The ICONIC Mindset

ICONIC Brands and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

May 25, 2020 John Avola | Calvin Stovall
The ICONIC Mindset
ICONIC Brands and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Show Notes Transcript Chapter Markers

ICONIC Brands and COVID-19: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Episode #1

As the spread of coronavirus accelerated, overwhelmed our medical system and decimated our communities, American business abruptly came to a halt. Two months later, the pandemic continues and even as some businesses attempt to reopen, COVID-19 threatens future closures and thrusts the economy into a near-certain recession. 

However, COVID-19 also brought with it was some of our most beloved brands stepping up to make a difference. These companies shouldered responsibilities that go far beyond meeting earnings targets and satisfying shareholders. While at the same time, there were some companies that dodged responsibility and lacked empathy towards their employees. This episode explores ICONIC brands and COVID-19; the good, the bad and the ugly.

  • 0:00:51 - Intro: COVID-19 and ICONIC Brands
  • 0:04:41  - The Good
  • 0:22:05 - The Ugly
  • 0:32:22 - ICONIC Points

To learn more about John Avola and Calvin Stovall, visit iconicpresentations.net. All The ICONIC Mindset episodes can be downloaded at theiconicmindset.com. If you enjoyed listening to this episode, please subscribe to our show.  Remember to select a star rating and/or write a review for The ICONIC Mindset podcast.

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Don't just be, Be ICONIC!

Introduction:

Welcome to the ICONIC Mindset podcast with John Avola and Calvin Stovall. This is the only place that uncovers the multiple levels of iconic businesses and brands. Every episode reveals the secrets behind what it takes to make your business, idea or movement iconic. Now, here are John and Calvin.

John Avola:

Hey Calvin.

Calvin Stovall:

Good morning, John. How are you doing? This is going to be our first iconic mindset podcast.

John Avola:

This is it. Episode number one. I'm excited too. I'm excited to be partnering with you. It's going to be fun.

Calvin Stovall:

You too. Sure will.

John Avola:

So, Calvin, what are we talking about today?

Calvin Stovall:

Today? We're going to be talking about COVID-19 and iconic brands. We're going to be talking about the good, the bad and the ugly, what the pandemic has brought out of some of the most beloved brands that we spend our dollars with day to day.

John Avola:

Yeah, that's a timely topic for sure. I know there's a lot going on. I think we've all seen some good examples, but those bad and those ugly examples, man, those companies, iconic brands, they've got to hold that reputation high.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah. Well, you know, so much has happened. We still have a lot going on. This started in March. As the spread of the coronavirus accelerated, it overwhelmed our medical system and pretty much decimated our communities. All American business pretty much came to a halt. Restaurant owners, they laid off hundreds of workers, hotel chains instituted furloughs and supermarkets tried to keep up with the sudden demand for toilet paper. You couldn't find toilet paper anywhere. It was a little crazy, but here we are two months later and I think all of us will agree, we've made some progress. But the pandemic, it continues. Even as some businesses and communities are starting to reopen, COVID-19 is still threatening future closures and could potentially thrust the economy into a near certain recession. It is by most accounts, I think all of us will agree pretty much, the threat of our lifetime. However, I think on a good note, what COVID-19 also brought with it was some of our most beloved brands stepping up to make a difference. These good companies, they came in all shapes and sizes, and they showed the responsibilities that went far beyond meeting earnings targets and satisfying shareholders. I would probably venture to say, these brands sought to disrupt the bad. They tipped the balance to create change for the better. Better for the planet, for the customers and for their employees during these unprecedented times. There's also an opposite side of that coin.

John Avola:

Absolutely.

Calvin Stovall:

You mentioned earlier, we have some companies behaving rather badly. The brand masks, they came off, no pun intended and their true colors were revealed. These bad and ugly companies, some of them dodged responsibility, demonstrated a lack of empathy towards their employees and some companies really lured people into small hits of dopamine in return for harvesting data. So, as our listeners will hear today, COVID-19 I think is a good topic because it did bring out the good, the bad and the ugly and some of the iconic companies and brands that we know.

John Avola:

Yeah. Wow. Well said Calvin, spot on. There are plenty of examples of good, but there's also plenty of examples that the bad and the ugly. Iconic companies around the nation, around the world, have experienced in this unprecedented time. But you know, the root cause has been universal. It's been COVID-19. We've all been experiencing a pandemic and don't get me wrong, every business has their own unique situation. But in the words of one of those famous philosophers,"it's not what happens to you, but it's how you react to it. This is what matters."

