Brands at war

Icons in crises

Israel has been facing one of its gravest adversities. Known as The Black Saturday, the chain of events that unfolded since October 7^th is hard to grasp. Even through hardships, brands and businesses are of social and national importance, and have unique responsibilities during times of war. We took a few moments to catch our breath and harnessed our personal experience, to present you with this elaborate article on everything brands and businesses can do to create value, get active and help all audiences in this difficult time.

We call it Brands at War.

Let’s go back to a defining day that had shaped the modern world: 9/11. 4 airplanes kidnapped by Al-Qaeda, crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and attempted crashing into the White House as well, murdering nearly 3,000 people. What was once just a theoretical threat or an imaginary horror plot, had turned into a painful reality. The western world reached a pivotal moment where the perception and impact of terrorism changed, for both the free world and terrorist organizations. Following 9/11, society witnessed the demolition of iconization: an iconic image of the times featured a destroyed Coca Cola truck with remnants of the World Trade Center – symbolizing the conceptual decline of the free world’s power and stability. Another layer presented in this image shows the damage Homeland Security had suffered, and beyond – the destruction of new gods adored by the free world, represented here by culturally integral brands.

Back to present times: Israel is experiencing dim and unclear reality. In October 7^th, The Black Saturday, thousands of Hamas terrorists invaded Kibbutzes and military bases in the Gaza Envelope region. It is still too soon to fully grasp and find perspective, but this undoubtedly is an attack the likes of which we have yet to see here, and anywhere else in recent decades. Currently, there were 8,000 rockets shot to Israeli territory, 1,400 dead, 4,500 injured, about 222 hostages, and numbers are constantly updating.

Israel’s crisis expands to different aspects:

• Security crisis, evoking mental and economic hardships, and many other to follow.
• Leadership crisis, as intelligence, military and government failed to do their part.
• Trust crisis, as per The Israel Democracy Institute’s latest research of the people trust in the state, showing government trust level are currently at an unprecedented low – just 20%. Military and armed forces trust, however, has risen to 89%, and so did trust in the media. These are the organizations that had managed to pull it together quickly, bounce back and regain control. The rest, especially the Israeli government, are in critical condition.

From the depths of the gaping black hole within us, grief-related emotions burst into consciousness: anger, angst, loss, humiliation, distress, rage, shock and depression. Where are we in all this?

Where does it hurt and how do we manage it?

There are 5 pain points on Israel’s heart map:

• Loss of control stemming from the lack of a responsible, accountable and meaningful adult. From the moment we come into this world, we know that there is someone to protect us. The contract between us and our country has been breached. We need organizations and authorities to help us gain knowledge and create routine.
  
  
• Passivity following the catastrophic events. It is easy to drown in and let it fill our daily lives. The objective is to transform into a state of activity, initiative, and productivity. Help audiences hope for better days, minimize screen time, and maximize outdoor time.
  
  
• Evil. After seeing pure evil with all of its dark glory – we have to balance it out with heaps of good that’ll overcome and overthrow it and re-instill faith in humanity even if we’re not completely out of the woods just yet.
  
  
• Trauma. How can we shift from this to hope and aptitude? The traumatic narrative tells the infinite story of getting stuck in a moment – and it is our duty to help people see a future for themselves, for all of us. We failed, we went through hell, and we got out. That’s an empowering message.
  
  
• Insecurity. We can fight it by creating authority. Israel is currently in deep crisis and a state of lacking, whereas its people, its communities, were quick to step up and initiate. These initiatives can also come from businesses, brands, and leading corporations.

Israeli society is at a place where its needs are changing and require new solutions and innovative catering. The pressing question is – what role do brands play currently with respect to national, social, cultural and personal responsibility?

The most repeated phrase of the last couple of weeks is “now is not the time”, followed by other empty version such as, “it’s the government’s job”, “it might seem cynical”, “there are too many messages right now”, “it’ll damage our brand in the long run”, “it has nothing to do with us”, “we’ll keep our heads down to survive this”.

