With 2020 drawing to a merciful close, it’s hard not to take a minute to reflect back on the year we’ve had. Many of us found ourselves in a different work environment, with new coworkers and new, shorter commutes to our desk. Who remembers the early days of Zoom meetings? There were the guest appearances by pets, kids, and spouses, and the occasional unfortunate nudity and other things we couldn’t unsee.
But who remembers how often people spoke over one another in those early days? Everyone eager to contribute, to thrive in the new virtual world, not understanding the “lag” time in the online world. That was quickly followed by a barrage of voices in the news media, each fighting to be heard about the many issues we faced as a nation in 2020. The voices continued, loudly, while we all spoke over each other in our desire to get our points across.
Now more than ever, we need to focus on crafting the right voice. It’s not always the loudest that gets heard, but the one that you hear that you never forget. Think about Willie Nelson and Lizzo. Two different artists, but when you hear them sing, that voice is theirs, and theirs alone. Brands really aren’t all that different. You can hear a beautiful singer and appreciate their instrument, but it’s those distinct voices that you hear and you immediately know its owner. That’s what we’re trying to do at HCB. We don’t want your voice to just be beautiful, we want it to be unforgettable. Our HCB voice methodology finds all those individual notes of insight and combines them into a brand narrative that becomes your DNA, that’s as unique as your thumbprint.
We now look to 2021 with a bit of optimism, hoping that there is light at the end of all this darkness. We’ve all learned new skills, new ways of working, and most importantly, new ways to connect with each other. We’ve learned how to use our voices in ways we didn’t know we could; to rise up, to share, and, to celebrate life, even in its most fragile moments.
Happy Holidays from HCB.
