As we navigate through these unprecedented times, be aware that although you are having to negotiate unfamiliar, and for some, scary scenarios such as working from home and homeschooling, know that you are not alone!

It may not be a cure for Coronavirus but if it helps with your current situation then I’d say it’s worthwhile sharing. So in the spirit of ‘we’ll get through this together’, here are some tips on working from home ????????????

Stick to your routine

That means getting up at your normal time. You’ll thank me when it’s time to go back to the office and it’s not like facing the 1st day back at school after the summer holidays! 

We’re creatures of habit so if you normally get up and go to the gym in the morning, how about opting for a home workout instead? Our friends at Gym Plan have a free app for those of you on Apple devices with lots of inspo on workouts you can do at home without any equipment. If you normally battle through traffic, line up some toy cars and scream at them for a bit. (I joke ???? Kinda ????)

Create a workspace

Although it’s tempting to work from your bed or recline on the sofa, best practice is to set up a work station preferably in a home office but if you don’t have this, your dining room table will do the trick. You’re less likely to get distracted by Frasier, Home & Away or The Chase (Personal fave ????) when you have a designated work station and it’s much better for your posture too.

Get away from your work station

It’s not good to be sat all day in front of a screen. You’ve probably gained an hour or 2 by only having to commute from your bedroom to your dining room so use them wisely. Go for a walk, get some fresh air, have a stretch and actively remove yourself from your workstation. We can only concentrate intensely on a given task for short periods of time so break up your day.

Stay in touch with your colleagues

Tools such as Slack, Zoom and Whereby make it easier than ever to keep in touch with your team. 

Don’t just leave it until you have a question though. Keep in touch throughout the day like you normally would in the office. 

Check-in with everyone and see what they got up to last night (Likely not a lot considering the current situation), get Netflix recommendations, find out if they have any tips for staying focused etc.

Stop for team (virtual) coffee breaks:

Separate ‘home jobs’ and ‘work jobs’

Yes, you could very well just put a load of laundry on and get it out on the line. It’s a nice day after all with great drying (God, I sound like my Mum!). Maybe just wash the bed sheets and give the bathroom a quick clean while you’re there. Maybe just run the duster over the living room. 

See where I’m going here? It’s never just one thing. 

Leave the laundry for after work hours. Make your bed when you get up as normal. Stick to your routine otherwise you’ll end up working at 10pm and seriously blurring the lines between your work and home life.

On average, businesses rebrand every 7-10 years. Sometimes, a rebrand is compulsory however more often than not the company, product offering, or audience has evolved and so the brand too must evolve in line with this.

There are sometimes multiple contributing factors that motivate a rebrand but commonly there is one main motivator. Below are the top 7 main reasons for rebranding ???? ???? ????

Bad reputation ❌ ???? ????

If a brand has a bad rep and business is suffering as a result, rebranding can ensure the negative connotations with the brand are dissipated.

A prime example of this is the new CEO for RBS Group, Alison Rose announcing a rebrand of RBS Group to Natwest Group later this year (2020). Alison said her focus is on making sure they’re a ‘safe, smart bank for the future’ and considering the association of ‘government bailout’ every time you hear ‘RBS’, a rebrand makes complete sense.

Topically, with the spread of Covid-19 a.k.a Coronavirus, 38% of beer-drinking Americans cited they would under no circumstances drink Corona beer (according to Uber Facts). With their worst quarter in over a decade and no signs of Coronavirus spread slowing, it begs the question, should Corona be considering a rebrand?

Changing Markets ???? ???? ????

Companies can face a serious threat of closure if they don’t ‘move with the times’. Changes to requirements may mean offering an additional product/service or pivoting completely in a sense of ‘out with the old and in with the new’.

HMV was forced into administration twice in the space of 6 years because they failed to evolve to meet the needs and wants of their audience and the move to entertainment being consumed digitally. Although adding a new product may not have been enough. A simultaneous rebrand would certainly help convey their diversification into other markets and aid their survival.

Outdated image ???? ???? ????

What was trendy 20 years ago, or even 5 years ago, may not be so trendy now. We see it with fashion when we look back at pictures of our parents growing up but brands too can come across as old-fashioned if they have not been updated. Guinness does an impeccable job of keeping their brand fresh and this transfers to their adverts with them being released seasonally and topically. The Six Nations adverts are some of their best but the ‘Shane’ advert is my personal favourite:

Aligning Brand Portfolio ???? ???? ????️

When a business has many brands in their portfolio it often leads to high costs when it comes to maintaining and promoting the brand. Rebrand­ing can ensure that the entire brand portfolio is aligned and details a clear narrative about the organisation. Virgin does this well, with its companies (Money, Media, Mobile, Atlantic, Holidays and Trains) all being similarly identified. Positive association with one will translate to all categories; however the same is true of negative publicity.

Mergers and Acquisitions ???? ???? ????

Generally, any change in business ownership will lead to a rebrand, not only to make the change apparent but to comply with legal and regulatory requirements as well. In the case of spin-offs, the new company is required to develop its own brand. This expresses that it is no longer part of the larger organization.

The merger of T-Mobile and Orange to EE wasn’t a quick rebranding exercise, rather a careful co-branding exercise that took over 5 years to execute. Their success was due in part to the long-term strategic approach with which they tackled this merger rather than rushing it through.

New CEO ???? ???? ????

A new CEO normally equates to a new lease of life within a business. Oftentimes this can lead to major changes that influence the course the company takes. I mentioned the Alison Rose/RBS example under ‘Bad reputation’ however it is equally applicable in the context of a new CEO shaking things up.