Pivot in Practice | no.3
This is the third edition of Pivot in Practice, Nimble.’s recurring series aimed to address some of the most frequently asked questions we’re hearing from trusted clients and teams during this unpredictable time.
With the aim of delivering relevant strategies and marketing solutions to help our teams get through this together, we hope you will follow along and contribute to the conversation.
Have a question? We’d love to connect.
Alternatively, contact us for a complimentary 30 min. strategy session.
Q: How do we keep communities connected?
This week, we’re dedicating our #PivotInPractice posts to our CRE clients and teams specifically. Despite social distancing and isolation, relationships are continuing to strengthen and communities are continuing to form and band together. We’ve seen this from wellness-focused brands offering complimentary online workouts, to restaurants providing meals to those in the industry that have been laid off. It’s inspiring to see how companies are keeping their communities engaged and connected while adding value along the way.
With this in mind, it might be helpful to approach this question from a different lens — how might we offer our communities content and/or resources to help carry them through this uncertain time?
Here are a few actionable ideas that you might consider customizing to suit your [personal, property, company] brand —
Offer transparency in process and progress —
By now, we’ve all seen the Chicago Aquarium penguin video that went viral. Not only did this bring on the ‘warm and fuzzies’ across the nation, it also raised brand awareness anchoring transparency and positivity in the hearts and minds of loyal visitors. Taking inspiration from these curious penguins, how might you show your audience the creative ways in which you are adapting to serve them during these challenging times? The world is desperately seeking positive content that is forward-moving. Invite others in and showcase your momentum.
Have a renovation actively in design planning?
Showcase the process. Don’t hold back that perfected end-render.Have a brand launch underway?
Give your audience a sneak peek of where you are today.
Keep fuel in your marketing engine —
Now is a critical time to keep your team [agency, design studio and/or in-house teams] focused on marketing — short-term pivots in strategy, messaging and long-term planning. Refocus those ad budgets and forecasts to support short-term, value-add initiatives to keep your company and your service or product offerings top-of-mind. Meet your consumers where they are now (physically and financially speaking).
First things first —
Retarget your brand messaging
The value proposition that may have been considered spot on pre-COVID-19 times may feel surface level now. Priorities have changed and you need to spend time reshaping how you can relate to your target audiences. Do not expect messaging to remain evergreen. Think about where we’ll be post-COVID-19 return and shape your messaging to meet consumers and their reformed decision making factors.On the workplace front, we predict factors like wellness, air quality and seamless technology are going to weigh heavily on the minds of company decision makers. How can we speak to these changing dynamics? How can we retool building amenities and service-based offerings to make them safer, healthier and more accessible as result?
Elevate your campaign(s)
The time and whitespace created with changing conditions and remote days provides us with the unique advantage to do more. Make the very most of it. Work with your marketing and design team to audit campaigns and design assets on hand. Dated map visuals, past-tense copy, subpar photography — use this precious time to get your campaigns back on track.
Go digital
Our number one most asked question over the past few weeks, “What does the virtual tour experience look like for workplace?” The answer — avenues are vast, as are price points. We’ll plan to break down specific strategies (and recommended vendors) for this question in our next Pivot in Practice edition! Nimble. can support. Let us help.
Many of Nimble.’s collaborators are offering limited-time-only special packages to support you during this unprecedented time.
Southend Films — Nathan, Joey and the Southend team produce cinematic brand films that awaken emotion and engage your audiences. Right now, they’re offering their talents to support virtual tour video needs from exterior drone footage to interiors walk-throughs.
Angie Webb — Angie has a particular knack for collaborating with fellow entrepreneurs and small business owners, bringing their visions to life through beautiful photography. Food and beverage, product and interiors, and business storytelling are just a few of her specialty offerings. If your vision hasn’t yet been brought to life through photography, she’s your gal.
APG Photography — Before launching his photography business, Alex Arnett worked in commercial real estate for over a decade. Bringing a CRE-mindset and a very well trained eye to every engagement, Alex is actively scheduling exterior and surrounding market photoshoots to support CRE marketers.
Nimble. Design Co. — And then of course, there is us! Quick reminder — we are currently offering complimentary 30-minute strategy sessions through April 3. As a multi-disciplinary design studio dedicated to branding for the built environment, we’re here to help develop a game plan of tactics to support any market or property challenges you’re currently facing in these uncertain times.
Give back through time, expertise and platform —
Keeping communities connected requires clarity, convenience and shared values. Audiences are equally facing the reality and hardship associated with this new norm. How can you provide an engaging and positive digital platform, convenience or physical gesture that creates space and added support in the at-home workday? Spend time documenting your customer personas.
This exercise is simple — answer those who, what, why questions that best describe them and pinpoint their short- and long-term pain points. Now, navigate the path for where your expertise can soften or solve for those pain points. Meet your audience where they are and offer your expertise with grace. While it might seem like everyone is protecting their resources at the moment, it’s important that we help each other — large and especially small companies — make it through this season.
Some small gestures that go the extra mile —
Keep your audiences caffeinated
Support that local coffee shop offering curbside pick-up and offer a coffee run for clients in the neighborhood. Contact-free delivery provides awesome excuse for a handwritten note. Fellows Cafe is one of our absolute faves. if you are OTP.Provide a forum for solution generation — Offer a platform for shared audiences to speak to problems they are facing in their industry and respond to these questions openly for all to benefit. Pivot in Practice is our outlet to answer the questions our teams bring us. This can be a blog, a webinar, a mastermind group, or even as simple as a social post share. Engage the minds and resources of your audience.
Give audiences a taste of your value-add without commitment — now is the time to give generously. Whether this is offering up a conversation, a guidebook or even a referral, support your audiences and their current needs.
Now it’s your turn! We hope these actionable ideas will inspire strategies for enhancing your brand/audience connectivity during this unpredictable season.
As a reminder, Nimble. is offering complimentary 30-minute strategy sessions through April 3 to discuss market and property challenges and develop a game plan of tactics and support! We’d love to support your ideas for keeping your communities connected from afar.
Contribute to our growing conversation on Pivot in Practice.
We’d love the chance to answer your questions in an upcoming post. We’re grateful for the opportunity to support an industry that has raised us up for over a decade and counting.
Please –– share your concerns, challenges, and pivots with us so we can work and solve for current times together.