2020 is now past us. Exclamations of “making it through” and “good riddance” has echoed in all our minds. Did anything really change just because the calendar has? All the issues before the ball dropped are still with us. Yes, glimmers of hope exist with new vaccines and a new administration but there has to be a true awakening from the rude awakening we experienced in 2020.
With the anticipation of the latest cinematic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s “Dune,” I recalled the line that inspired me to write this piece:
We have gotten so comfortable with staying within our own microcosms of thought that we see nothing outside of our bubble. Life was just fine until we found out how fragile, vulnerable and connected we are in the face of a pandemic. Inaction and action, skepticism and belief made the death tolls rise, fall, then rise again. And still, there is no unity behind selflessness for the common good as well as no unified acknowledgment of the inequalities and injustices that were always there.
The sleeper must awaken.
Besides a true awakening to the world around us and our role within it, a true awakening to how we need to do business going forward will determine our success in the “new normal” or as Chris Brogan puts it, the “new BETTER.”
This moment of pause in our society has given time to reflect as well as overwhelm. Remote business and remote learning in shared spaces while consuming the turbulent news throughout 2020 has left many feeling fatigued. Communication needs to be reworked to be sensitive to the state they’re in now.
Flashy and bombastic marketing could shift to more personal and directed messaging. The online ad, the email and website should be a welcoming journey of identifying a need, making a connection, and offering a solution. Storytelling through video can guide and complete the connection process. Through self-made social media posts or professional storytellers crafting your message, it is necessary to BE SEEN AND HEARD by those you want to reach.
Quoting Chris Brogan again from his website:
“A Great Digital Presence is No Longer Optional”
Those who believe things will eventually work the way they did before 2020 will remain asleep and pay the price.
Those who truly awaken will be better contributors to society, adapt to the “new BETTER” and prosper.