Best Practices: The Transformation Of Communication In Yachting

The current global situation due to coronavirus is affecting everyone from crew recruitment to provisioning companies, shipyards, yacht agencies, charter brokers, marine suppliers and more.

?? Working from home

?? Pivoting your business

These are two phrases that many yachting companies would never have anticipated would impact them months ago.

It has been hard to quantify the seismic shift in communication that's happening in the superyacht industry. I'm in the middle of it, bouncing off yachting media and social media feeds, yet there's a surreal space-time continuum taking over the media landscape.

If anything, the past month has highlighted a knowledge gap with small to medium yachting businesses who do not have a strategy for long-term, consistent marketing nor do they have a strategy for crisis / reputation management.

It's very clear that there are huge troughs and peaks with marketing activity - particularly relating to seasonal yacht shows - and businesses are overwhelmed where to start with building relationships and maintaining their brand presence if they're restricted from having in-person meetings. 

(Image: AntibesXP)

The reins on marketing budgets are being gripped tightly, because we can't yet predict customer decision-making, behaviour changes or an end to the crisis.

I've written this article because I'm a believer in bouncing ideas around and I want to take a place at the 'proactive' table. Pull up a seat, it's going to be a long but worthwhile read :)

?? Seven practical ideas to support yachting professionals and companies:

1. With recent restrictions to limit social distancing, I've already spoken to ship chandlers and suppliers near marinas who are reporting a decrease in footfall and consumer purchasing. Brick and mortar retailers should ensure their websites are mobile-optimised and they have e-commerce set up with digital catalogues in place for online ordering and delivery.
2. Buy gift vouchers ??in advance for marine suppliers, service providers, bars and restaurants located at or near marinas, that you can redeem when they reopen.
3. If you have bought a product or service from a yachting business, post a review on their Facebook page, Google review?, Yelp, TripAdvisor etc
4. Write a 'Recommendation' on LinkedIn for yachting contacts that you have had business dealings with.
5. Rather than cancel an order or booking entirely, look into options to reduce your order or reschedule your charter, event or advertising campaign.
6. Engage with the yachting community online by sharing their content (if it's informative or great quality) or commenting on industry-relevant posts.
7. A lot of charities linked to superyacht events will take a financial hit from the loss of important fundraising. If your event has cancelled, you should communicate that your plans have changed and keep sponsors and charity supporters updated what’s happening. If possible, it would be fantastic to commit to keeping a fundraising revenue stream intact, whether you shift to a 'Text-to-donate' campaign, or an initiative such as a 'virtual badge scan' that uses a landing page to gather contact information and then makes a small donation to the nominated charity for each email address it gets. In all cases, ensure alternative fundraising plans are in line with regulatory standards.

(graphic: PNGWing)

?? Managing External & Internal Communication

It's irrelevant if you're a yachting startup or a large established company - our usual processes and channels for building commercial trust and relationships have changed. Coronavirus has reset the marketing playing field.

In the past month, I've had conversations regarding media opportunities that would have ensured my yachting and luxury clients could give perspective and get their company name out there, relating to the impact of coronavirus on the superyacht sector. "Great PR opportunity," one said.

It demonstrated the perfect scenario for iceberg theory, chipping away at a magnetic need for fast news without delving too deep under the surface.

In all cases (so far) regarding external press I've advised clients to stay quiet.

Why? Firstly, from a considered point-of-view it was too early to give corporate statements in a situation that was (and still is) evolving globally. Secondly, sensationalism and misinformation meant that the potential risk for negative brand damage was heightened for my yachting clients. Like moths to a flame, many media outlets were rearing to pounce on any indicated shift in public response and how society was reacting to news of billionaires scuppering away on their luxury vessels.

Unfortunately, there has been cringe-worthy media coverage popping up recently citing statements from yachting companies - everything from apocalypse marketing to charter brokers boasting at the upsurge in business from wealthy clientele to risk-free charters where they're safe far, far away from the Average Joe.

Are we not all human first?

