Iconic in crisis

We are in one of the most difficult times for the State of Israel. It is difficult to digest, understand what happened, and create a perspective after the events of Black Sabbath. In the midst of this storm, businesses and brands are of social and national value – they too have responsibilities in times of war. We took a moment to breathe and gathered all the knowledge and experience in these types of situations, to create value for all business owners, brands, and all other officials who can take a step forward in this period, come to their senses, help and act. We call it the “Battle of the Brands”

Let’s start from one of the dates that shaped the modern world: 9/11. Al Qaeda hijacked four planes and crashed them straight into the twin buildings and the Pentagon, and tried to hit the White House. Almost 3,000 people were killed in the attack. What was perceived as a theoretical threat or a horror movie, became a reality and created a point of global change: the perception of terrorism in the Western world changed, as well as the extent of its influence on both sides – the terrorist organizations and the population of the enlightened world. At that time, the “destruction of iconization” took place: one of the iconic images ever since is a destroyed Coca-Cola truck against the background of the remains of the twins, a symbol of the collapse of many conceptions about the free world and its power. Another layer is hidden in this picture: not only has national security, the institution of homeland security and its powers been harmed – this is a fatal blow to the new gods we worshiped, who are represented here by brands that are an integral part of the culture.

Let’s jump back 22 years and about a month later: Israel is trapped in an illusory reality. During Black Sabbath, 7/10, thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed kibbutzim and bases in the Gaza Envelope. We are all still digesting and it will take time. Not enough time has passed yet to create a perspective, but there is no doubt that this is an event of a magnitude that we have not seen in the State of Israel, and in recent decades in the world. As of this writing, there are 8,000 missiles fired at Israel, 1,400 dead, 4,500 wounded and about 222 kidnapped, and the numbers are still being updated.

distress situations

In distress situations there are three natural psychological states:
Freeze – it is natural and logical to freeze in the beginning, also for businesses and brands. We all need a moment to understand what is happening here, who is against who. There are brands that are still there and maybe will remain after.
Flight – escape from the situation.
Fight – stand up and fight. I believe it is our role now, wherever we can contribute.

So how do you fight?

Five courses of action
Before diving into the five ways in which you can act as a brand and socially, we will ask a few questions that will help us understand what we actually have to offer:

Who are we coming to help? This national crisis includes many audiences: the families of the murdered and kidnapped, the wounded and their families, fighters and the security forces, survivors, the rescue forces and medical teams, those evacuated from their homes, volunteer citizens, people who do not leave the house, or in general, Israeli society. Targeting your audience will help focus the activity.

What is our unique voice? Be generic and release “We will win!” style slogans. – it is not enough. How does the story, everything that is happening now, connect to you, to the history and story of your brand? Ask yourself: what only you can do for your audiences? What is the unique thing you can contribute? Why do you have access that others don’t? What is your superpower and how can you use it for the greater good?

How do we know something is working? It should be relevant to you and your audience; feasible and simple to implement; and produces value for different populations.

After answering these questions, you can act as mentioned in five ways to contribute, take part in reality and help Israeli society through your brand or business: