Branding, web design, and social media presence are obviously vital to the success of any business launch, but a marketing firm can’t fully promote its services without them. Our plan to refresh Acorn & Arrow had been in the works for months, though slowed by client work that was already in progress and then a global pandemic. As the debut of our new website neared, the pandemic grew worse, then tragedy struck home. And our dilemma became: how do we balance business development and consumer compassion – and in some cases, family. The verdict, we’ll wait.
“Consumer Trust: 71% say if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever.” (*Edelman Trust Barometer).
Though COVID-19 was taking its toll on the global market, we launched the refreshed www.acornarrow.com and prepared the social media push to begin growing our following. And then, tragedy. An EF-4 tornado decimated my hometown in South Carolina. Many friends and family were directly impacted by the devastation – some lost everything.
And while I was proud of what we’d accomplished, my excitement turned to guilt as I wanted to promote our company and services even though so many people close to me – and countless others around the world – were dealing with sickness, death, and the daunting task of rebuilding their lives. It felt selfish and disingenuous to ask for a follow on Facebook or LinkedIn – check out the cool things we’re doing on Instagram.
So we pumped the brakes a bit – we’ll wait. Our website is live and social media platforms available, but the push to get followers and promote our services became secondary. Our business is built around treating our clients’ clients as our own. We build engaging content through amazing graphic design and clear communication. But having a positive impact on the world around us is just as important.
So, how can we bridge the gap between our business needs and relationships with our communities – balancing business development and consumer compassion? In times like these, we’ll wait on business development.
This post is the beginning of a series that will recognize the great work being done in the world by individuals and businesses alike. With all of the negative in the world, there’s so much positive that doesn’t get talked about enough.
We hope you’ll join us. It’s been a few weeks since the tornado struck, but those impacted have a long road ahead. If you’d like to get involved, click here to help the people of Hampton County, SC.