As an industry, we're smarter than this. We have scientific facts, real-time information and journalism experts to guide us. We do not need panic-driven content to get people's attention, nor do we need a client base triggered by fear and concern.

Our physical and social environments are becoming increasingly fluid as time progresses, therefore our most important role is to give factual information across the yachting spectrum so our families, employees and clientele can make safe decisions.

We must use our networks to drive home the seriousness of the situation for us, socially and economically, by sticking to facts, sticking to our values and being ready for clients in the future.

?? Mitigating Risk

Speak to legal, insurance and financial advisors to ensure you identify the specific risks to your yachting business and put mitigation in place.

• What is your business continuity plan?
• What coverages do you need to review such as property/business interruption insurance, loss of revenue, general liability insurance, maritime employers liability insurance etc.
• What measures to you have in place to minimise risk for currency fluctuations?
• Additionally, many governments are in the process of providing financial support or funding; research how these initiatives can be accessible to your yachting company if needed.

Riz. O, AfCGI - CiiSM, Global Operations Director at Priavo Security, wrote this piece about testing communications plans and utilising multi-channel communication: https://www.dhirubhai.net/pulse/did-you-get-message-riz-o-afcgi-ciiscm/?trackingId=gqdrrzAhTZODsP8dHlKjyA%3D%3D

With yachting companies now adapting to have employees work from home, make sure you have updated policies regarding data security, as well as protocols for managing and protecting client files. Consult with experts - it's important to put in place company-wide protocols for dealing with technical error, cyber scams and corporate espionage.

In addition, now is the time to turn off the pre-scheduled tweets, auto response messages on your Instagram and automation tools recirculating top content from 6 months ago. You need to be mindful of what's happening now and post accordingly.

?? How to implement a Crisis Communications Plan & protect your company reputation during this time

Sarah Colbon, an experienced Brand & Communications Consultant for the superyacht industry, knows first-hand that the majority of businesses do not have a crisis communications plan in place. I invited Sarah to share her insight below in this strategic section on implementing a Six-Step crisis communications plan and best practices to manage corporate reputation.

"The following information I’m giving is an overall guide/steps on how to implement this into your current communications climate; it might help for marketing personnel or your consultant to think seriously about making this an urgent priority for you. It’s all about monitoring, managing and developing a new pathway to keep your stakeholders, clients and potential business protected. This in turn will help assist your position in the current market place. 

"Our industry is built on the foundations of relationships, reputation and trust. It’s vital to protect this." - Sarah Colbon, Brand & Communications Consultant

Silence is more damaging than you think, but think carefully and communicate with your team to create a strategy to maintain and keep business visible.

If you don’t have a marketing person, consultant or agency don’t worry, there are specialists available to help and support you at this time. Yachting companies can contact me to see if I can help in anyway. Remember we are all in this together. 

(Image: AquaramaLover?)

In fast-moving and uncertain situations, many leaders face questions they may not even have answers to. As someone who has been taught reputation management and crisis communications, I regularly tell my clients that you need to communicate early and often with your key primary audience throughout a crisis. Even if you’re still trying to understand the extent of the problem, be honest and open to maintain credibility.

?? STEP 1: Create a "Team" for centralised communications 

This is a team effort. The majority of our business in yachting is small to medium-sized businesses - some have small or no marketing departments, or outsourced consultants/agencies to manage all their communications.

However, in an emergency or fast-moving situation, you need a crisis-response team. With the coronavirus, we are seeing this happening at all levels, at this moment in time, for example, don't be afraid to involve people who would usually run a mile from the idea of being in a communications team!

Ideally these teams should be small; five to seven people. If your whole company is even smaller, then just involve everyone. This team should:

1. Meet regularly to monitor the situation closely as it continues to evolve.

2. Be the main source of information about the crisis. So everyone can be informed correctly. 

3. Define your stakeholders, suppliers, customers, investors, social media followers. How will they be affected, what are the best ways to communicate with them, what information do they need, how will they get that information when they need it. It’s good practice to document decision-making. Give regular updates to all parties.

