BUILDING AND MAINTAINING A RESILIENT BRAND

If you promise to provide the best customer service, then it must be the best, period. If you stick to your promises, then you’ll gain trust, and customers will forgive you when something goes wrong.

BY MONICAH CHEGE

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Businesses worldwide have had to look into their business models and adopt new technologies to stay afloat during the COV ID-19 crisis. While the tail-tale signs of how-to are evident, the question is whether brands have the resilience to make it through this period and beyond. E xecutives from big corporates are candidly announcing the intentions of building back a new fortress of their brand, but how remains the big question. Building a brand is more than advertising, and a lot is expected from brands intending to achieve growth and transformation. Businesses need to identify the critical components of a resilient brand that will see them through this period and beyond. So how can one build a resilient brand, a brand that will not only earn an excellent reputation but will stand the test of time? Here are some five tips that may guarantee the building of a resilient brand and will go a long way to ensure your brand withstands the test of time.

2. Incase You Make a Mistake, Own Up and Deal with It.

E very business owner will agree that they make mistakes like a normal human being. F ailure or making mistakes does not mark the beginning to an end; it makes you take a step back and think through the error. If you realize you’ve made a mistake, acknowledging that it has happened is a step in the right direction. Wrap your face around it, see where you got it wrong, correct it and ensure it doesn't happen again. A resilient brand will go through the typical lifecycle of challenges and successes. The one thing that will make your brand stand out is surviving through the ups-and-downs and coming out at the top.

3. Pay Attention to Your Customers 5. Be Patient

1. Your Brand Promise must align with Your Brand Experience.

in your business success. This is because they interact with your customers on a day to day and understand their needs. F or you to deliver your brand promise, you need your employees to believe in the brand. A disgruntled customer can be a problem, but a real headache is an employee sabotaging your brand. The voice of your employee is a crucial ingredient, so keep them motivated. Learn to understand what your employees are going through and how best you can help tackle their issues. The moment employees share their concerns freely; it shows their will to contribute towards organizational growth. This goes a long way in reshaping and strengthening the company values. Think of your employees as your cheerleaders— they will make it easier for you to achieve your vision. With the advent of technology, consum- Brand success doesn't happen overnight; it takes time. And for a brand to achieve ers can follow through with how their tangible brand recognition, it boils down favorite brands are performing. The to how patient and committed you are internet is now a reputable force in increasing transparency and the reach of when it comes to success. Think about the products or services. Y our customers are success stories of big brands that you your greatest asset, and listening to their know. Take Microsoft, for example, sentiments about your product or service which took 11years to become successful, is vital. and Apple 20 years. These big brands put There's an old saying that reso- in a lot of work while patiently seeing it nates well even today as ever: The Cus- move along the growth curve. tomer is King. Therefore, a resilient brand P atient means that you'll continue will do a little prodding to reveal what trusting the process through thick and their customers are thinking. Take that thin. E very business success story has initiative to lay proper groundwork to get some elements of enthusiasm and What does your brand promise your customers? A brand promise speaks to your customer, either explicitly or implicitly, what to expect from your products or services. It tunes their customers talking. It would mean asking questions, talking about the products that appeal to them, and pointing them to examples and displays. Brands can occasionally post patience behind it. The question would be on whether or not one has the strong-will to wait through the brand lifecycle. In winding up, taking a step back to reassess your brand presents an expectations on the quality of your new items on their social media pages and opportunity to develop a strong identity products/ services. Within a short span, your brand should deliver to the customer through every touchpoint and interaction. A resilient brand does not just say what it will do; it keeps the promise. ask their follower's opinions. Be open to your customers' criticisms; it will allow you to look at your product or service from a third eye angle. In short, when you're offering a product or service, you and ensure the business remains relevant. Having that brand identity goes beyond representing what you offer as a brand and shows how resilient it would be during difficult times. In a nutshell, if you promise to should be thinking about how it will solve provide the best customer service, then it customer problems. Monica is a dynamic marketing must be the best, period. If you stick to and communications professional your promises, then you’ll gain trust, and 4. Pay Attention to Your Employees with over ten years of progressive customers will forgive you w hen something goes wrong. Y our employees will play an integral part experience in brand management and strategic corporate communications.

