Remember your message, and don’t get distracted by disruption

It’s really hard to stay certain in uncertain times.

Mashu Sainz, vp of insights and analytics at Newell Brands, which owns Rubbermaid, Sharpie, and Yankee Candle among others, said that everyone in an organization should know what the company is focused on.

Zeroing in on the current strategy can help people in a company avoid stressing too much over external unknowns they can’t control, like tariffs and AI, Sainz said.

“We’re not running away from change anytime soon,” she said. “It’s here to stay. Disruption is on a daily basis.”

Jordan Cusner, Inspire Brands’ senior director of consumer insights and research, echoed that sentiment.

The company’s portfolio includes several food chains like Arby’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Dunkin’. Cusner said that the parent company sometimes struggles to let its brands’ marketers know how to promote its product offerings and brand message in shorter TV ads.

“It’s a balancing act because there are certain parts of our ads functionally that we cannot move away from, but [it’s] how do we infuse the brand love and importance in a way that doesn’t disrupt and distract from the message,” he said.