4. Be as transparent as possible. Explain what you know, what you don’t know, and your sources of information.

"Approach the situation with empathy.

Put yourself in your client's shoes to understand their anxiety.

You will sometimes get it right, and you will often get it wrong, but it is still better to be AS TRANSPARENT as you can." -

Sarah Colbon

5. Be succinct. Long waffling messages will not be read or easily understood. 

?? STEP 2: Communicate with Employees

Employees are your most important asset and function as ambassadors to the business. If they aren’t informed and don’t understand what is going on, communications outside of the organisation will be more difficult. The company needs to demystify the situation for employees, put everyone’s mind at ease, and provide hope for the future.

Research has shown that leaders, in particular, have a special role reducing employee anxiety and you should absolutely provide updates regularly.

To communicate with employees, organisations should:

1. Post information regularly in a highly visible location. This can be a physical location or virtual — email, WhatsApp, Skype or Facebook channel.

2. Describe how decisions were made about issues such as travel, working from home etc.

3. Communicate no less than every other day. Think internally and externally. Your company may opt to put remote working into place, so make sure there's a clear policy for operational responsibilities to ensure the rhythm of your business is not unduly impacted. Your employees matter too (as does the message they may broadcast externally once they've finished work for the day). Maximise the use of cross-platform video conferencing and team communication tools such as:

• Zoom
• BlueJeans
• Webex
• Microsoft Teams
• Google Duo & Google Hangouts Meet
• WhatsApp
• Skype
• Rainbow (from Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise)

4. Try to provide timely information rather than waiting until you know all of the answers.

(graphic: Icon Library)

?? STEP 3: Communicate effectively with current Clients and potential new Clients

Clients require a different approach than employees given that companies do not have the same access nor frequency with this constituency. 

You should:

1. Focus on what is important to the customer. For example, Fraser Yachts sent out a message from the CEO to provide relief when possible, showcasing how important their current client relationships are to them. 

2. Another charter company communicated to its clients that if they wanted to reschedule rather than cancelling they could and they would discount the charter cost. The move went a long way towards reassuring current customers and apparently word spread and they gained new clients in the process. 

3. Foster empathy rather than trying to create selling opportunities. PLEASE NOTE: Companies should rethink advertising and promotion strategies to be more in line with the current times. This is vital in reputation management, you can’t be seen to be running campaigns as if nothing has changed, this can give a negative reaction, when in truth everything has changed.

4. Concentrate on your key distribution channels. Your website should always focus on being the "host" of your company or brand information, don't forget to post content on this firstly followed by your social channels such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Have a prominent statement displayed on your website and pinned on your social media with a summary linking to the latest local government health advice. Update your Google My Business page with hours of business and other client-specific information.

(graphic: Icon Finder)

Try to make your communications consistent and personable (as much as possible) at this time, by focusing on your brands personality rather than taking a different tone of voice which could confuse clients. 

You may find current and prospective clients are discussing their concerns on social media, rather than coming to you directly or your website. Make sure you’re listening to those concerns and addressing them wherever they are. Regularly monitor platforms where you don't have a brand presence but your company might become a topic of conversation.

If you're not already, you should start tracking buyer sentiment now. Use social media analytics and search results to leverage data and monitor how people are acting. Clients may not be booking now, but they may be researching online for options. Make sure your product, service and/or brand is front of mind by adding value now, so you’re at the top of the consideration list for purchasing when the time comes.

5. Contact yachting media. Speak with your contact or directly to the Editor allowing your companies Director or CEO to be interviewed regarding the current crisis and give the company's current situation and how it's handling matters. 

?? STEP 4: Reassure Shareholders

The epidemic has created intense volatility in the financial markets in the last few weeks. Publicly listed companies have a special responsibility to communicate the impact of the virus on their operations. 

Tip on handling investor relations:

1. Be transparent in communicating near-term challenges.

2. Use the crisis as an opportunity to reinforce the corporation’s long-term fundamentals.

3. Communicate what you are doing about the situation. Hold regular update meetings with your board, senior leadership team and communications team.