Rising social instability and A Human Solution to Complex Social Problems

Having access to timely information, having tools to monitor risks over time and the ability to model future scenarios overtime should be part of every company’s enterprise risk-management tool kit.

-lived regimes that had been considered stable were removed, while in Syria the protests escalated into a civil war that has claimed more than 200,000 lives and fueled the rise of the Islamic State movement.

Identifying Risks And Trends

BY MICHAEL J. PADILLA

The reality is, the Arab Spring caught many off guards, but the region was ripe for this kind of instability. An analysis of the Arab Spring using the ICE SE RV E 24’s ABI toolkit maps the connections between more than 80 risks in 174 countries, identified a broad mix of contributing factors behind the widespread and contagious protests. These included economic disparity, high youth unemployment, brain drain, rising food prices, lack of access to loans, political volatility, crime, corruption, poor social safety net protection, expropriation, and human-rights abuses. If we apply that analysis to other countries around the world, we can see countries that have similar types of risks and that raises some red flags for potential T urn on the TV or log on to social media or open your newspaper – most of what you’ll see is a social risk. Businesses need to consider several themes that may should be looking at such as unemployment, failure of national governance, and fiscal crises. I will address the ASIS Middle E ast Show in Bahrain with the topic, “Social Challenges and a Human Solution,” driving to the point that companies social instability. Believe me, it isn’t a crystal ball. It can’t possibly tell us that in six months a country will have protests. But it can say that a country is similar and needs to be monitored because if certain risks get even worse, conditions might reach a tipping point and go from being unstable lead to social instability in need to understand the risks they are ex- to protest to armed conflict or regime their risk assessment of any country. posed to in their local markets, both di- change. Social instability in the form of rectly and indirectly, and how these risks Such scenarios can help companies strikes, demonstrations, and other types can mushroom into much bigger threats. assess the risks in the countries where of civil unrest can have far-reaching and Having access to timely information, they operate, as well as the extent of their often unpredictable consequences for having tools to monitor risks over time exposure. businesses and communities. And its and the ability to model future scenarios Over the last 8 months, I have effect on any business can be profound. overtime should be part of every compa- been presenting at several conferences as

The good news is that there are ways to ny’s enterprise risk-management tool kit. well as talking with customers about the assess and mitigate these risks that can The Arab Spring is an example of challenges facing enterprise risk-managers, leave companies in a better position to how risks are interconnected and can cre- the problem for them is how to take the survive. ate a domino effect, and we are now clos- information that’s out there, how to An Activity-Based Intelligence er to an Arab Spring 2.0 . The Arab interpret it and how to put mitigation (A BI ) re port, publis he d by ICE - strategies in place that can help companies Spring began when an unemployed 24-year-SE RV E 24, cite d s ocial instability, old Tunisian self-immolated to avoid some of these risks. To do that you political polarity, and income and class protest his treatment by police. Spreading have to make sure you’re aware of all the protests led to the fall of the Tunisian ine quality as major tre nds. Social risks the company faces, monitor those instability is virtually enmeshed within government and sparked similar uprisings risks regularly, and try to quantify the all the other trends that companies in several other Arab countries. F our long impact of those risks.

