Day 20. Practicing The Next 5Ps of Marketing Amidst Crises

Product, Price, Place, Promotion, People and then there’s the NEXT 5…

Pause

This is our entry for Day 20 of being quarantined with severely cut billable work hours. The last 3.5 weeks seem to have gone by so quickly. It really was a blur except for a few highlights that sparked hope in these uncertain times. We are going through collective community intervention and talk therapy thanks to our strong support group, family and friends. Some of us who have learned to accept the reality and have started making peace with our current circumstances may have felt that it IS a decision and a response that we consciously make every time we are attacked by negative thoughts to the point of near-desperation..
The pause gave most people (at least our team) enough breathing room to appreciate what IS while dealing with the mixed emotions similar to going on a vacation only to find out you had forgotten to update your passport and bring your travel money, or being allowed to stay at home indefinitely WITHOUT a guarantee that the same job awaits you when you return to the office.
The pause made most people take stock of what is here and now and think about what is likely to happen but hasn’t yet come to pass.
The pause is indefinitely without a clear indication of when we can hit the RESUME button and go on with our lives.
The pause made us plan for what-if’s and why-not’s, to ‘MacGyver’ our way through, to cope and to break through and hopefully emerge standing and become better versions of ourselves, contributing to a team that is made fiercer and smarter by adversity.
Pivot
“What’s in your hand?” (Exodus 4:2 NLT)
There was barely any work coming in this last month. The pause made us deal with the fear and anxiety and then it was time to find means to be of help. After all, what we know, we can still do. What we did not have was based on what we cannot control. We watch the world at work because of compassion, kindness and mere humanity. We may not have the means to feed hundreds of families daily, but we could help those that make sure there is food. We still carried the instrument by which another small miracle is performed.
PayITForward” was launched last week. We are amazed at the response. This has kept us productive and hopeful.
St. Rita’s Farm distributed to PPEs and Food Supplies to COVID-19 epicenter Sitio in Cebu:
– 100 face shields
– 30 loaves of bread
– 300 gallons of mineral water
– 30 packs vegetables and food
– 3 isolation frames sent to Vicente Sotto Medical Center Delivery Rooms
– 70 packs of vegetables for Bgy. Luz
– 150 gallons drinking water for Sitio Zapatera, Cebu City
Anonymous Donor
– Meals for 50 front-liners in Vicente Sotto Medical Center Emergency Room
– Meals for front-liners in Cebu Doctors’ Hospital
– Caters to Cebu City and neighboring municipalities in Cebu
Pursue
Our pipeline flows with new opportunities to be of service. It is a no-brainer. We have to tighten our belts and perhaps follow the yogi practice of eating once a day, move our bodies, fill our minds with soul-nourishment, serve with abundance and with a whole heart. Repeat.
Persevere
Time is here and now. Tomorrow is not promised. The future is unclear. Like driving only gives you a clear view of what your line of vision allows you to see–ahead, but not exactly the actual destination. Sometimes it takes longer to reach your destination, but we will eventually get there. We are reminded to keep things simple, and to live one day at a time.
Pray
“Go in the strength you have…” (Judges 6:14 NLT)
After we have done what we could and given it our best shot, the outcome is not guaranteed, but there is always an outcome. These days, we learn to accept that whatever the outcome may be, it will be worth it.
Be well, friends! Light and love,
– Lorna and YOVEO Team