How do you go about navigating emotional events in your pet business when it comes to your marketing and talking about the work that you do?
I’m sharing this post on Friday September 9th 2022 following the sad news about the passing of Queen Elizabeth.
I’m based in the UK and people here are very much affected by it, people are on the streets, outside Buckingham Palace, Sandringham and Balmoral and emotions are running high.
When we turn on the news, read the newspapers or go on social media there are a lot of reflections and lots of thoughts on what has happened.
So I wanted to talk about thoughts on navigating this as small business owners.
Listen in on the player link below or continue reading as a blog post.
Why the passing of the Queen has such an emotional impact
We’ve lost longest reigning monarch in history, the Queen has reigned through wars, periods of political unheaval, recessions, depressions, the pandemic, huge events in her own family.
She’s been there as a matriarchal figure. People relate to the Queen and see her as someone they know and someone they love, they have a huge affinity to her and see her as a source of support and comfort.
In the wake of her death, we’re seeing all kinds of changes.
Protocols created before social media was even invented are being followed.
There’s a 10 day period of mourning, Political events are being impacted. sports events are being cancelled, industrial action is stopping and all as a mark of respect for the queen.
If we look on social media, we’re seeing many many posts about people’s thoughts and feelings on the Queen and what’s happening.
If we look at the news we are seeing many tributes.
So how do deal with this in your pet business marketing?
My thoughts are in a way that feels right for you.
That could mean turning off the TV and radio taking a step away from social media. going and taking time outdoors, taking time to spend with your animals or family or both as a source of comfort.
Maybe you’re listening or reading this and thinking ‘why are you even talking about it?’ The reason why is emotions run high and at times like this it can be hard to know what to do or say.
A huge figurehead who has passed away and when things like this happen when loss has been played out in the public arena it reminds us of our own families of the importance of our own families and the people who we love and the people who we treasure.
It hits us because we see a family grieving it takes us back to our own experiences of loss
Seeing William, Andrew, Edward and Sophie particularly arriving at Balmoral yesterday was heartbreaking as you know they were there because they’d had the call that the Queen was either very poorly or that she passed away
I’ve been there I’ve had that call about my own dad. You may have been there with a partner, parent, friend, or loved one so know what they’re going to be going through and you know that it’s going to be a really difficult time for them.
So I think that’s why we have these feelings and emotions.
Even though it’s not our family, and it’s not somebody who we knew, you know, who we knew like we know our own friends and family, but it’s somebody who’s important to us.
We relate and empathise. We don’t want to see people sad and suffering.
When it comes to navigating this, these are my thoughts.
- Is right now a time to be selling? I’m going to say no. If you have a sales campaign, a course or something you’re promoting, pause until it feels right for you.
- Acknowledge what’s happened and do that if you want to in a way that feels right for you. Perhaps you help people with grief, or work around emotional wellbeing. You’ll have valuable content to share. Maybe you work with young people. You could have helpful information on how to support them. Honour her memory in your own way. Kate Taylor from Dotty4Paws shared a photo of her dog Gertie in a Platinum Jubilee bandana. Adele Pember from DogFuriendly shared a heartwarming reel.
- Read the room and I feel you’ll know when it feels right to be normal again.
- If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. People have lost a mother or grandmother a great grandmother. You know just remember that it’s a family. She’s a real person. They’re real people.
- Likewise if you see someone sharing something you feel is insensitive, consider whether responding is a good use of your time and emotional energy. There’s a really good quote from Maya Angelou, who is a poet and civil rights activist. “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
- Remember what the Queen was all about. She was a huge champion. For small businesses. She loved animals. She was huge dog lover, horse lover. What you do is right up her street, you’re honouring her memory. She’d be right behind what you do.
- Do keep calm and do carry on. The Queen showed huge amounts of grit and resilience right until the end. Two days she was welcoming Liz Truss in her new role as Prime Minister with a massive smile on her face, she was just incredible.
I’m going to finish up with some quotes from the Queen
“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.”
“The path, of course, is not always smooth, and may at times this year have felt quite bumpy, but small steps can make a world of difference.”
“I know of no single formula for success. But over the years I have observed that some attributes of leadership are universal and are often about finding ways of encouraging people to combine their efforts, their talents, their insights, their enthusiasm, and their inspiration to work together.”
“It’s worth remembering that it is often the small steps, not the giant leaps, that bring about the most lasting change.”
Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope it is helpful.
Do come and connect in my Facebook community, here is the link and it would be great to see you there.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/publicitytipsforpetbusinesses
