“Change is neither good or bad, it simply is.”— Don Draper, Mad Men Season 3 Ep 2
… It can be greeted with terror or joy — tantrum that says ‘I want it the way it was,’ or a dance that says ‘Look, something new.’”
Who knew that in the time of COVID-19 these sage words from the charming fictional character that is Don Draper of Mad Men could provide such insight? With the consumer sentiment changing daily we as business owners must learn to change as well.
Keep in mind — change is not always something to be feared and it is not always something to be wished for. Change is not the enemy — In life, things are going to change whether we like it or not and that is just the way the world works! It is better to accept it than to fear it.
So, what does this mean? Look at each day as an opportunity to try and test new ideas and concepts. If it works-Great! If not simply change the approach…test, rinse and repeat until you find a winner — To avoid unexpected financial burdens… make sure and monitor your costs.
Nothing is set in stone anymore and if someone tells you it is — don’t believe it. If you need more evidence about how much the world changed — who knew going to Target and finding Lysol Wipes is far more important than buying a new pair of shoes?…Or, how going to the grocery store is the new “destination location”? And, don’t get me started on the absolute necessity of shopping at Trader Joe’s and walking the aisles for exercise!
For the first time — consumers are looking for essential products and services that provide comfort and safety — Frivolities not so much — so gone are the days of the life of leisure, shopping and traveling — unless you live in the upper, upper, upper echelons.
Sure, some of these activities will come back into vogue — but, for now and the foreseeable future people have changed…and, in order to “survive” and perhaps even “thrive” any approach taken before the pandemic needs to be examined, analyzed and repositioned. This also extends to strategy and repositioning to be taken during the COVID-19 era as well.
Why is that? The consumer of yesterday is not the consumer today during Covid-19…and the consumer during COVID-19 will not be the same consumer post pandemic. We need to face the facts that change in today’s world is the New Normal…
What should we do? Be prepared to pivot, and pivot and pivot! Dizzy yet?
And if I may add some more wisdom from another character on Mad Men, Peggy Olson…
“Don’t do anything stupid.”
For help with reinventing your business amid the changes, email us at debbieg@bizmadeez.com. Let’s talk!