The past month has prompted rapid societal changes that have forced all of us to quickly adapt to a new, uncertain reality. For organizations, it has prompted a reevaluation not only about how they operate and engage their customers, but also what they fundamentally stand for. How an organization adapts to, leads and communicates within this new normal is the key to long-term success post-COVID-19. It’s clear that people are closely watching brands right now and asking, “how are they helping?” 

Companies that can’t communicate the answer to that question quickly and concisely are certain to lose ground to competitors that can. With a massive shift underway in how we purchase, consume and use goods and services, customers have little incentive to remain loyal to brands that can’t demonstrate how they are contributing to solutions during this challenging period. 

It would be hard to find a better example of this dynamic than what happened this week with Zoom, the video conferencing service that has exploded in popularity since the onset of the pandemic. We’d think it’s worth highlighting because it demonstrates exceptional leadership under immense pressure.  

Yesterday, Eric Yuan, Zoom’s CEO, announced that the company will now prioritize user privacy and security– even if that means the service isn’t as easy to use. 

After facing widespread criticism for security flaws that enabled meeting hijacking and harassment, Zoom has pivoted its operations to focus on security and privacy by requiring passwords for all meetings for the next 90 days. Additionally, Zoom is working closely with the FBI to track down those highjacking meetings, also known as Zoombombers.

What’s remarkable about this? Three things, in our view. 

• Proactively taking responsibility for unintended consequences of products/services vs. directing blame elsewhere.
• Choosing to do what is right for customers despite the potential cost to the company. 
• Remaining humble and calm in the face of an existential threat to the company’s reputation. 

Bravo, Zoom and Eric Yuan. We see you and are grateful for the example you have set for all of us.

What companies do you see excelling in this new landscape? Leave us a comment  – we’d love to hear your thoughts.