Some Solutions To Volatility

Economic Disparity Links To Other Risks Free Markets, Rule Of Law

While companies have little power to reduce social instability, they can be good citizens, pay fair wages and start programs to make neighborhoods better, which have very often helped address the unhappiness due to loss of social equity. Often, successful foreign investment begins with a community officer being assigned to work interactively with local communities as the project or operation develops. Companies also can work with governments to identify the skills and jobs needed, so that funds for training and education are put to the best possible use. Corporations also need to focus on risk mitigation. They may want to transfer some of their risks via insurance, such as political risk policies that offer coverage for losses due to political violence, expropriation, currency inconvertibility, or government default. Companies are also increasingly looking at the role their captive insurance can play in managing these risks. The credit losses coming out of the global financial crisis, and in the past few years the political risk insurance claims, have not only made risk managers more aware of the risk but also of the value that insurance can bring. There are ways to protect the supply chain as well— through supplychain insurance, backup production, or Unemployment isn’t a sufficient condition diversifying the supply chain into more One of the main ingredients of social instability is economic disparity. It’s always a combination of risks, never one or two in silos. E conomic disparity coupled with political volatility is the combination of risks that makes a country ripe for social instability. The reality of poverty varies considerably between countries, as does people’s outlook. An ABI report has stable countries. Social volatility has several components, and as we are witnessing: each country is different. There isn’t an anyone -size-fits-all indicator for social instability and political volatility. That’s what makes it such a challenge. But there are measures firms like ICE SE RV E 24 can take to get ahead of the risk and be resilient when these types of events unfold. for unrest. Unemployment rates during the economic crisis topped 25% in both G reece and Spain and neared 15% in Ireland. But while G reece has seen many protests, some violent, Ireland and Spain have had fewer, even though G reece was one of the less unequal countries in the OE CD. However, with a higher number indic ating g re ate r pe rc e ption of corruption, G reece stands out for weak gov e rnanc e , ranking No. 71 on shown that food prices jumped from 2006 Transparency International’s Corruption to 2008, but the global forecast was for P erceptions Index as the crisis took hold boom times. After falling in 2009, food in 2009, versus No. 32 for Spain and No. prices climbed again, and an economic 14 for Ireland. crisis gripped most of the world. Amid a The What and the Why bleak future with high unemployment, the What causes corruption? Is it income second rise in food prices was the final inequality? No. It has to do with rule of spur that made an individual Tunisian’s law, whether the constitution in a country protest grow into the Arab Spring. is respected, whether there are strong E conomic disparity is closely relat- institutions of horizontal accountability, Michael J. Padilla Pagan P ayano is ed to unemployment and underemploy- independent courts, etc. the founder and CE O of Al ment. G lobal unemployment stood at The simple political reaction to Thuraya Consultancy™, bringing a unique understanding of risk 5.9%, compared with 5.5% in 2007, be- economic stagnation is populism, the analysis and supporting his fore the global economic crisis, and youth more populism gains strength, the less customers in understanding culunemployment is nearly three times higher secure the environment for business and ture and traditions of countries to than for older workers, even though the investment. If I were a corporation, I’d try be better employers and investors. younger generation has attained higher to invest in places where rule of law is levels of education. strong and where feelings are not against Social unrest surged in 2009, after open markets, but the reality is that many declining— along with unemployment— in of the emerging markets, where the the 1990s and 2000s. Social unrest is now growth is, are weak in those areas. 18% higher than before the crisis.

Before you Start a Business

Do not start a business because someone else is doing it successfully. They may have a unique ability in them that is not in you so find out what yours is.

