Trusting normal

Susanna Forest | September 2023

“May you live in interesting times” was never an “ancient Chinese curse,” but it first emerged in the writings of a British diplomat in the momentous year of 1936 and it had resonance ever since. As we scroll through disastrous news stories and doom-laden op-eds it’s hard not to wish that the view from our phone-sized windows on the world was a little less volatile. It feels like there are looming threats everywhere: the forthcoming US elections, AI developments, Chinese military exercises… But what if we were all getting distracted from a local economic outlook that’s actually pretty good, and the phrase we should be reaching for instead is the British, “Cheer up, it might never happen”?

It’s understandable that brands are cautious following the global shock of the pandemic. After all that talk of “the new normal” we’ve lost track of what normal actually looks like. We think “normal” is that lull at the start of the horror movie before everything goes very wrong indeed. We don’t know how to handle it. Do we carry on because everything is fine, or do we instigate change? If so, what change? At Evviva, we have both experience in tackling that question and some advice.

There are two courses of action: One is to batten the hatches that are hard to close, but not trim the sails until there’s an actual squall line in sight. The other is to get other perspectives, to talk and listen to customers and to reflect back the world as they see it, not as you do. We’re here to support you in either option, whether you need to locate the right hatches or get an outside perspective from the people who keep you in business. We know how to ask the right questions and find the right projections. If you want to best serve your brand without taking risks that trouble your gut, our contact details are here.