Calvin Stovall:

Perfect, perfect quote. Perfect.

John Avola:

We've seen the news. We've seen the retail sales even last month plunged double compared to March. Travel spending is down, iconic brands are furloughing most of their employees, and we've even seen some recent large brands like Neiman Marcus and JC Penny filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah. I just saw that.

John Avola:

So Calvin, tell us, how are these brands responding? Give us some good.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, we need some good news. Well, I think we have some great examples of some brands, I think, that did a great job trying to react to it. And one of the brands, I think that did an exceptional job at it was Uber. I think a lot of people weren't traveling, or using Uber because we had the stay at home order. But even in that case, if you were still on the road, Uber was providing critical services during this period, like getting essential workers to their jobs and getting food to people at home, as people were using grub hub and things of that and what they've done is that they've invested a lot of money in their drivers to try to make sure that they're prepared, like$50 million for supplies for their drivers, such as face masks, hand sanitizer and bleach wipes. But what I thought was also cool, they've actually provided financial assistance to drivers and delivery people diagnosed with COVID-19 or ordered to self quarantine or self isolate by a doctor or public health authority. I thought that was pretty cool.

John Avola:

That is cool. I've heard, and you probably have heard the same, Uber has also done free delivery for food, free rides for h ealthcare workers. They really stepped it up to help those in need. A nd especially those frontline workers that need it the most and need to get into work to help those in need.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah. They're making some changes to how they do business too. I know we talk about iconic framework. One of the things I talk about is the first quadrant around purpose and it feels like they're trying to do some things to try to flatten that curve. Starting in, mid-May, only three passengers are going to be allowed in each vehicle across the entire product line. So they're taking some responsibility around this whole pandemic and trying to make sure they do the right thing.

John Avola:

Yeah. That's what it's all about, right? You mentioned the first P there. Tell us about those a little bit more.

Calvin Stovall:

Well, I have what I like to call the four Ps of iconicity.

John Avola:

There it is. It's no longer product, placement.

Calvin Stovall:

It's not. I know those. But the four P's of iconicity that I like to talk about are purpose, people, passion and perseverance. Those are the four quadrants in a nutshell. And I think to be iconic, you need to hit all four of those. And as for the examples we talk about today, I'll try to mention what P they hit on. And in this case of Uber, it was a higher purpose for them. They wanted to try to not just be about money and profit. And one of the cool things I thought Uber did during this pandemic, they actually, and you probably saw it, they actually created an ad to tell people not to ride Uber, to just try to stay at home. So I thought that was pretty cool.

John Avola:

And I know we've talked a little bit about Chobani as well, the yogurt company. Let's talk about some giving back.

Calvin Stovall:

Chobani. Wow. That, you know, they're, they're a Greek yogurt company. They're based out of New York. And these guys donated more than 35,000 Chobani products to the hard hit New Rochelle community and their home state of New York. But not only that, they actually have a partnership with the governor there and with Feeding America Winchester and the New York National Guard, they're actually distributing yogurt, beverages and dairy creamers to those in that containment area. And particularly those who count on the school system to feed their kids.

John Avola:

Wow. And New York's one of the hardest places that was hit by COVID-19. They are in the heart of it.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, they're in the middle of it. And actually what I thought was one of the coolest things they did is they redirected the focus of their Chobani Cafe in Soho and turned it into a temporary food pantry where employees are giving away free Chobani products. They've been doing this since the last week of April, which I thought was cool. The cafe is actually open twice a week for the foreseeable future to give free products and support families and food bank workers. Incredible.

John Avola:

Incredible, incredible. That's what it's all about, building that lasting emotional connection with your customers. You know, you're just setting it up, you're in a time of need. And we talk about that in the iconic framework as well. It's the importance of being authentic, creating those moments of impact, which we'll talk more about on this podcast. And what is Chobani? It means shepherd, doesn't it? A shepherd is what it translates to and live out the name shepherd and being a shepherd to your customers, supporting them in a worldwide crisis. Truly, truly inspiring.

Calvin Stovall:

That is inspiring. They're probably, out of the examples we're going to talk about today, John, I think all of them, the good ones are doing some great things, but I think Chobani took the purpose, that first P, and really, really lived it out from a brand standpoint. As you mentioned, Chobani is actually a Turkish word for shepherd. And it means giving back. Nationally, they're sending a truck a day to deliver products to food banks across the country where it's needed most. So they've already donated more than 1 million cups of yogurt across the US.