BY WACEKE NDUATI

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resignation, see if your proposition is Y ou will fail if it’s only about the strong enough to attract one or two inde- money. Two people can start a butchery pendent clients who are not associating in the same location. One thrives the othwith you because of the company you er doesn’t. Why? Because of the motive work for. behind the business. One is in it for monY ou will be kicked out of your ey and the other because he likes what he comfort zone. With the lifestyle you had does and enjoys serving people. He will when employed, you will not be able to naturally spend more time learning about keep up with it when trying to sustain a it and put up proper structures as well that new business. Be ready not to be able to tend to make the business more efficient. eat out and hang out with your friends As a result of his motive, his business is that much. The temptation is to continue more successful. Many people want to go into living like you were so that others can Many people follow the money or business. They have certain beliefs and know that things are going well for you. think they should start a business because many times delusions about what running Many times people spend money setting of the money. When the money doesn’t a successful business is all about. Many up a business to accommodate the image turn up as fast as they expected they give want to escape what they perceive to be and comforts they had whilst employed. up. Being passionate and purposeful the restrictions in employment that is They get an office in the right location about what you are doing gives you the freedom on how to spend time and belief with a receptionist, messenger, etc., and “staying power” required to get through that going into business will break through establish an entertainment budget even the hard times. Do not start a business the glass ceiling on how much income before the first client walks in. They then only because you think it will make they can earn. In today’s article, I am ad- kid themselves that the money will come. money. Do not start a business because dressing that person who is employed and Six months later when reality hits, someone else is doing it successfully. They is thinking about going into business as may have a unique ability in them that is they have to let go of the office and well as that person who may have just support staff they surrounded themselves not in you so find out what yours is. moved into business and is starting out. with. When you are starting out, focus E ntrepreneurship at the end of the This just a taste of what I have only on the necessary things needed to day is a fantastic journey. Just like school, personally learned and I hope this can be run that business. Let all other things only you only learn once you are in it. No guarthe beginning of helping you avoid some be dictated by the actual growth of the antee can be provided to you from the of every expensive mistake that many have business. Y ou may not even need an of- side lines. Commit to the learning process had to go through. fice or full-time staff to begin with. Be and remain aware that not everything you The networks you had whilst prepared to be the messenger, filing clerk, are thinking or planning may come to employed are not necessarily going to sales, and marketing all at once. Y ou will pass. The biggest question I think people carry forward into your business. When I not have that free time you dreamed need to ask is “Am I ready to change?” left employment, I was working for a about. A day will come when you have prestigious bank. I assumed that the K es 200 in your bank account and you clients I had then would cross over with still got to find the willpower to move on. me into my small business. This was not This process is about character the case. The clients associated with me building and if you are not ready for your because of the brand that was behind me character to be challenged, reshaped, and that is the bank. When I no longer had transformed through trials then business that brand, they simply could not be is not for you. The character that is creatbothered. I have met many people about ed as you are shoved out of your comfort to make this mistake. zone is what is needed to support the Do not assume because you are growth of your organization as you build good at your current job that clients will it. Do not look at someone who has been jump into your boat. Many clients are in business and start comparing yourself loyal to the brand of your employer. Y ou or live the life they are living. They have have to be prepared to build an entirely new network and to prove yourself all walked a journey of 1000 miles to get there and remember you are only on the Waceke is an entrepreneurship Coach & Author. She is the F ounder of Centonomyover again under a new name. E ven your first mile. Y ou are not an entrepreneur close family and friends may very well not simply because you started a business but become your clients so don’t depend on you need to be ready to commit to the that. Maybe before you hand over your process of becoming an entrepreneur.

Prevent One Crisis from Producing another and the Rise of Groups Exploiting the COVID-19 Pandemic

F eelings of hatred and grievances have become more pronounced as individuals seek to find spaces of more certainty and comfort in the face of the pandemics. In this sort of environment, extremism can thrive.

BY MICHAEL J. PADILLA

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range of actions taken in response to pandemic brings new opportunities for COV ID 19, stay at home orders, working extremists to exploit discontent and from home; limitations on movement uncertainty through fostering victimhood within and between countries; limited or narrativ e s , s pre ading dis trus t of no access to various public and private government, pursuing disinformation services. These actions have knock-on c a mpa ig ns , da ng e ro us ly f ue lling impacts such as a major downturn in eco- nationalistic feelings, and generally nomic activity, stressed supply chains, and spreading animosity towards “others”. In Last night I was speaking at a vir- disruptions to transport ne tw orks, this environment, we have seen a tual conference about different groups amongst others. Both the threat posed by proliferation and continuation of divisions exploiting the COV ID-19 pandemic. They COV ID-19 and the impact it has on our and hatred along with, unfortunately, acts are regaining influence as well as fuelling day-to-day lives appears set to continue of violence, but we have also seen that far extremism on the far-right and far-left in for a considerable period. -right groups have been sending out E urope and giving Islamic State and other messages online encouraging supporters militants groups cover to regain influence. The Rise of Extremist to go out and infect “enemies”. We are witnessing the impact of In the Middle E ast and Africa the COV ID-19 upon the world. Across With the above, we have witnessed that regions, we have witnessed Islamic State the world, the day-to-day lives of people extremists have taken full advantage of and related groups are seeking to recoup have changed dramatically and it is the uncertainty being faced and continue ground in Iraq, Syria, and the Sahel, unlikely these changes will diminish to exploit the circumstances to gain exploiting the fact that governments are anytime soon. There has been a broad further support for their ideologies. The caught up in combating the virus or