4. In addition, you should be paying attention to travel guidance and developing communication plans around your annual meeting, including setting up webcasts for shareholders.

?? STEP 5: Be proactive within your physical communities

The coronavirus situation means at the very least companies should do their best to make sure their actions do not negatively affect members of the community, but you can also think about a crisis as a time to enhance relationships with the local communities in which you operate by:

1. Providing resources such as cleaning supplies or food for those in quarantine, respecting any health and safety regulatory standards.

2. Providing factual information to the local media to help reassure your community, while enhancing your organisation's credibility.

(Image: Bruno Buisson)

3. Providing transparency about what is happening within the company rather than going radio silent. You can also share ways in which you’re helping your local, national, or global community in a crisis. Look at the bigger picture - perhaps there's a yachting-based charity that you could assist with or support at this time and communicate your efforts with that! 

?? STEP 6: Continue with communications post-event

Even in the middle of a crisis, it's vital to show empathy yet plan for recovery. Being prepared means that as soon as the situation begins to resolve you’re ready to stimulate economic activity and respond to demand from clients.

Thank you Sarah for sharing your expertise !

??? Creative Marketing & Changing Mindsets

What you don't want to do is to come to a grinding halt with your marketing efforts, and undo all the hard work you have already put into building brand equity for your yachting company. If you stop momentum now, customers will be making a bee-line for your competitors who are still active while others head for the exit or lose their voices.

My aim with this article is to share some fresh approaches to marketing, so small and medium yachting companies can change their mindset and offset impact. We are all going to have to reframe our businesses and start being really creative. You can take any of this information and change the journey ahead front of you, or you can choose to ignore it.

Unless you're already active on social media and you have a good handle on email marketing, then kick-starting these methods from scratch can take time to gain traction.

"Yachting brands are nervous about appearing to profit from the crisis, however we can still be present by promoting our companies at this time. Think outside the box for ways that you can be serving the needs of your client base first; selling second." - Rebecca Whitlocke, Freelance Writer & Marketing Consultant

? What steps are you taking to reach out to current clients and asking them how you can support them?

? What steps are you taking to engage with current visitors to your website and social media followers?

? What steps are you taking to connect with past clients to update them and reaffirm your expertise?

? What methods are you using to give company updates on how you're minimising business disruption and communicating what resources you have in place to service your client base, employees and supply chain?

? What steps are you taking to mitigate risks to best position your company to get through this?

? What opportunities can you see that didn't exist for your company 1, 3 or 6 months ago?

?? Take It Online

Yacht trade shows and conferences have been badly hit with postponements and cancellations. However, there are still gateways to connect with prospective clients.

It makes commercial sense that some elements of yachting events can still be delivered using technology that encourages business interaction.

I think this will be a tipping point for yachting companies investing in virtual tradeshows and digital solutions by taking their value proposition to the attendees using the power of live streaming, video on demand (VOD) channels, AR, VR or interactive events. This is an excellent opportunity to use advanced analytics to capture as much data about visitors and prospects as possible.

Invite forum speakers to repurpose their workshops as a video, then you can enable password-protected webinars, or give paying delegates access to multi-session virtual networking or yacht tours. Allow all exhibitors to have a digital booth with integrated brochures and e-commerce so they can invite prospective clients to their 'showcase'.

Some of the solutions on offer right now:

?? Well done to Denison Yachting for launching a virtual solution for buyers and brokers; on March 27 from 9am to 5pm EST, visitors to Denison's Virtual Boat Show will be able to access 3 Experiences:

1. Hundreds of full length Video Walkthroughs
2. Virtual Tours
3. Live Chats

Denison has produced over 250+ walkthrough videos and virtual tours over the past few years. As well, their Live Chats will connect people to expert brokers, captains and personalities from all corners of the yachting industry. There is no need to download special software, any client with internet access can join in. Get notified when they go live by registering at their website: Denison Yacht Sales

?? Relevance is an integrated digital agency with offices in London and Monaco and they are offering a FREE training course for marketing professionals who want to brush up on their digital training skills. They're inviting all in-house marketing professionals to join the programme first and then will open out to sales/management functions. They have scheduled additional sessions and brought in more resources to offer two sessions a week. 