John Avola:

I've got to say it, that's iconic.

Calvin Stovall:

That's iconic! Iconic for sure.

John Avola:

In another area too, I've noticed, talking about giving back and refunding, banks and financial institutions are also stepping up for their customers. I've seen stories of Bank of America, Wells Fargo, they're refunding overdraft fees, deferring mortgage payments. They're issuing refunds for late fees, suspending foreclosures. They're even helping with repossessions. It's unbelievable to see this. They're coming back and helping those in need, trying to add a little bit more money into other's accounts while they are struggling. Insurance is another one, Calvin, we can talk about. Fewer drivers, fewer accidents, right? Insurance companies are stepping up. They're giving money back. Liberty mutual, 15% refund on the last two months if you're an auto insurance customer. American Family Insurance is another one. They're giving customers$50 back for every insured vehicle on their plan. It just shows another way these companies, regardless of the industry, there's an opportunity here to step up and help out.

Calvin Stovall:

Oh, that's awesome. You know, another industry doing quite a good job at that are the 60 of the nation's largest internet service providers, including large providers, like AT&T, Comcast, Cox, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon. They signed a pledge in mid March with the FCC to waive fees and avoid implementing service interruptions for people and small businesses who cannot pay over the next 60 days. There are also plans to make wifi hotspots available around the country free as well. So they're another segment that's also doing some great things during this pandemic.

John Avola:

Yeah. And imagine everybody working from home. WiFi, internet, phones, cell, it's so important to communicate with others, friends and family. FaceTime, you get on online, Zoom those that you love, those you miss. It's great to see these companies stepping up and helping those that need that access to reach their family and friends.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah. That's I think that's awesome. One of the industries that's near and dear to my heart is the hospitality industry as well.

John Avola:

Oh, yes. I know you have a lot of background in hospitality.

Calvin Stovall:

I have a background in hospitality. I worked for Hilton Worldwide for a long time. They've been hit hard.

John Avola:

I think of all the industries, travel, tourism, hotels, airlines. They've been hit.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, restaurants as well. But even in situations like this, I think some of the hospitality, some of our best hotel brands have stepped up and tried to do some great things to help during this time as well. One of my favorites, of course, I want to go ahead and talk about, is Hilton.

John Avola:

I was going to say, we've got to talk about Hilton.

Calvin Stovall:

You gotta talk about Hilton and start with them. But what I thought was very cool, because as you probably know, one of the biggest things that is going to be a challenge for the hospitality industry is having customers feel comfortable coming back into a space, around cleanliness and people want to feel like the hotels have taken the time to clean the rooms properly so people can feel safe and they're disinfecting properly and doing all of those things. And Hilton has done a great job. They've actually partnered with Lysol as well as the Mayo clinic, to better ensure cleanliness at these hotels. And I think this is cool. I think Hilton recently was in Fortune Magazine, as one of the best companies to work for. I think it was like number one. In that segment, I think that's awesome that they're continuing to do things to keep that iconic status. But they have a program called Hilton Clean Stay with Lysol protection and according to their CEO, Chris Nassetta, Hilton Clean Stay was developed to meet evolving consumer expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. To roll out an initiative like that and make a promise like that to customers is a very, very brave thing to do.

John Avola:

You know, speaking of cleanliness in hotels, a little personal story there. I live in Memphis, Tennessee, and we have the Peabody Hotel. And for a present for my wife's birthday, I gave her a night away from the kids and we were a little nervous about sending her to a hotel for a night. But I'm telling you, she walked into the Peabody and it was clean. There was actually an individual stationed at the elevator that was wiping down after every person would either use a finger or elbow to push the respective floor. Everything completely clean. There were people wiping down the carts for luggage. She walks into her room, immaculate condition, everything is just thorough and well taken care of. I'm sure there's hotels around the world that are taking those same precautions to get customers back in the door. There was one other company that I've been wanting to touch on. I think we all have turned to some of our adult beverages, one of those companies being Bacardi. I just found Bacardi to be an interesting story to take a product that they have really at their fingertips, what they're known for, which is alcohol. But they've been able to turn their resources into producing hand sanitizer and they've committed to supply enough alcohol to produce over 250,000 gallons of hand sanitizer. It's a great story to take a company that has a product, and they're being able to amplify their story. They're being unique and they're using that to help others. And that is around supplying hand sanitizer. That's cool.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, that don't mean you can drink it. Don't drink it!

