A Note From Our Founder: A Time to be Authentic, Empathetic and Agile

We are facing a highly challenging, uncertain time. For businesses, things are moving quickly and it’s essential that action is taken quickly.

As business leaders, we need to be as transparent and supportive with our teams, customers and partners as possible. It’s a time for agile, authentic communication - without creating more fear.

In the days following 9/11, Rudy Giuliani set out a communications framework that can be useful in the COVID-19 situation we face today:

1. With total transparency, tell them what you do know.
2. Tell them what you don't know and what contingencies you are thinking about.
3. Be human while showing strong leadership.
4. Ask for calm and collaboration, by providing clear action steps.
5. Give hope and show a sense of resilience.
6. Let your audience know when you will be updating them again on the situation.

These wise words have helped the team at 3rdspace devise an agile communications response strategy, to help our clients through this time.

3rdspace now offer an agile, virtual production resource.

In response to the rapidly changing situation, we have upped our resources to help our clients create agile, in the moment content, through a virtual production strategy.

We have enlisted a PR crisis expert to work with our clients on tailored, phase-by-phase messaging, allowing for a range of contingencies for both internal and external customer communication.

An editorial team available 24/7.

In these uncertain times, we’ve taken action to ensure we’re here when, and if you need us. Our editorial teams are available 7 days a week. 3rdspace are now working on a split roster basis across Australia and the UK to provide 24/7 support for our clients. To ensure their wellbeing and safety at this time, all of our team members can work remotely.

Talking the talk.

Film is a powerful, emotive way to communicate your brands actions. That’s why we have developed a safe plan to create quick turn-around film, utilising graphics, voice overs - recorded remotely and a vast array of footage libraries to create film in more responsive agile ways. Plus, our team of creatives and editors are working remotely to ramp up as the situation changes.

This will allow brands to create up to date videos and editorial content for channels such as EDM, social media and traditional platforms to inform customers of the action you are taking as the situation changes across the globe.

Our podcast studio is also set up to record audio and voice overs off-site.

At this stage we also have an in house crew who have not travelled in the last two months to direct, shoot and edit in a manner that is in line with the NSW Department of Health so they are aware of their responsibilities.  

It’s a time to reassure, not ignore.

While we are finding new agile ways to communicate day by day, it’s also a time to hold true to your brand’s purpose, maintaining a long-term view. During periods of isolation, customers and potential customers will likely be spending more time online looking for both practical up to date information and escapism.

From a brand perspective, while the first reaction may be to cut back on your marketing and content creation, it’s important to consider the benefits of dialling up your content presence. By holding true to your tone of voice and the product attributes, your brand content can serve as a much-needed tool to reassure and remind consumers that things will get better.

 It’s a time for innovation and demonstration.

Times like these can be incredibly unsettling, but they can also lead to sparks of innovation. Use this time to think about how you can do things differently. Is there anyone you can collaborate with? Are there any ideas you’ve previously discounted that might work now? Are there any innovations in the pipeline that you could fast track that could help individuals or communities today?

Stay on purpose.

Now is the time for dialling up why your business exists - its core purpose. One of the best approaches to surviving uncertainty is to set yourself apart and dial up the value that your brand offers – the thing your business is most famous for. A fast and cost-effective way of doing this is to create compelling, authentic content that brings that purpose to life, reminding customers and potential customers that you are still here and very much still in business, so when the time is right you will be at the top of mind.

We hope these thoughts help in uncertain times.

Please get in touch if you think we can help you in any way.

Rob Logan
CEO and Founder
0419 722 151
+61 2 8354 1527