, Repeat After Me, rinsed and repeated so often that it goes viral. In the interesting charts section, is a great graph of what outlets are trusted.
Another excellent post on Stacked Marketer related to social media consumption or rather who’s on what type of social media channel. It’s for brands but still applicable to any type of communications:
- Facebook: A slightly older audience.
- Instagram: A mixed audience.
- Twitter: An adult audience.
- Pinterest: Adult audience and mostly women.
- TikTok: Very young audience.
- Snapchat: An evenly split audience.
Social media channels are perfect for mantra and memes but again, it has to be multichannel or people will be left out.
So, Any Idea for a Recovery Manta?
I’d love to hear what y’all think a good recovery mantra would be. Some of my ideas include:
- Re(Cover)y starts with me
- Be Kind and Think Ahead
- Recovery On
- (Re)come Together
- Forward Together
Jobs and Business Support
- Silicon Valley Rethinks the (Home) Office: Some tech companies are adjusting to the pandemic with new WFH perks and even letting employees ditch their commutes forever.
- Libraries hope their return will not be overdue: For many people, libraries provide essential services. But getting back to full service means libraries won’t look the same.
Vulnerable Populations/Population Health
- The risk levels of everyday activities like dining out, going to the gym, and getting a haircut, according to an infectious-disease expert: Catching the virus from opening mail or touching groceries is unlikely, she said. Gatherings with groups of friends or family are risky, Hassig said.
- How Could the CDC Make That Mistake?: The government’s disease-fighting agency is conflating viral and antibody tests, compromising a few crucial metrics that governors depend on to reopen their economies. Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, and other states are doing the same.
- San Francisco Bay Area reports zero COVID-19 deaths 2 days in a row for the 1st time since early March: There have been zero reported coronavirus-related deaths in the San Francisco Bay Area in the last two days. That’s the first time that’s happened since early March.
Economic Development
- Working from home during coronavirus is going so well that this Fortune 100 company is going to keep doing it—permanently: Most CEOs are anxiously counting the days until the coronavirus pandemic recedes, and employees can get back to the office. But Nationwide’s CEO Kirt Walker has a slightly different take on working from home: It’s working.
- Global Funding | The Impact of COVID-19 on Global Startup Ecosystems: 4 out of every 10 startups global are in what we call “red zone” — they have 3 months or fewer of cash runway. This means that if these companies do not change their cash flow situation and do not raise additional funds they will die. For startups that have raised Series A or later rounds, 34 percent have less than 6 months’ worth of cash — a danger zone in the current situation where fundraising is difficult.
Things to Ponder or Give a Try
- A 10-year-old girl has sent more than 1,500 art kits to kids in foster care and homeless shelters during the coronavirus pandemic: Chelsea Phaire, a 10-year-old from Danbury, Connecticut, has sent more than 1,500 children in homeless shelters and foster care homes art kits to give them something uplifting to do when they’re feeling down. Pretty darn cool.
Interesting Chart(s)
Want to Learn More or Help?
Go over to the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) page for more information. If you have not already done so, please take this survey to tell the task force your thoughts on how we can recover from this.
The Task Force is charged with guiding the City’s efforts through the COVID-19 recovery to sustain and revive local businesses and employment, mitigate the economic hardships already affecting the most vulnerable San Franciscans, and build a resilient and equitable future.