O.K., so it’s a pandemic. Don’t know if you noticed that among the endless stream of ads, the news, your friends, or pretty much everything else in the entire universe, but it’s true. Life is really bad for a lot of people right now, and, unfortunately, brands are ready to help. 

The broad majority of this is puffy, meaningless bullshit. Saying “thanks” feels great, but it’s also pretty patronizing, isn’t it? Do you really want to help? Grab a shovel, or, in this case, put your mask on.

During times of crisis, clear, meaningful marketing communication is more important than ever. That means knowing what to communicate – and what not to communicate. If your brand is just chipping in to say “hey, yeah, what they said,” you probably don’t have much of a message. Save your time and money. 

Suffice it to say, I am not a fan of disastertising, as it’s been termed. But when our friends at Central Michigan University reached out for some copywriting, I knew they were doing work worth talking about. 

Remember, it’s not an easy era to be an administrator at a university right now. Quite frankly, what organization isn’t trying to stay solvent? Uncertainty kills budgets, and many schools are trying to keep the ship upright while weathering COVID-19 and the already choppy waters of declining enrollments and state funding. 

Central Michigan wanted to lead with what they were doing to help – and they wanted to reaffirm their commitment to their home state and region. The message was simple and clear – we’re doing our job, and our job is educating you. Here are the specific ways we’re doing it. 

The result has been overwhelming. The team is energized. The alumni are posting “Fire Up Chips.” The view count is still trending north. It’s a hit.

The message here is about something bigger than “thanks.” It’s not just feel-good. In a way, it feels more like an election year political ad, and that’s why it works. It’s clear. It’s on message. And it stands for something. 

Real position requires sacrifice. Real marketing stands for something – and it does it on solid ground. 

Darren White is the principal consultant at D. White & Co.

Want to get real with your brand?

We love working with higher ed. We believe in it. It (mostly) worked for us. We’re brand strategists advocating for an evidence-based approach to higher education branding and marketing. In a world full of noise, nothing is more valuable than education. Our job is to help it articulate a clear message.