Wait…why would you launch a business in the middle of a pandemic?

ParadigmNine (formerly Paradigm 9), relaunched in October 2020 with a new name, look and ways to serve our clients.

As we began our effort to redefine our agency, we talked to our peers, former colleagues, and mentors to discuss trends in the communication industry and to share best practices. During these conversations, we were often asked why we chose the name ParadigmNine.

Simply put and by dictionary definition, the word paradigm is a pattern or model. Add “nine” and the idea for our agency’s name is to infer that there are many ways to develop a pattern or model.

For ParadigmNine clients, we created a multilayered communications model that uses the power of communications to help them connect with the people who matter the most, in a variety of ways, that make the most sense for their business.

Once we had our name, a defined brand and service model, we asked ourselves whether the timing was right to launch given that we are in the midst of a pandemic and economic downturn. Reality is, we are all facing a tremendous amount of change, forcing us to revaluate our lives, end-to-end. From the way we get our groceries, to getting our jobs done, keeping employees engaged, to serving our clients, spending time with friends and family, the list is endless.

We gave it a lot of thought and uncovered five really good reasons to push forward:

1. Companies are reassessing their business models.  For some companies, this may mean redeploying staff or adjusting targets to reflect the shift in business. Whatever the reason, strategic advisors are in demand to help companies shape or reshape their narrative and share it in a compelling way. These organizations need experts to help distill their revised plans into digestible content, fit for a variety of audiences across many platforms. Communication professionals do this best. It is at the core of our business.
2. Companies need to stay relevant and trusted.  Maintaining brand presence is critical during these uncertain times but it cannot be just about promoting products and services to make a sale. Consumers expect more of companies. Now more than ever, companies must find ways to build trust with their customers, in good times and bad.  The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer Special report shows that while reputation plays a critical role in buying decisions, 81% of survey respondents say that if they trust a brand they are more likely make a purchase. Companies need the support of communications professionals to help them strategically plan meaningful and compelling messaging to build trust and protect their reputation to ensure they remain top of mind, during and post-pandemic.
3. Companies are pivoting to stay afloat. Various social distancing restrictions are impacting businesses in countless ways. Here is one example – the controversial shuttering of gyms, fitness centres and recreation centres making it nearly impossible for athletes, of all levels, to maintain their workout, training and competition routines. Some of these businesses were able to shift to online virtual classes to ride out the closure and some went a step further, reimagining their value. One of our clients – a high-performance sport training and event facility – is an example of the latter.  During the first nine-weeks of the shutdown, the facility’s management team quickly rallied and developed a leading “Return to Play” strategy in anticipation of the eventual reopening. To keep their clients engaged, they hosted a series of virtual huddles bringing together many sport organizations to share their plan and collaborate to ensure a safe return to sport. Keep in mind, their core job is to manage a sport complex and host events but when they had to close their doors temporarily, they pivoted and became leaders in developing reopening strategies. ParadigmNine helped to amplify their plan and as a result, their Instagram following grew by 92% in just a short time period. We used creative ways to help this facility stay relevant and top of mind.
4. Employees are dispersed, working from home.  Statistics Canada reveals that 39% of Canadians who can do their jobs at home did so in the last week of March 2020. This trend is likely to continue well into 2021, forcing companies to change the way they communicate with their employees.  Traditional face-to-face meetings like all employee town hall meetings and team meetings in the boardroom are on hold.  How do leaders keep their employees engaged, inspired and informed while at a distance? It is a critical time for leaders to be equipped with the right tools to facilitate ongoing, open, and meaningful two-way communication with all of their employees.  When done right employees excel and in turn, companies do too.
5. Companies need new, creative ways to engage with their audiences, while socially distancing. Think about your average work day. How much time do you spend in video conference meetings? According to Mobile Syrup, in April 2020, Google reported two million new Google Meets users, every day. Based on this we can assume that most companies are heavily relying on video conference platforms to get business done. Is your Sales team engaging potential and existing customers on these platforms in the absence of in-person meetings? If yes, are their presentations interesting, meaningful and memorable? Are they using multimedia elements to showcase your products and services? Companies need a variety of strategies and tools to effectively reach their audiences. Times of change, like now, offer the ideal time to audit communications processes and tools to gage effectiveness and adjust accordingly. It is also a good idea to check in with people to ask them how they want to receive information (read: survey) and use the results to drive improvements.

Listen, we are tuned in and sensitive to the fact that the pandemic put many people out of work (we hope temporarily) and we are not, in anyway, promoting capitalizing on misfortune. Instead, we see opportunities abound to help companies amid the pandemic chaos and beyond.

In spite of all of the current challenges around the world, we are hopeful and optimistic about what the future holds for us and for you.

What excites you the most when you look ahead to the future? Tell us in the comment section below.

Connect with us to learn more about ParadigmNine and all that we have to offer.