They have a selection of presentations and webinars ready, including those they created for B2B Marketing Expo, Boussias Communications, DMWF Global and BrightonSEO conferences. There will be two tracks: the Small to mid-size enterprises (SMEs) track, to help small business owners discover the advantages of digital, as well as the marketeers track, to help marketers fine-tune their digital marketing skills. Each course will last 40-minutes. This will include a 20-minute presentation, followed by 20-minutes of questions and networking. They will take place on Zoom conferencing or Webinars.

Times have been chosen to straddle as many time zones as possible. Rumble Romagnoli, CEO of Relevance, has generously organised the coaching and tuition at the Relevance Digital Marketing Academy to be completely free, but participants will be encouraged to donate to the World Health Organisation's COVID-19 Response Fund, which works globally to combat the pandemic. Find out the agenda and details here: Relevance Digital Marketing Academy

If you have other solutions to help yachting or luxury companies through this socio-economic crisis, please share them in the comments. We will all be thinking carefully about the aspects of our businesses that can be communicated in the same way and what requires a different method.  Can your company move communication to on-demand methods you have not used before which may be within your budget, such as video marketing, podcasts, webinars or animation?

(Graphic: Hexafair)?

?? Getting Creative

The need for relevant and accurate content can intensify, therefore skilled writers and proofreaders are invaluable in a crisis. They can write media releases and blog posts, draft and proofread technical reports, create destination guides, prepare communications for external media and create templates for enquiries.

Use this time to proofread your website or revise any Terms of Use and Privacy Policies. Victoria Lawson-McKittrick is an ex-yacht crew member, now working ashore as a professional Freelance Proofreader. As a member of the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP), Victoria understands that detail is crucial within the superyacht sector.

 "In these unprecedented times it is incredibly important for companies to be professional in all areas of their business, but particularly their online presence.

A few minor errors can quickly undermine the quality of a brand or product and thereby cause loss of consumer confidence." - Victoria Lawson-McKittrick, Professional Freelance Proofreader

Consider using writers, proofreaders and graphic designers to refresh your company blog content, create useful infographics or spruce up your content files.

Helen Iatrou is a professional Freelance Writer focused on travel, lifestyle and sailing articles with published work in The Telegraph, National Geographic and Marriott Traveler. She kindly shares her advice for tourism and marine companies to use content as their most valuable tool.

"This enforced downtime offers yachting companies the opportunity to clarify their brand messaging and produce appealing content that is useful for or interesting to their clients, both existing and potential. Consider video content, blog posts outlining cruising itineraries, retrospective photo essays tracing the history of a destination and profiles of local artisans." - Helen Iatrou, Professional Freelance Writer / Marine Content Marketer 

Helen says, "With Spring bookings likely out of the picture for the time being, focus on providing informative content on destinations, rather than promotion-led sales. To help build long-term trust and confidence between you and your clients, follow the lead of the travel industry and offer flexibility in bookings.

Proposing alternative cruising destinations in the short-term where COVID-19 cases are considerably lower, is not recommended as it puts vulnerable communities with limited capacity to contain a possible outbreak at risk. Fortunately, authorities in a growing number of these destinations are quickly introducing measures to shut sea borders, or at least a 14-day quarantine for arrivals. 

While no one can accurately estimate when it will be safe to travel again, what is certain is that there will be significant pent-up demand for leisure marine travel, therefore this should be your focus. 

In the meantime, make sure to publish content advising your clients on what measures your company has taken to safeguard them from exposure to the virus and emphasise that these are permanent." 

Thank you Helen for your input, it is much appreciated. We should all keep in mind while we are being told to limit social interaction (physical), we can still reach customers digitally.