otherwise destabilized, including by the collapsed oil price. What we are seeing is that the virus has an impact on fragile states and provides Daesh and other factions new room to breathe. Oct 19th, 2020 ICE SE RVE 24 reported that: The Islamic State called on its followers to attack westerners in the Gulf yesterday, October 18. The Islamic State’s (I.S) spokesperson, Abu Hamza al-Qurayshi criticized two incidents; the recent normalization agreements between Israel and the UAE as well as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia’s decision to open its airspace to Israeli flights. The IS spokesperson called on the group’s followers to carry out attacks against Westerners and Western companies in the G ulf, including against “pipelines, factories, and facilities”. Al-Qurayshi also congratulated the group’s Syrian affiliates for the recent killing of a Russian general (possibly referring to the killing of a Major-G eneral in August), before focusing on branches outside the Middle E ast. Al-Qurayshi F ollowing on from blame, extremist narratives experiences of people, in further called on the group’s members to carry out then attempt to motivate supporters to take particular the marginalized, attacks against prisons in a bid to free IS prisoners, action against the identified out-groups they deem as this is where radical recalling similar recent attacks in Afghanistan, to be responsible. ISIS directed its followers not groups can pe ne trate , while also calling on all Muslims to revolt in Mali, to travel to E urope, as a highly infected area but e ithe r through se rvice E gypt, Nigeria, Burkina F aso, Congo, and Chad, has called on supporters already in Western states provision and support or and mentioning recent “victories” in Mozambique to launch attacks and support prison breaks to by providing supportive and Somalia. release more supporters. messages that people will G ov e rnme nts hav e take n e xte nsive The COV ID-19 world and the uncertainty grasp on to. measures to protect populations and campaigns to it contains provide a context for narratives to At this stage, it is inform the public on how to hinder the spread of connect with a wide range of emotions and unf or tunate that the the virus. These efforts have been delivered with grievances that people hold. It does not appear uncertainty of the current varying levels of competence and success. that matters will improve quickly, even if the virus impact of COV ID-19 will However, a common feature in the measures to is brought under control. The economic impact c o n t i n u e i n t o t h e address the virus has been uncertainty. There is of COV ID-19 is going to be multi-dimensional p o s t - C O V I D w o r l d extensive uncertainty about the continuing impact and potentially long-lasting. G overnments need (whatever that may look and evolution of the virus and the measures that to continue with immense levels of public like, another dimension of work to counteract the virus. Hasty and often spending to support health care systems, to uncertainty) as conditions complex government guidelines have resulted in maintain employment levels, to provide public are likely to remain responuncertainty among societies. As a result, the support due to job losses, and to maintain sive to ideas and actions economic impact is going to affect people’s lives particular sectors of economic activity. related to blame and hahugely. In addition, with uncertainty comes feelings We already see that countries and societies tred. Radicals will welcome of distrust, dissatisfaction, and division among and that are facing economic uncertainty will these circumstances as it between societies. F eelings of hatred and experience continued underdevelopment. But a supports their objective of grievances have become more pronounced as trend we have been watching is that following a gaining further support for individuals seek to find spaces of more certainty major financial crisis, extremism is likely to grow, their ideologies, regardless and comfort in the face of the pandemics. In this which we have witnessed in part of Africa and the of the damage it causes. sort of environment, extremism can thrive. Middle E ast over the last several decades. F or me, I hope we do not History has shown that during and following lose sight of the security Weaponize Information: financial crises uncertainty prompts people to be risks as we focus, quite easily taken in by extremist rhetoric. And it is rightly, on the immediate The use of disinformation during the pandemic has already well established that economic depriva- health and social impact. been massive. The most obvious use of tion and the absence of opportunities for persondisinformation has been in the apportioning of al development fuel grievances as individuals feel blame for the virus upon particular groups or in excluded. And so, if we follow the lesson of the the creation of various conspiracy theories. The past, I can say that the massive amount of money continual production of disinformation in times of that will be spent to address the economic, social, uncertainty fuels various conspiracies where blame and healthcare consequences of the virus risks is placed upon others, which even if it does not will be spent at the expense of security. lead to direct violence remains damaging to F eelings of anger, disillusion, and societies. contempt for others as a result of the pandemic Michael J. Padilla Pagan P ayano is The blame dimension in messaging cuts will continue and this will continue to fuel radical the founder and CE O of Al across the ideological spectrum of extremism. We views. Divisiveness is becoming a normal part of Thuraya Consultancy™, bringing have tracked that Anti-immigration groups in the political process, domestically and globally. a unique understanding of risk analysis and supporting his F rance and G ermany have circulated information This results in responses to the pandemic being customers in understanding culthat Muslims have been spreading the virus on designed based on competition rather than ad- ture and traditions of countries to purpose and the source of the virus has been tied dressing the actual lived experiences of people in be better employers and to asylum and immigration centers. society. Attention needs to be given to the lived investors.

