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open and truthful about what your business is going through, and people will appreciate the honesty behind the effort. STRENGTHEN COMMUNAL BONDS. People have new routines now, many of which call for more time at home. Isolation can make people feel disconnected from their community, so when a business puts in extra effort to keep the community together in a safe way, you give people much more than your product or services — you give them a sense of belonging. Encourage your customers to reach out to each other or partner with another local business to offer a new product or experience. This shows your customers that you’re community-minded. Helping customers feel more connected to your business and a united community creates compassionate peace of mind as well as brand loyalty. BE CONSIDERATE. People can react to COVID-19 and its consequences in many ways. Some responses are uplifting, while others are quite the opposite. This is the time to be cognizant of what your customers are going through and be willing to put in the extra time and effort to figure out what’s best for them. Consider your relevance to their situation and don’t try to force your brand where it doesn’t belong. Alternatively, if your business doesn’t work for a specific customer you’d like to serve, adjust it in a way that does work for them. Businesses across the globe
are adapting their offerings and services to better respond to the true needs of their customers because it’s another way to be there for them authentically. BE WILLING TO GIVE. If people can’t support your business the same way they previously did, don’t take it personally. Earning customer support is a long game, and part of it is remaining present in their lives no matter what it takes. If that means going the extra mile to simply give something away for free, then consider what you have to offer. It doesn’t necessarily have to be the products or services you’d normally charge for — it can be additional information, tutorials, or promotional items that bring some small value to your customers’ lives and let them know you’re still thinking about them, even if they may not be able to return the same support. Just because your business can’t open its doors doesn’t mean it can’t be welcoming. You can build your presence in many ways, and the current climate offers a chance to truly consider what you want your image to be. Figure out what your customers really need right now and find the most empathetic ways to give it to them. If you position your business as one that cares about its customers’ needs above everything else, those customers will stay with you through the best and toughest of times.
The Spooky ‘Star Wars’ Shortage of 1977
A long time ago … in October of 1977 to be exact, Halloween was fast approaching and many parents faced a major dilemma. That year, kids didn’t want to go trick-or-treating dressed as vampires, witches, or ghosts. The classic costumes simply wouldn’t do. That Halloween, almost every child in the United States wanted to dress as their favorite character from the new hit movie, “Star Wars.” Today, you can walk into a Halloween City on Oct. 30 and easily pick up a costume for Rey, Darth Vader, or Princess Leia. But in 1977, less than five months after the release of the first movie in the popular franchise, getting your hands on “Star Wars” merchandise was a bit more
difficult. Ben Cooper, a costume company in Brooklyn, had the foresight to license “Star Wars” for costumes right after the movie came out. Unfortunately, they didn’t foresee how great the demand for these costumes would be. Retailers across the country were selling out of “Star Wars” costumes as fast as they came in. Some stores reported selling more “Star Wars” costumes than pumpkins. Kids who got their hands on an authentic Han Solo or C-3PO costume were considered lucky. But kids who arrived at the store to find the costume shelves empty didn’t throw in the towel. Instead, they went and found some brown towels to make their own Chewbacca costumes.
In the current age of cosplay, homemade costumes based on movie characters are commonplace, but in 1977, this was uncharted territory. Kids searched for white dresses to be Princess Leia and bathrobes they could cut short to mimic Luke Skywalker. Moms everywhere broke out their sewing machines and created costumes using only action figures for reference. It was grueling work, but it showed how much kids wanted to spend Halloween in a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” costume shortage marked a new era for Halloween — one where making your own costume was just as cool, if not better, than buying it.
2 • www.yolofskylaw.com
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