Do you remember the promotional poster for the film Jaws 2? The tagline was, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water……” The movie was far from memorable but that quote came flooding back last night when I heard Boris Johnson announcing we are now in Lockdown 2. My immediate thought was the new tagline was going to be, “Just when you thought it was safe to go back to work.”
After a frankly dismal year for the business in 2020, InVision’s January diary was looking so positive that I had begun searching for a Lazarus costume in case I was invited to a fancy dress party. In early December the phone had started ringing again and there was a definite shift to the positive in the climate among clients.
Hand on heart I was expecting the phone to start ringing again this morning amid a flood of conversations that would all begin, “I’m sorry but…….” Well the calls did start coming in but the opening words were “Ok, let’s find a Plan B.”
In-between gasping sighs of relief, it made me realise that businesses in Britain aren’t ready to go gently into that good night. While everyone recognises we are a long way from being out of the dark, Covid-19 woods, business owners are also determined to make their voices heard and engage with their staff, customers and investors.
InVision is now running online/Zoom media and presentation training courses plus a course that specifically helps clients perform better on Zoom itself. Or Webex or Microsoft Teams…..you get the idea!
More importantly in some ways, our video production work is returning but with a difference. If lockdown effectively bans us from actually filming with clients then why not help clients create their own raw content then add some post production sparkle? In the same way that the smartphone gave birth to a generation of micro journalists, the pandemic has offered people the chance to use iPhones and tablets to communicate beyond just family and friends. Yes it can be rough and ready at times but with a few simple production tips and a plug-in microphone that costs less than a family pizza night you can create quality video content to share with all kinds of stakeholders.
I know we are not reinventing the wheel but the very fact that clients are reaching out for help rather that remaining in ostrich mode with their heads in the sand is a truly positive sign. People still want their stories to be heard. We are here to help.