Thanks to everyone who are sending in their thoughts on how your company is handling this unprecedented biological war. Here are more inspirational messages from you!
AdChat DFW appreciates each and every one of you! We are here to tell your stories now and when this pandemic is but a memory.
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First and foremost in our thoughts are the lives and wellness of everyone around the world stricken with this illness and those whose lives have been affected.
Several large productions have cancelled and we expect longer than expected delays to get back to making commercials.
Okay – on the positive side – we are slammed.
We are prepping a new comedic series that is green lit to film in Dallas – This down time has given us the opportunity to prep, prep, prep. The series is targeted for cable and is about a woman who grows up wanting to help animals – one day she’s kicked in the head by a horse and she can suddenly hear their thoughts – which, as it turns out, isn’t exactly what she expected…be careful what you wish for. It’s a mature audience only comedy with some crazy twists throughout the first 8 episodes. Starring Tisha Linendoll, Graham Greene and a slew of celebrity voices.
Filming will start as soon as we’re allowed to gather in groups larger than 50….
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It is hard to find anything positive in a crisis this magnitude, but it is heartwarming to see how industries, companies, brands and individuals are raising to the challenge selflessly and generously and coming together to pull the world through. The worse of this crisis is bringing out the best of humanity, which for most part has understood that we are all in this. From the brands messages so far my favorite is Nike. Positive, encouraging and reflecting its brand values, however, clearly leaving its self-interests behind; and there are countless of examples of other brands doing the same, including ours, Avocados From Mexico.
Our PR agency Padilla did a sentiment scan of the social conversation and found out that in the midst of this tragedy, the predominant sentiment is gratitude and the loudest word is THANK.
That’s a reassuring indicator that every sector of society is doing their best to pull the world out of this, and the rest is recognizing their courageous efforts. The most beautiful part is that at the core of those actions are human beings that are restoring the world’s faith in humanity.
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We all survived 9-11. The dot-com crash. The sub-prime mortgage economic implosion. We will survive Coronavirus. It always looks bleak while we are in the throes of one of these but we get through them, and usually stronger than ever. It’s just a matter of putting our head down, getting the work done, not letting panic set it, and continuing to be the source of ideas and solutions people expect from us. If this means, as an industry, we gather for one less awards show, then we all win.
-Kevin Sutton – Whiskey Bacon Club
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Thoughts on Working in Uncertain Times
The current state of where we are can be summed up by the Marine slogan: “Improvise, adapt, overcome.” As current precautions have limited our ability to produce and collaborate the way we are used to, it has taught us to be creative in how we can still deliver the best possible work for our clients. From a day to day perspective, we are still doing what we were built to do: provide exceptional value to our clients in a way no one else can. We’re just finding new ways to do it.
But from a much larger perspective, this new situation gives us an opportunity to adapt and set an example for how people, companies, and brands, can and should behave. We’re in a position where we have resources and platforms available to us to help and reach people in a way others can’t. We can be future case studies on how to treat our vendors, our employees, and our audiences with respect, compassion, and always seeking to add value to any interaction we have with anyone.
Part of our Serve The Work philosophy means doing the right thing even if it goes against our most immediate self-interests, because we know in the end the greater good will bring everything back full circle. These situations tend to bring out people’s true colors, and we have an opportunity to show we are capable of overcoming, and hopefully evolving as a society that places more importance on the greater good over one’s self, knowing every one of us is part of the greater good.
We hope this helps our creative community know that we cannot control our circumstances, but we can control what we do and where we go from here. And if anyone is an expert at making things happen against all odds, it’s the creative community. Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. And help each other along the way.
Rodrigo Maycotte –Fortunato
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At heart, we are problem-solvers so of course we’re still working (from home)! Just last week, I overheard a colleague on the phone advising an agency producer on how to produce a 40+ person photo shoot in a more cost-effective, safe manner that completely follows the CDC’s guidelines, despite the fact that it would result in less revenue for the studio. This is just how we work – COVID or no COVID. If clients call with a challenge, we put our heads together and help them figure it out . . . Since StudioTribe primarily lives in the world of POST-production (CGI, animation, visual fx, editing, creative imaging, etc.), social distancing is no problem. In fact, these times lend themselves towards producing photo-realistic/CGI still or motion concepts and illustrative animations which is exactly what we do. We anticipate that brands will be strongly considering this (among the many other thousands of decisions they’ll be making) as a result of this situation and we are ready and willing to assist.
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Our initial focus was ensuring our people were healthy and safe. We were proud to see how quickly our people pivoted into a work from home environment. While not ideal, we are learning things that will help us in the future.
Our next area of focus has been on our client’s businesses. Many of our clients are small business owners whose business has been severely impacted; in many cases completely shut down. Our goal is to help them navigate this crisis face but quickly turn to how we emerge from this.
Matt Powell | CEO |Moroch
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Hello Film Fans!
I’m sure everyone is busy streaming films and TV shows that you have not had a chance to watch….but now you have lots of time!
We wanted to let you know that Dallas Film and The Dallas International Film Festival are busy working on some fun things for you to watch and some ways for you to engage with our team and filmmakers around the world.
As you know, we have postponed the 14th Annual Dallas International Film Festival (Originally Scheduled April 16-23) and are looking for new dates this fall…so stay tuned.
Johnathan Brownlee
CEO & President – Dallas Film
Executive Director – The Dallas International Film Festival
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A quote from Gary Vaynerchuk has been on my mind this week: “The best marketing strategy ever: CARE.” We are beginning a journey through what will be a very challenging time for all of us. With that undeniable reality in mind, I have a sense of bounded optimism that our industry will play an important and necessary role in seeing us through this time and more importantly, that our society will rediscover its humanity.
The branding and marketing craft exists because companies and large organizations must share information in memorable and compelling ways that raise awareness and produce action. Because of this crisis, our craft has never been more important than it is now; and nobody does it better than talented creatives. Our clients and our community will need us more than ever to help guide them through this time. Embrace the opportunity to leverage the creative strengths of your team to address the evolving challenges of your clients and our community as a whole. The opportunity has emerged for us to make a profound impact as we face a crisis larger than what any of us has ever faced in our professional lives. CARE for your teammates, CARE for your neighbors, and CARE for your clients; and let’s not waste this opportunity to do something great.
Steve Gray| Partner | Spire Agency
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Please stay tuned for more inspirational thoughts from our communities. And thanks to everyone who participated. If we missed you please send your message to info@adchatdfw.com or directly to me at patty@adchatdfw.com.
Hang in there, we are one day closer to this all being OVER!
Patty Harrison | Editor-in-Chief | AdChat DFW