I have only on word on this issue: DON’T. But really, DO. Because at the end of the day, now IS the time – to just do. Do something for others; reciprocate your audience, your communities; position yourself with a clear stance. And this is goes for more than earning points for the post-war era: this will empower your brand – as it is a moral duty. Show the Israeli society that you are a part of it, that you live here, and give back to the people. Your audience is asking for it. There is no current research on this, but other research work done on the Ukraine war and COVID, presents us with these numbers:

• 88% would like to hear what brands have to say in uncertain times.
• 70% feel the brands and companies should communicate during these times, with relevant messages.
• 70% think that brands and companies play an important part during trying times.
• 73% think brands must recognize and empower armed forces currently fighting the fronts.

Bottom line: the greatest expectation out of brands and businesses is presence. Be there and participate.

States of distress

There are 3 natural psychological states:

Freeze – a natural and sensible response in the initial stages for everyone, including brands and businesses. We all need a minute to make sense of things and get a grip. Some brands are still there and might stay there even after it all subsides.

Flight – fleeing distress.

Fight – stand up and resist. I believe this to be our current role in every aspect.

So how do we fight?

The 5 ways to make an impact

Before we dive in and examine the kinds of impact your brand can make, let’s ask a few clarifying questions:

Who are we helping?
This national catastrophe has multiple audiences: the families of victims and hostages, the injured and their families, combat and armed forces, survivors, medical teams, evacuees, volunteering civilians, people who stay in to feel safe, and Israeli society. Defining your audience will help focus your work.

What is our unique voice?
Generic and basic slogans like “we’ll win this together!” – are not enough. What connects this tragic, complex story, to you and your brand’s story and history? Ask yourself: what is it that you, and you alone, can do for your audience? What is your unique contribution? What are the resources you have and others don’t? What is your superpower and how can you use it for the greater good?

How can we tell when something works?
It has to be – relevant for your brand and audience; easy to produce and simple to do; and be of value to different audiences.

Once we have this figured out, we can impact in 5 ways – using your brand or business to truly make a difference, leave a mark and take part in helping the Israeli society:

1. Empathy and solidarity
   We were all tearing up and melting down to President Biden’s empowering speech. It’s the responsible, accountable, and meaningful grown-up we all missed dearly. And there he was, holding our hand and reminding us that he is with us. His compassionate manner enabled solidarity. He was there for us during our darkest hours. This is a good lesson: saying “I am with you” is imperative for the heart. People are touched by any expression of friendship and empathy right now, even just seeing our flag. Brands kept silent during the first week of the war, and by the second week some came out with national messages – most of which hovered around unity, embrace, connection, empowerment. There wasn’t enough empathy and recognition of the horrifying disaster. On the operative level, brands and businesses did show up for their people, both working and recruited, and for evacuees. We’d like to offer a different perspective, even if you think it’s too soon for it: use understanding to communicate empathetically and make space for emotional mess. A great example for this is a video by Facebook released during COVID, where pain, emptiness, confusion and compassion are given their right place, connecting to the concept of an actual face-book. The main message reminded us that if we can find people easily, we’re never alone, and then directs viewers to a designated support platform for people and businesses.
   
   
   Another beautiful example for empathy and solidarity with medical teams during COVID, is a campaign by Dove, via McCan Bosnia office, spotlighting the staff and making them into the superheroes. The leading message is Courage is Beautiful, which aligns with Dove’s language. They managed to create empathy and help people through this, while connecting two solid truths: beauty is for everyone, and courage is beautiful. The video shows medical staffs’ faces after long hours in masks, leaving marks on their skin. It’s a simple means to tell a human, vulnerable and beautiful story, inviting audiences to donate at the end.
   
   
   A grave tragedy of this war is the hostages taken to Gaza, as of now there are 222 of them. People need our help and brands can come through big time. There are many platforms on which impact can be made in your own way. For instance, the empty strollers exhibition in London – any stroller and baby brand could have been behind it. Using everything you can to send the message that the hostages must return home is a moral duty.
   
