Beyond the Pivot: Why Emotion Drives Resilience.
Plans collapse. Emotional intelligence doesn’t.
“Pivot” became the business mantra of 2020. But most pivots were panic, reactive moves with no staying power.
The brands that endured weren’t the ones scrambling to change direction.
They were the ones paying attention, listening to fear, fatigue, and uncertainty, and responding with emotional intelligence instead of empty slogans.
Emotion as Roadmap
Data is critical. But data without empathy is useless. As Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall put it: it’s not the best plan that wins, it’s the best intelligence. Deloitte reinforced this in 2019: “the ability to recognize and use emotional data at scale is one of the biggest, most important opportunities for companies.”
Five Ways Brands Put Emotion to Work
Address fears directly: Airbnb faced a collapse in travel. Its response wasn’t just operational, it was emotional. Refunds, safety standards, and enhanced cleaning reassured both guests and hosts. CEO Brian Chesky put it simply: “Trust is the foundation of our community, and this is our moment to rebuild it.”
Meet customers where they are: Chipotle saw in-store sales collapse and doubled down on digital. But the real move was cultural. From “Chipotle Together” digital lunch parties to burritos for healthcare workers, it wasn’t just about selling online, it was about keeping community alive.
Anchor to core aspirations: Sage went beyond software features to tap into what small business owners wanted most: control. Its “Boss It” campaign gave voice to that emotional aspiration, shifting the brand from provider to enabler.
Build emotional connection into products: Build-A-Bear Workshop pivoted its in-store ritual into digital gifting. With features like “Record Your Voice,” a bear became a hug you could ship across distance. Sales followed, but so did deeper bonds.
Align with shared values: Electrolux leaned into sustainability, not as virtue signaling, but as design principle. It built appliances around energy and water savings, speaking to people who wanted everyday choices to reflect their values. Recognition came in sales and in global design awards.
What Matters Most
The pandemic proved a point we keep forgetting: emotion is the single biggest driver of loyalty. Plans fracture.
Markets shift. Behavior changes overnight. But if a brand knows what people feel and why it matters, it can adapt without losing its center.
Bottom Line
Resilient brands didn’t survive 2020 because they pivoted. They survived because they understood.
Emotional intelligence, not strategy decks, is what turns disruption into growth.
