Believe it or not, in this day and age, there is still one thing you can control.
Even in the midst of a pandemic paired with untimely acts of nature, we can control the way we present our brands to our target audiences with clear, meaningful, and intentional communication.
In order to be successful with marketing, especially in our world of uncertainty, the journey must begin with an elevated focus on communication. This fundamental piece of the marketing puzzle lays the groundwork from which brands can build a marketing strategy. Without it, brands do not have a voice.
When building a voice consumers trust, brands must be willing to communicate with consumers year-round.
The past year and a half revealed to us that brands must have a comprehensive communication plan in place to not only react to unpredictable situations, such as the pandemic, but to serve as a trusted voice for both buyers and consumers.
So many fresh produce brands have a tendency to wait until disaster strikes to take action and begin communicating. Sometimes, these brands find they are too late. To avoid this, the following points are proven strategies for achieving a line of trust between your company and buying audiences through consistent communication.
“The past year and a half revealed to us that brands must have a comprehensive communication plan in place to not only react to unpredictable situations, such as the pandemic, but to serve as a trusted voice for both buyers and consumers.”
Dan’l Mackey Almy, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, DMA Solutions
When beginning to think about communication, you must first determine the key messaging needed to elevate your brand.
This messaging should be tailored to the various audiences you seek to connect with, whether it be buyers, consumers, internal teams, suppliers, etc. This is the foundation for which you build the rest of the communication strategy, so it’s important that you start here.
Next, determine a cadence in which you’d like to speak to your audience. Is it bi-weekly, monthly, quarterly? Implementing a communication schedule will build trust with your audience who will know when they will hear from you and listen to what you want to communicate to them.
Communication helps set the stage for elevating who you are as opposed to only what you sell. This is a key differentiator amongst brands. It’s obvious to people when a company is showing up only to push a product vs. a holistic brand that really cares for the wellbeing of their audience.
While it is important to get the details of what you are selling straight, it’s even more important to build and nurture relationships over time so you can share your story on a deeper level. Showing a little vulnerability to your audiences won’t hurt either.
As mentioned earlier, there is a lot in this world we cannot control. From a pandemic or natural disaster to a product recall or water shortage, so much can go wrong that is out of our hands completely! Communication gives back the power to control how you interact and respond to certain situations.
You do have control over how you manage the narrative in both predictable and unpredictable situations, so use your voice to communicate effectively!
Trust is built through the investment of time and consistent actions. This was proven during the pandemic as brands that had invested in the marathon of marketing found their brand loyalists were in contact to ask questions and seek guidance during that particular time of crisis.
Marketing is the vessel that carries a brand’s message to consumers and allows them to engage with you on their terms. This sort of interaction fuels a trusting and long-lasting relationship that is priceless. As long as brands are willing to be patient, trust will come as it is earned.
“You do have control over how you manage the narrative in both predictable and unpredictable situations, so use your voice to communicate effectively!”
During this time when so many external factors are affecting our businesses, we must turn our attention and efforts to focus on the things we can control. Staying present and serving empathetic and helpful communication to your audiences will only position you to navigate the challenges and prepare for your brand’s future growth. 