   
   When asked about their expectations of brands during war, people answered clearly: 37% care about empathy. 22% need to know brands support combat and armed forces. In our case there are many of them: the army, ZKA, medical teams. 21% want brands to talk about what’s happening and 18% are looking for some escapism.
   
   
   Bottom line: we have to be fully empathetic. This isn’t the familiar macho “together we’ll win!”, rather emotional, honest, holding space for others – not fearing the truth. This is how we regain confidence and a sense of normalcy again.
   
   
   
2. Knowledge, information and education
   Being in a critical situation, we all expected authorities to act. Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s official spokesman, communicates daily – but there aren’t many that do. Other authorities simply vanished while people are thirsty for any drop of information. Officers who frequent television studios talk a lot with little effect. Brands can do so much more, in a relevant way and be of help and influence, be it on TikTok, Instagram, Spotify. Their message will echo loud and clear.
   
   
   There are different level at which knowledge and information can be made available. Here are a few basic examples – like opening hours, with a nice stamp and a wish for better days. It’s relevant – but boring.
   
   
   Here are some good examples of information management during times of war. Morning, a brand for freelancers, offers tools to help handle the situation business wise, from information about rights, to how to run a business during crisis. Another example are medical information centers that offer support. During COVID, Spotify used its voice to educate on the importance of masks, with eye-level, relatable messaging, such as “safe and sound” and “spread music, not COVID”. It was highly relevant and shows how a brand can take an important educating role, and protect people. Another amazing COVID campaign was Netflix’s billboards, presenting spoilers to different shows to encourage people to stay in. Burger King also encouraged home activity with a humorous and relatable video, that also contributed to then-flailing economy. They also performed wonderfully outdoors, with the 2-meter distance marks, including beach towels with the same size to keep people distant even at the beach. These are small things with huge impact. Another important thing worth noting is working with your brand’s values. Take NYT, for instance: during COVID the paper connected to its core value, Truth, and took it upon itself to fight fake news and save lives through the truth.
   
   
   There are many kinds of information and knowledge people need during trying times, and brands can be there to help them know better. Here are some ways to do it:
   
   Information on the importance of protecting yourself and your loved ones.
   
   - Information on therapy, mental support and anxiety management.
   - Communicating reality to your audience in a way that’s relevant to them.
   - Information on supportive authorities.
   - Information in case of an emergency.
   - Information on volunteering and donations.
   - Information regarding your activity.
   - Information about taking care of kids while staying indoors.
   
   
   Bottom line: every brand can guide and pass information. Can you impact your community in a way that authorities and government can’t? If you can, go for it.
   
   
   
3. Practical aid
   “How can we help” is a significant question for you. There are myriad ways. The war had shown us the beautiful side of society. People are taking care of the evacuees and combats, even to the most basic level needs in the hierarchy – food, toilet paper, deodorant, etc.
   
   
   Many organizations were quick to rearrange, as they already have the needed infrastructure to create platforms – in this case, for donations. For instance, the Brothers in Arms organization or Kaplan Force. These two become the most notable and influential. Another examples are the Kan and 12 News donation centers. Some smaller brands made a huge impact as well – such is The Brothers restaurant’s cooking and delivery center for armed forces and evacuees. Many non-profits are using their existing infrastructure for doing good – like the change Paybox had done to its interface, placing non-profits at the front to support them.
   
   
   Some brands donate money and products. For instance, chocolate brands that during COVID, donated masks and funds; Facebook, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to small businesses. Here in Israel are many organizations that donate to evacuees – like El Al, who flew in from the US 37 tons of combat, medical and crucial equipment, without cost.
   
   
   You can also offer financial help – like freezing payments, aiding funds, loans and more. There are many relevant practical tools.
   
   
   Donations can be made out of awareness to functional needs: for example, soldiers were missing phones and chargers – and big brands like Dynamica, Partner, Yes and many more stepped up.
   
