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As communicators, the FolFry team routinely reminds clients to avoid “breathless superlatives” to maintain credibility with stakeholders, especially media. Oftentimes – say, in the heady excitement of launching a new product or announcing an acquisition – the lure of terms such as “unprecedented” or “first-of-its-kind” can be powerful. Regardless of the significance of the news, rarely is it a first, though.
We even imagine the audible groans and eye rolls of cynical constituents who read the claims of “unsurpassed” made by others (and have probably rolled our own eyes more than a few times at them, too). Instead, we adhere to a policy of using understatement and restraint for the purpose of emphasis.
It’s ironic then, that with respect to the current pandemic, no word better describes the devastation caused by COVID-19 than “unprecedented.” More than 15 million reported cases and nearly 620,000 coronavirus-related fatalities through today underscore that point.
As Jamie Dimon, the longtime chairman and CEO of J.P MorganChase, stated: “The word unprecedented
is rarely used properly. This time, it’s being used properly. It’s unprecedented what’s going on around the world, and obviously COVID itself is a
main attribute.”
COVID-19 and the related economic crisis, along with the civil unrest resulting from racial injustices, are delivering a proverbial “triple whammy” in
the form of unparalleled disruption.
Despite these challenges, we don’t believe all is bleak. Innovation and ingenuity are taking place all around us, as small and large enterprises alike
engage in what we’re calling pandemic pivots, shifting gears to adapt, survive and even thrive amid these headwinds. We aren’t talking about Amazon
or Zoom, whose e-commerce and internet businesses were unintentionally built for these troubled times.
Let us get specific. Perhaps no industry has come under greater existential threat during the pandemic than restaurants and hospitality. Prior to COVID-19,
even the most successful dining establishments worked on razor-thin margins, pressed by high rents, labor and food costs. These challenges now have compounded:
forced closures, staff layoffs and furloughs, and limited options for re-opening due to the stringent health-and-safety requirements, including physical
distancing (which limits capacity), personal protective equipment and disposable items, such as paper menus, in even the best restaurants.
At Antico, a highly regarded Italian restaurant in L.A. that opened to great fanfare and national acclaim last
year, Chef-Owner Chad Colby did a quick pivot. From handmade pastas and wood-oven-fired entrees, Colby and team shifted gears to exclusively take-out
with a limited menu of artisanal focaccia pizzas and homemade gelatos. (As admitted pizza and ice cream fiends, we’ll add both are off the charts great,
by the way.) The goal appears to be maintaining a revenue stream until a new normal can resume and diners can be welcomed back – both safely and profitably.
Over at Nerano, an Amalfi Coast-inspired Italian restaurant in Beverly Hills,
with inside dining still prohibited, they’ve rolled in Astroturf, plants and other greenery to convert the parking lot for pleasant al fresco dining.
But what really caught our attention as a great safety measure is foregoing printed menus. Instead, on every table is a QRCode which, scanned into diners’ smart phone brings up the menu – an entirely contactless step that provides peace of mind (and backlit one at that for
easier outdoor night reading).
These are just a couple examples of pandemic pivots that we’ve seen from one specific, hard-hit industry. We’re keeping our eyes peeled for examples from
other industries and sectors, and will post them periodically to FolFry’s LinkedIn and
Twitter feeds. If you have seen great examples of businesses and nonprofit institutions that have likewise
risen to the challenge with pivots, please drop us a line. We’d be happy to feature them, too.