John Avola:

Yeah, it's not a shot, not a shot. It might have a Bacardi label on it, but don't drink it!

Calvin Stovall:

That's funny, man. But you know, since you mentioned that, I want to stay on the good a little bit more. Since you've mentioned that, there's actually another company called Auto Bell. It's a carwash brand. I think they are the fifth largest carwash company. They've got 86 locations in North and South Carolina. They're in Virginia, Georgia, and Maryland. They actually shifted their focus and moved from washing cars to providing an essential vehicle interior disinfectant service to help just flatten the coronavirus curve. They actually were looking into doing this during the fall, but when the pandemic happened, they actually decided to push it up to March to protect Auto Bell team members and the driving public from the outbreak. So I thought that was pretty cool. Of course they're still washing cars, but Carl Howard, who's their COO, he said we are no longer, primarily a carwash. We are a cleaning and disinfecting company. Help us slow the spread of coronavirus, serving everyone from police departments to postal workers, to medical personnel. So since they've instituted this service, they actually have disinfected more than 62,000 vehicles across their car washes. And f or essential workers it's free!

John Avola:

Wow. That's awesome. And think about that, getting in your car and driving with the steering wheel, changing gears, you're constantly touching things. So to be able to walk into a car that's been fully sanitized and then hit the front line. It's a great idea.

Calvin Stovall:

Yes. I've been thinking about this and, in that iconic framework, when you talk about the second quadrant, which is people, and talk about connecting with not only your customers, but connecting with your people internally, people that work for you, this is one of those cases where, with Auto Bell, of course their internal team is going to be grateful for what the company is showing and caring, showing empathy for them. But think about the brand loyalty that some of these essential workers are going to have to Auto Bell after this is over. It may be customers that may have never gone to an Auto Bell, but might've heard that they were doing this for free, went there to get their car disinfected, check it out, and they're gonna keep coming back. And I think that is a level of connectedness that brands need to try to have during this pandemic, because you could potentially create brand loyalty through just trying to help people. You know what I mean?

John Avola:

That's right. And gaining new customers at the same time. I know you're not going out for that, but it's an extra benefit of now having a return customer coming back in when this all settles down.

Calvin Stovall:

Another good brand that I think demonstrated a good job as showing compassion and empathy with their employees... as you know, as we were talking about the hotel industry. Marriott CEO, Arnie Sorenson, says they they've laid off a lot of people. So on March 20th, he actually spoke directly to his employees in a remarkably candid video message. He had just completed chemotherapy and had no hair. So nonetheless, he chose to do a video so that he could deliver the news face to face to his team. Even after the company's business had been cut by as much as 75% in many of the markets, he knew that cutting his staff was going to be inevitable, but he committed to doing it face to face, demonstrating compassion. So they actually furloughed two thirds of his 4,000 employees at their corporate headquarters. Which is pretty much a lot of its US workers.

John Avola:

Wow. Wow. Man. Inspiring story though.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, it is. And, I know we talked big brands. I mean, we can go on always thinking big brands are iconic, but you could be a small brand too and do some solutions.

John Avola:

Yeah. You were telling me the other day about a dumpling company?

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, these guys called Cali Dumpling Delivery. They actually, for a flat fee of$10, the service will deliver hand folded dumplings on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You put your order in 24 hours in advance and all the profits go to employees in the hospitality industry who have lost their jobs. And the company has been able to hire back 10 of their people so far. And they've sent checks and groceries to 40 others.

John Avola:

Small little dumpling company, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, is giving all their profits back to frontline workers.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah. I thought that was awesome. That just demonstrates being iconic is not about size. It's about what's your purpose.

John Avola:

Let's give them some love. What's the name of that company again?

Calvin Stovall:

It is called Cali Dumpling Delivery. They're actually located in Irvine, California, but that totally demonstrates that you don't have to be a huge brand to make an impact and show that you could be iconic. So I thought that was wonderful.

John Avola:

Calvin, is it time? Who is just not getting it?

Calvin Stovall:

The ugly. I found a statistic before we go into specific names, that somebody did some research, and I can't recall the source, but it says 71% of customers say, if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people, they will lose trust in that brand forever. And I think that's the perfect example of when you're ugly.