   
   Many businesses are trying to catch this wave, some relevant, some at least try – from snacks to garden furniture, businesses are offering discounts for evacuees.
   
   
   Another kind of donation is physical spaces – for instance, hotels nationwide are hosting evacuees. The Alpaca Farm is offering free visits. Rapyd donated spaces to hold Shivas in. And one of the largest lawyer firms donated their space, hosting the hostages information HQ.
   
   
   Helping kiddos is also important. See this example of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority that offer relief for children currently sitting around at home. Yes allows free watching of the entire Harry Potter series on VOD. Design Terminal in collaboration with Bat Yam municipality are offering creative workshops on Zoom. Help can be offered in little things – such is the example of Walla!, that allow people to send loved ones warm words, and make it public.
   
   
   Here are some more COVID examples: Heineken’s main audiences are bars and pubs, and since they all closed during the pandemic and money ran out, Heineken came up with a brilliant solution: they replaced they’re regular ad spaces for the open shutters and doors of bars – and so, Heineken’s ad budget helped saved their audience. 5,000 bars and pubs enjoyed full support and financial aid.
   
   
   More from the pandemic: Pizza Hut turned their cardboards into board games, so while people are stuck at home, they can a delicious and fun time.
   
   
   So there are many ways to offer practical, actual help:
   
   - Donating money, food and products.
   - Building platforms for donations.
   - Helping combats and armed forces.
   - Value propositions offering temporary relief.
   - Calling centers and emergency lines.
   - Political global campaigns.
   - Spaces for living, working, resting, Shiva, operational centers.
   - Adopting people or villages.
   - On site problem solving for soldiers and evacuees.
   - Adopting army units or soldiers.
   - Freezing payments such as mortgages and loans.
   
   
   Bottom line: solve problems – don’t sale. Brands must focus on finding meaningful, out of the box solutions.
   
   
   
4. Mental support
   If I remember correctly, this is the hardest time we’ve known here nationally since the Yom Kippur war. This is a scar we will all carry with us for many years ahead. So fair to say that the bigger the incident – the bigger your role. Some organizations are already there, like insurance companies and public medical insurance companies. The insurance brand AIG offers therapy to its members, and Altschuler support NATAL NPO.
   
   
   Five Fingers is an Israeli organization for teens, helping them cultivate inner strength through social and physical activity. During this time, it has taken upon itself to improve the inner strength of evacuated children through sports, fitness and socializing, to help them process traumas.
   
   
   And sometimes it’s the easy and simple stuff: Wissotzky pulled up with coffee and tea carts, handing them out for free with cookies, cakes and smiles. What a heartwarming gesture.
   
   
   Sometimes, examining our audiences and mapping out their needs may reveal a type of audience we’ve yet to notice. Another example from COVID is Cadbury, that offered mental support for the elderly in Britain. It was a time where those who were lonely became lonelier, sitting alone at home. Cadbury connected the quality of a good story – and the essential life, passion and joy it contains – to giving and communicating. It did so with a center that connects young people with the elderly, so they can speak and share stories. Chocolate was only the vessel, as the contribution here focuses on mental support.
   
   
   Sony PlayStation created a game in which we get to destroy COVID, while maintaining brand language, relevance and fun, and facilitating a gratifying experience of control.
   
   
   Mental help can be expressed in small, almost basic gestures, like validation. Back in COVID, The HBO family released a celeb-filled video, where they all remind us that whatever it is we feel during crisis is ok, logical, acceptable and normal. Imagine an Israeli brand stepping up like that, harnessing some celebs and holds space for real feelings, expressing them, releasing them, speaking them – not just from a place of victory and unity. There is so much strength in it. Make space for compassion. A lot of space. It’s crucial.
   
   
   The mental support your brand or business will offer can reach many audiences and cater to basic human needs:
   
   - Supporting evacuees.
   - Supporting families of hostages.
   - Supporting soldiers and medical staff.
   - Supporting the elderly.
   - Supporting children and parents suck at home.
   - Making information on donations and volunteering available.
   - Awareness campaigns.
   - Talks on the subject offering practical tools.
   - Escapism.
   