Fighting the Pandemic, Racism

We need to collectively buy into this as a purpose - in whatever sector we apply our trade, it is our collective responsibility to seek ways to pursue equality.

It’s much easier said than done. South Africa has tried for two and a half decades to institute institutional blackeconomic empowerment, but it falls apart when the government enforce it without appropriate organization and buy-in. This is not a top down approach. This should be done bottom-up, private sector operators and investors instituting this by choice. Not easy. It needs excellent businesses that tick the right boxes. P re-seed and seed finance is crucial to give these startups the chance to flourish. It needs commitment to the cause

BY JORDAN STEPHANOU

As Churchill said, ‘Never waste a good crisis’ - we can use this pandemic to make big environmental changes. G reat to see London doing it already with the step towards increased bicycle and pedestrian lanes. responsibility to seek ways to pursue equality. E ventually, eventually, greater equality should lead to greater conscious and subconscious understanding that we are absolutely different, but absolutely equal.

In the same way we can use the pandemic to reform our approach to the environment long term, we need to use the George F loyd situation to reform our approach to subconscious and conscious racism long term. In our personal capacity we can all campaign. Saying that we need to acknowledge white privilege and racism is a good start. But it can be dangerously close to ‘trendy’ and ‘fluffy’. We can all take further steps. In professional capacity, we can action change that will [eventually] lead to long term impact. In the startup space there are a few things we can do. There should be a new w a v e of a ng e l ne t w o r k s ( lik e Cornerstone), angel investors, family offices and V Cs that a) focus exclusively on black founders, and b) established investors (of varying fund sizes and that invest various stages of business) that shift focus slightly to actively choose higher percentage of black LP s, venture partners, associates - black decision makers. They need to actively seek out blackowned businesses to invest in and fuel. This has to be an internal K PI. Something that everyone agrees is the right thing to do to move the world forward. A purpose. In startups, first key hires should actively seek more diversity. When employee number is more than 5 people, enforce an internal rule that the business will never be more than 60-40% split in both gender or race. Again, maybe not easy, but what’s the point of life if we don’t have purposes to strive towards? There are obviously 1000s of flaws to my suggestions. That’s good, we should implement change, experiment, learn that our hypotheses are flawed, and actively F rom a tech perspective, we’re improve on them over time. The only way using this crisis as part of a second wave we will prevent ‘accidents’ like G eorge of e-commerce adoption, the influx of F loyd or Oscar G rant, is by changing the new marketplaces in education and health, power dynamic in society. It’s by socioec-and the leap to a more integrated home onomic equality. It’ s by getting the right and work life. Countless more examples voices in the rights places and slowly, that this pandemic can be used for good, gradually, righting the wrongs of centuries within our inter and intrapersonal lives of human history. What can you do within too. G ratitude and appreciation of little your job, your role as a leader, to institute things - if we can keep that, it will change in your company to do your part genuinely lead to happier lives. in moving the world forward? Now, we need to apply that thinking to the George F loyd situation. # blacklivesmatter and diversity is a topic that is not seen as a priority outside of tragedies like this - and that itself, is tragic. Jordan is a Senior But this needs to be used as a trigger for a Fundraising at Crowdcube movement of all people across all indus- and former co-Founder tries for weeks, months, years and decades for tastePal to come. We need to collectively buy into this as a purpose - in whatever sector we apply our trade, it is our collective