John Avola:

Listen to this, based on that quote. So there's a company, WeWork, it's a company that rents remote workspaces. If you need a space to work, you rent a cube or a particular area of the building. And talking about profit over people, WeWork has decided to shut down, doors are locked, yet they're still collecting rent from their tenants. The company is doing all they can to avoid refunding the tenants. They're even instructing their staff on how to claim that its services are essential when they're getting these calls for refunds so that they don't have to refund those tenants. So I'm not even sure if that's legal, don't want to go there, but to your point, profit over people. Do you think when their contracts are up, the individuals that have been renting workspaces for WeWork are actually going to renew their contracts? Absolutely not. No they'd rather work from home or make do with what they have or find a competitor. But, in a national pandemic where you're forced to close your doors and you're still charging people for space that they cannot physically use, that's profit over people. That is not acceptable.

Calvin Stovall:

And even just like WeWork, they're charging people, trying to charge them rent. During a time when cash strapped families are forced to stay at home and stretch the limits of their internet plans, a company called Suddenlink Communications, they're profiting off of data overage charges while people are forced to stay at home. So they're another company that's putting profit over people. Now, once this is over, do you think they're gonna stay with Suddenlink Communications? Probably not. Another company is PetSmart. PetSmart's been in trouble too, and have some upset workers. They were putting their people at risk by reopening their dog grooming salons, which they call essential. They had something so you can get your dogs ready for spring with a new doo. Come on, man.

John Avola:

Come on now, PetSmart. That's not so smart. Huh? That's not so smart.

Calvin Stovall:

What about our friends at Hobby Lobby?

John Avola:

Oh man. Hobby Lobby. You had to bring up Hobby Lobby. It's unfortunate, but it seems they're always in the news. One thing after another. There's even a Wikipedia page that serves as a log for the scandals that Hobby Lobby has been involved in over the years.

Calvin Stovall:

That's bad. They actually stayed open and they got criticized. They didn't want to pay their employees. And they stayed open because the CEO said that his wife prayed about it.

John Avola:

I heard the same thing. She said she received word from God in a dream to stay open during COVID-19.

Calvin Stovall:

Now I'm a spiritual man. But I think in this case, you don't want to make people worse when they're at risk.

John Avola:

Spreading the virus may be the opposite of what we should all be doing right now.

Calvin Stovall:

Exactly, exactly. Some of the other companies, like O'Reilly's Auto Parts, some of their employees were upset saying they stayed open because they felt like they were selling essential items, but their employees were upset because people were coming in buying things that were not even essential. Like, why are we staying here? Again, one of those situations where you gotta think about your people and why are you wanting to stay open?

John Avola:

And I love this one too. Speaking of essential businesses, maybe Calvin, maybe essential is all relative. Game Stop, for example. Video games. I could make an argument for essential.

Calvin Stovall:

So can my two boys.

John Avola:

But at a time when many non essential businesses were forced to close, Game Stop, to make matters worse, reportedly told employees to wrap their hands in plastic bags and keep working. No gloves, no problem. Pull out a Game Stop plastic bag and get back on the floor.

Calvin Stovall:

Oh, wow. I can't believe they let that get printed.

John Avola:

People may or may not be rushing out for the latest game, but at the same time you can't treat your employees like that and tell them to put on plastic bags to help their customers.

Calvin Stovall:

It's funny how some organizations actually thrived during the pandemic, like Peloton and Netflix, Amazon, Walmart, but even while they're thriving, they also get in trouble as well. Amazon is having some issues. And, I think somebody at one of their warehouses actually died. I think the guy named George Leigh, who worked at a facility in Long Island, he died of complications from coronavirus in early April. So, what's happened now is a lot of consumers wanting Amazon to be more transparent because I guess Amazon's not sharing enough information about how many people are sick. How many people have died. And actually, a coalition of 13 attorney generals in Massachusetts actually sent a letter to Amazon pressing for stronger measures to protect the health and safety of their workers amid the pandemic. So, even though Amazon is thriving, I'm sure a lot of people are using Amazon.

John Avola:

eCommerce is on the rise.

Calvin Stovall:

It is. You can still, by some of your actions, demonstrate profit over people. So that's the Amazon, it's like a love, hate relationship there.

John Avola:

You hate to hear it. Speaking of some of those other larger brands, you look at cruise lines. Cruise ships, there's still crew members, over a hundred thousand crew members, living on boats, sailing, just sitting dockside or traveling back and forth. Because these employees, they can't get home due to the pandemic. And so you've got dozens of ships and we're not talking brands that you may not hear of, we're talking the big boys, Carnival, Royal Caribbean, they've got crew members who just cannot return home. They've been living on their ships and many of them are no longer receiving paychecks. Imagine living in one of those interior state rooms, no windows for over two months, just absolutely unacceptable.