   
   Bottom line: we’re all going through a national and personal trauma right now. We all need support from whoever. Our national and social strength is crucial in the upcoming weeks, especially since we have no idea when this begins and ends, what it will look like, how many lives it will take. Your emotions and your audiences’ emotions are important now and post-war, as this wound will keep on bleeding for a long time. Be present and offer mental support.
   
   
   
5. Hope and optimism
   Trauma naturally make people feel stuck in a certain mental and conscious state. Leaders and brands are responsible for creating a different narrative. There are many ways to do so.
   
   
   McCan TLV released an encouraging and hopeful video that empowers the Israeli spirit. Seems like different brands could have claimed this sport – form El Al to banks to insurance companies. We haven’t seen anything like that so far, but it can still happen.
   
   
   Kan, the news and rich content brand, came up with an alternative to “bad news”: good news. As simple as that.
   
   
   Nike released a video with famous athletes, stories and sportsmanship to send a message of resilience, hope, recovery, perseverance and resurrection, in a time where people were in a state of hopelessness, fearing an apocalypse – you guess it, during COVID. They conveyed the message that pressing onward is the way.
   
   
   One last COVID example is of Guinness, who used their brand history to assure its future. St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated in every pub and public space, and was obviously cancelled because of the pandemic. Guinness had recognized an opportunity to tell a story of hope, longevity and powerful connections using their brand history, and of course, their product – a vessel for social interaction. The leading message is “we’re not going anywhere”, and this instilled confidence and hope.
   
   
   You can also talk about the heroes of the moment – in Israel it’s Rachel from Ofakim village, that was severely attacked by terrorists. Rachel already has countless memes with her face on them. It’s uplifting, empowers local culture, and introduces culty, colorful humor to grey days. There are many heroes in any war. This one is still at an early stage and there are already heroes you can adopt as a brand.
   
   
   Hope is an important ingredient. Find a way to bring it back, and remind people that it’s ok – even though it is a deep crisis, we’ll get through this together. A floral arrangement by Stand With Us in HaBima square, reads Let Hope Bloom was a nice hopeful gesture, and so are free flower rings for funerals.
   
   
   Bottom line: this is how you reignite hope and optimism –
   
   - Offer moral support
   - Connect past and future
   - Empower the heroes
   - Remind us that life goes on
   - Bring on the good stories
   - Create a narrative of revival and victory
   - Express hope and capability
   - And of course, smile :)
   
   
   Bottom line: the objective is helping people tell a bigger story than the one of present trauma. Give past examples of revival and ignite hope for the future through an optimistic perspective. There is good in the face of evil.

So what do you do tomorrow morning?

Here is a plan with few steps:

Find your unique voice – to do that, you must know your audience, their needs, which narratives are relevant to them, easy, simple and impactful. Make sure your voice stands out. Saying over and over again “we’ll win this” is acceptable for the first two weeks, but we’re past that now. Find your voice.

Use it – now that you have your unique voice, use it! Make sure it’s empathetic yet factual, that it facilitates authority, confidence, trust and loyalty.

Solve problems – use different tools to make information, knowledge and education available, along with mental and practical support.

Your people – don’t forget about the people in your organization. They also need empathy, value, mental support, security and space to give and be.

Above all: lead. Be present. Make an impact. This is a big responsibility – and a big opportunity.

What is Firma doing right now?

We’ve set up a support center with volunteers – designers, writers, motion artists from all over the country, and of course, Firma people. We’ve also helped setting up the Restart center, a donation platform for the IDF.
Make a donation >>

In this difficult time, we made sure we’re all connected. We’ve conducted personal, departmental and general conversations with everyone, checked in, and allowed breathing room because we know that without solid ground, we won’t reach stability.

We’re here, pressing on and working continuously to help brands everywhere win their own personal battle and stay relevant.

May we all have a saner, better, safer and quitter time soon. Be safe.