Many business leaders are straddling a variety of employee and customer needs, as individuals are having widely different experiences when it comes to today’s challenges. This can mean that many businesses are having a difficult time navigating a path and finding a balance when it comes to serving important audiences. Our CEO Rebecca Brooks writes about this topic in-depth in her latest piece for the American Marketing Association, Bridging the Gaps Between Your Critical Audiences.

She maintains that the complications leaders are facing have been exacerbated with work-from-home policies and pandemic-related concerns, especially when it comes to employee relations. It’s important to address practical needs in this environment, such as fair wages and flexible work schedules, something which Rebecca has seen the benefits of first-hand. “We offer unlimited time off and flexibility…We have found that this approach gives employees more accountability and ownership of their work, which makes them more efficient, not to mention happier.”

Employees aren’t the only critical audiences in this equation. Customers and other stakeholders are also watching businesses closely. This means businesses need to be “nakedly authentic” and take “definitive, confident action to reassure audiences that are feeling vulnerable and uncertain.” She writes that communications and messaging must be prioritized, as well as taking “proactive, tangible actions necessary to back up your messaging.” 

Before anything can be done with confidence, though, business must really understand what each audience wants from them. With today’s non-homogenous audiences, companies must implement insights strategies that are multi-faceted and “focus on the individual, in order to serve the whole.” Rebecca bullets out a number of key tips in the article, including having open conversations with employees; conducting research projects that reach beyond traditional demographics; moving away from brand narcissism; and finding ways to, literally, bring in the customer’s voice through video, imagery, and verbatim responses. 

She concludes, “Companies need to stay on top of the manifold needs of audience members, including (and prioritizing) employees, and employ nimble strategies to imbue confidence and stability.”

For the complete article, visit: https://www.ama.org/marketing-news/bridging-the-gaps-between-your-critical-audiences/