Shama Hyder02 June 2020

Shama Hyder: Marketing in the Age of Coronavirus

1Frameworks

10Insights

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Frameworks in this episode

Marketing6 steps

The 3 Rs and 3 Cs of Crisis Marketing

Make crisis marketing real, relevant, repeated, compact, safe, and collaborative

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Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster36:30

Viral Does Not Mean Everyone Is Talking About You

Hyder defines virality relative to the intended audience and business result, not universal visibility. A campaign can be highly successful without broad public recognition if it reaches ideal customers and moves the client’s commercial needle.

Measure reach inside the intended market
Connect campaign attention to business outcomes
Do not confuse mass awareness with useful impact

“they go viral for their audiences and they're very connected to business outcomes”
Shama Hyder · 36:30

“viral in the sense that they move the needle for the client”
Shama Hyder · 37:00

#virality#campaigns#business outcomes

Hot Take· 1

Hot Take14:00

A Crisis Is a Brand-Building Moment, Not a Time to Hide

Hyder says customers remember how companies behave during emotionally intense periods. Brands that keep engaging, revive delayed projects, and help customers can build loyalty while fearful competitors retreat.

Customer memories sharpen during major events
Inaction can be riskier than useful engagement
Dormant projects may become timely opportunities

“what happens now people will remember”
Shama Hyder · 14:00

“the worst thing you can do right now that was acting fear and everything on the sidelines”
Shama Hyder · 15:00

#crisis#brand loyalty#action

Explainer· 3

Explainer23:30

Diverse Teams Catch Brand Mistakes Before the Public Does

A marketing team’s composition changes what it notices before publication. Hyder broadens diversity beyond race and gender to include culture, upbringing, and ways of thinking that expose otherwise invisible assumptions.

Unintentional bias still harms marketing
Different backgrounds reveal different blind spots
Use team diversity as a pre-publication filter

“it allows you to filter stuff before it goes out to the public”
Shama Hyder · 25:00

#diversity#marketing review#brand safety

Explainer27:30

Remote Teams Work When Leaders Manage Outcomes, Not Hours

Zen Media operated remotely long before the pandemic because Hyder focused on client results rather than physical presence or time spent. The model also depends on hiring self-directed people and accepting that remote work is not a fit for everyone.

Measure delivery and client satisfaction
Avoid supervising time for its own sake
Hire people who do not need babysitting
Recognize when someone needs an office environment

“I'm very results-oriented I'm very outcome oriented”
Shama Hyder · 29:00

“you have to bring people on who do not need babysitting”
Shama Hyder · 29:30

#remote work#management#hiring

Explainer52:00

Influencer Marketing Buys Trust, Not Just Reach

The leverage in influencer marketing comes from entering an existing trusted community. Hyder says the useful test is whether the creator reaches the brand’s audience, has that audience’s trust, and offers meaningful overlap.

Treat community trust as the core asset
Verify audience overlap before partnering
Create value for the brand, creator, and audience
Ignore platform labels when the fit is strong

“the reach is there the trust is there the community is there”
Shama Hyder · 53:00

“what matters is do they reach your audience is their audience does their audience trust them is there an overlap”
Shama Hyder · 53:30

#influencers#trust#partnerships

Q&A· 1

Q&A42:00

The Best Communication Channel Is the One You Sustain

There is no single winning vehicle because customers prefer different formats such as live video, email, text, and social media. Hyder’s deciding condition is consistency: no channel produces a community or meaningful response after only one or two attempts.

Serve different audience format preferences
Choose only channels the team can maintain
Build results through repeated delivery
Do not expect overnight channel growth

“I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all”
Shama Hyder · 42:00

“if you're gonna do email do it regularly”
Shama Hyder · 42:30

#channels#email#consistency

Takeaway· 4

Takeaway12:00

Support Is Something Young Entrepreneurs Must Earn

Hyder argues that family support should not become a shield from responsibility. Taking financial ownership and accepting the struggle makes the entrepreneur worthy of the trust they receive.

Do not take supportive parents for granted
Pair ambition with financial responsibility
Treat struggle as part of earning trust

“when you have a supportive family don't take that for granted”
Shama Hyder · 13:00

#entrepreneurship#family#responsibility

Takeaway35:00

Do Not Chase Every New Social Platform

Hyder likes TikTok but rejects treating any growing platform as mandatory. A brand should deploy limited resources where its audience is present and where the format fits its capabilities, mission, and intended business outcome.

Start with audience fit
Account for available production bandwidth
Protect consistency on channels that already work
Reject trends disconnected from the brand mission

“you have to know your own resources and where you want them deployed”
Shama Hyder · 35:30

“there'll always be something new and I think that's the important thing to realize”
Shama Hyder · 36:30

#social media#platform strategy#audience fit

Takeaway46:30

Retention Improves When You Help Customers Win

During a difficult period, retention content should address the customer’s underlying success rather than continually promote the provider’s product category. Hyder cites business education and practical support as ways for brands to become memorable allies.

Ask what customers need to succeed
Teach beyond the narrow product category
Use captive attention to create genuine value
Build emotional memory through useful support

“think about your customers and say how can we provide value”
Shama Hyder · 47:30

“this is a great time to retain your customers”
Shama Hyder · 47:30

#retention#customer success#content

Takeaway56:00

End Each Day by Finding Tomorrow’s Improvement

Hyder’s personal profit principle is lifelong learning grounded in daily reflection. She reviews what she could have done better, names what she learned, and uses it to become a better version of herself the next day.

Keep a student mentality while teaching
Review each day for lessons
Turn reflection into a specific improvement
Pivot toward a better version tomorrow

“I'm a student and I think that's always my mentality even when I'm teaching I consider myself a student”
Shama Hyder · 56:00

“you become a better version of yourself every single day”
Shama Hyder · 56:30

#self-improvement#reflection#learning