Calvin Stovall:

Wow. That's crazy. It's really a shame. Like you said, some of the companies depending on their specific situation, have to make some pretty drastic decisions. But when you have a situation like that with employees and people are up on ships for that long....

John Avola:

It's people's lives, it's lives. And there's been talk about private jets to get these people home, or depending on where they live within distance of a helicopter. There just hasn't seemed to be a lot of movement. And, these ships, coronavirus is just where one of the major news stories that came out in the beginning with some of these cruise ships that were bringing in people and having to be quarantined. And now you've got crew members just sitting there. My heart goes out to them all.

Calvin Stovall:

Yeah, I know. What's really one of the things that I think these brands forget is that social media allows people to keep track of what's going on. People could get on a keyboard and either praise you or slam you in the keystrokes, and for some businesses, the downside of their reputation of making some of these moves can really impact you in the long term.

John Avola:

It can travel fast, like wildfire fast. One individual that maybe has a couple of hundred followers makes a strong enough point. And now that message is circling the globe.

Calvin Stovall:

That's right. And the good thing, some of these organizations they get the message after they've been exposed on social media. Even in the case of Amazon, although it's a negative situation they're dealing with, they are trying to make some moves there. They're spending more than$800 million in safety measures, 150 process updates. They're distributing personal protective gear, such as masks for employees, implementing disinfectant spraying and temperature checks across operations. So, despite the negative press they're getting there, I think the public has caused them to make some positive changes.

John Avola:

Absolutely. Calvin we've talked about that a lot today. We touched on the good, we hit the bad, we hit the ugly. Why don't we do a little recap for our listeners and maybe touch on a couple of key points as some takeaways?

Calvin Stovall:

Let's go. Four iconic points that I would like to share. My number one is, I think it was easily d emonstrated, is t o stay true to your company's purpose. Chobani, and some of the other brands we mentioned, stick with your brand purpose and what your brand stands for, even in tough times. The iconic brands that stepped up w ere about more than just making a profit. They clearly demonstrated that they were in business for a higher purpose to ultimately create change for the better, for p lanning for the customers and for the employees. Second, customers will remember when you behave badly.

John Avola:

Absolutely. We mentioned that social media megaphone earlier.

Calvin Stovall:

They won't forget when you put profits over people. Treating your employees like cogs in a wheel or quote unquote expendable, or even demonstrating a lack of empathy for their wellbeing is not an iconic move. Number three- your customers are watching every single thing that you do. And as you mentioned, they have that megaphone and they will instantly share with the world how you either helped or hindered their lives. WeWork. Have you heard that? And one more thing, this is just a bonus iconic point, which is saying nothing in times of crisis can also be detrimental to an iconic brand.

John Avola:

That's powerful.

Calvin Stovall:

At its core, I truly believe, and I'm sure you will agree, John, being iconic is all about creating and delivering memorable customer experiences. I believe customers will also remember when you say or did nothing in a time of crisis. There's a quote, it says no response is a response and it's a powerful one. You gotta remember that.

John Avola:

That's right. Yeah. I couldn't agree more. No decision is also a decision. No response is a response. I think you summarized everything perfectly. I couldn't agree more. And what I loved about today is it all boils down to those four Ps- purpose, passion, people and perseverance.

Calvin Stovall:

Yes sir. I think again, our objective here and through these podcasts that we're going to do going forward, is to hit on some of those Ps harder than others, but when you really sum it up, you gotta have all four to be iconic.

John Avola:

I can't wait for our next one. I think we need to talk about maybe something around iconic innovative brands. What do you think about that?

Calvin Stovall:

I love that. I think that'd be a great episode. Some brands are doing some very innovative things. A lot of them had to pivot with this pandemic too. So I think that's going to make a great conversation. So I'm looking forward to that one.

John Avola:

Let's say our listeners want to find out more. Maybe it's a little bit more research on those four Ps. We mentioned the iconic framework, where can they find more out about us?

Calvin Stovall:

All you've got to do is go to iconicpresentations.net. That iconic framework is there. And if you want to learn more, all of the information i s right there for you to read.

John Avola:

That's right. Our contact information is available as well. So Calvin, until next time, don't just be- Be ICONIC!

Intro: COVID-19 and ICONIC Brands
The Good
The Ugly
ICONIC Points