?? Seven suggestions I have for how we can help support yachting professionals:

1. Unlock premium content: I'd like to see subscription-based yachting news sites unlock their premium content for a temporary period. Right now, there's an increased number of yachting professionals based at home who are experiencing a massive adjustment in their lifestyles and priorities. They will be eager to get online and gain insight from data, interviews and forward-thinking articles. Perhaps companies will shift their offerings to build a reputation economy and remove their paywalls for a limited time? Who knows, you may even gain a few new subscribers if they like your content ??
2. Online yachting directories: Let's bring these digital listings to life by spotlighting yachting businesses from different countries on social media. Now is your chance to engage with your current paid listings, highlight the ROI you're giving them and show them you care!
3. Maritime Training / Crew Recruitment: Tap into a new market of crew who are in isolation and looking to upskill by offering a limited run of free Masterclass workshops (non-certified training) or crew tips online. ACREW Events is going digital and launching 'ACREW Online: Superyacht Crew Webinars'. The webinars will be 1-hour and suitable for captains, interior crew, deck crew and engineers, with Live Chat to ask questions. They will launch their first ACREW Online Event consisting of 10 webinars on 27th April. Stay updated via https://acrew.com/
4. Yacht Photographers / Videographers: Share a portfolio of your unwanted / unused stock photography with lower licensing/subscription fees. Many yachting companies will be seeking quality photos/videos to continue their marketing plans, but may not normally have the budget to buy one-off photos.
5. Product Demos: Set up a virtual showcase where you can display product demos, and have the yachting community ask questions which are answered by your company experts regarding warranties, features, parts.
6. Webinars: We have a huge knowledge bank in the superyacht sector! Get your ideas out there via webinars - look into platforms such as ON24 or GoToMeeting. This is exactly the kind of initiative we need in the industry to provide stability through information-sharing. Here are 2 solutions offered by the industry:

• ?? Yachting expert Hein Velema has teamed up with Superyacht Times for free online webinars. Find out more on the Superyacht Times website.
• ?? Douglas McFarlane from Lomond Yachts is hosting a free Superyacht Seminar via Zoom on March 25 at 5pm London time to discuss some of the superyachts on the market to buy or charter (duration: 30 minutes + 10 minutes Q&A). More details are here: https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/activity-6648349848204648448-Qik1

1. Apply cancellation policies for yachting events given the current situation: Many event organisers in the luxury space have provided exhibitors and delegates the ability to transfer their registration to the next boat show or event. Some have provided refunds if new dates are not suitable - be mindful that moving seasons affects travel expenses and cross-over with other postponed events. Few have not provided any refunds.

?? Working From Home

As a freelancer, I'm familiar with working from home, however the coronavirus situation has meant many employees are now being asked to work remotely.

For many people, this is a huge adjustment for their personal and professional lives - trust me, I know the reality of working from home when you have kids stealth raiding the fridge for snacks or LEGO? battles happening in the background during your Zoom meeting!

As you can see, week 2 of French lockdown is going well....Playmobil Knights Neuf battle!

Everybody has different methods and tools they use for productivity and time management.

?? Here are some of my proven tips:

• Try to maintain a daily routine as much as possible. Mine is wake up, check/respond to emails, breakfast with the family, shower, coffee, start my day.....
• If you can, have a dedicated work space whether that is an office, desk or table. Make sure your housemates/family know this is your professional space!
• Check social media AFTER work priorities. If you have to check in on social media, schedule it into your day. It is very easy to be distracted and before you know it you've lost hours scrolling through Instagram feeds or LinkedIn.
• Schedule some physical activity into your day. This is important, even more so if you're not used to working from home. Get up out of your seat and move around regularly, get some fresh air (while respecting any quarantine/social distancing rules) or do exercises or stretches at home (there's plenty of fitness apps or YouTube videos with tutorials for yoga, pilates, Zumba etc)
• Don't skip meals. Keep healthy snacks and water at hand.
• Turn off tech and screens at the end of your day. Get enough sleep!

? Top tip: Staying at home opens up unlimited opportunities to upskill online or learn something new. Are there courses or certifications you can get that will make you more desirable to clients or employers when the crisis ends?

Likewise, don't feel pressure to add to your professionally-based skills or learn anything at all; now is the time to hit reset mode with family time if you choose, learn a new language, dust off your guitar or dip into fun courses.

LinkedIn has made 16 LinkedIn Learning courses available for FREE which offer productivity tips when working remotely. Courses include:

?? Best practices for working remotely.

?? Time management when working from home.

?? Managing virtual teams.

?? Tutorials to learn how to use Zoom, Skype, Webex and BlueJeans.

Click on the link here to access the free courses: https://www.dhirubhai.net/learning/paths/remote-working-setting-yourself-and-your-teams-up-for-success

?? Professional Freelance Writer and Marine Content Marketer Helen Iatrou shares her tips for working from home:

• Schedule a 10-minute morning meeting with your staff via remote video conferencing platform Zoom to get into work mode and boost staff morale. Have your first coffee of the day together and make it light-hearted.
• Stay in touch via messaging app Slack, but making sure you have a clear-cut start and end to the day, as you would in the office. That is, no emailing or calls after hours.
• Use work management tools such as Asana, which is great for both teams and individuals, to track projects online. Some of my clients prefer Trello, which uses Kanban-style list-making for projects. 

"I love the deceptively simple Pomodoro technique, which helps to sharpen focus and avoid distractions - which is more important than ever right now - by dividing your work into 25-minute sessions.

Quick breaks are built in, compelling you to take your eyes off the screen and stretch your limbs." - Helen Iatrou, Professional Freelance Writer 

• I share the same workspace with my photographer partner so, when I tell him I'm eating pomodori, he knows not to interrupt me. I also highly recommend noise-cancelling headphones with instrumental music.

?? Family / Work Life Balance

When school closures started to kick in here in France, parents were being asked to step up as teachers for daily lessons at home. It can be overwhelming to juggle business alongside school commitments, even when teachers have provided study plans!

We are now on Day 12 of isolation and my sons are doing well, especially as they miss the social and physical interaction with school friends. Playgrounds, parks and beaches are all closed. I don't think any of us are finding it 'easy'.

Intersperse home schooling with fun activities such as puzzles, quizzes, model making, crafts and board games or involve them in cooking lessons. There's plenty of online educational resources, videos and entertainment channels to alleviate the added role of home schooling.

?? Some of my favourite family-friendly resources right now are:

? Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube is great for younger children with free yoga sessions themed on Pokémon, Harry Potter, Frozen, Minecraft and more.

? Google Arts & Culture for art and natural history museum visits.

? NASA Space Place and NASA Climate Kids have games, craft activities and quizzes so kids can learn more about the solar system and environment.

? If you have VR goggles, the National Marine Sanctuaries Virtual Dives let's your kids dive into the ocean to check out underwater life.

?Oceanco have a series of online puzzles to solve including Black Pearl, DAR, Jubilee, DreAMBoat and Bravo Eugenia. This will be our next family challenge! Find them here: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/Oceanco/oceanco-fleet

?National Geographic Kids has an ocean portal with games and videos. Go here:  https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explore/ocean-portal/

?Princess Yachts have free colouring pages to download, the first series is 'Enid & Her Magic Yacht':  https://www.princessyachts.com/enids-book-download/?

?ThirtyC Yacht Design has released a free superyacht colouring page to print at home and stay entertained. Get the download link here: ThirtyC Superyacht Colouring Page #StayAtHome

?The RNLI has free activity sheets so kids can learn about the world of lifeboats and water safety. Find them here:  https://rnli.org/youth-education/education-resources/activity-sheets-and-posters

?Heesen Yachts has a colouring competition on their Facebook page.  For the adults: tell them the name of the Heesen yacht featured in the picture.  For the youngster: Send them a photo of their colouring artwork. The winner in the adult’s category will win The Heesen Aficionado package; the winner in the children’s category will receive a Heesen cap and one of our coloured bracelets.

The link is here; Heesen's next challenge will be on their FB page, Insta Stories and Twitter on Friday 3rd April:   https://www.facebook.com/180298788803004/posts/1442175595948644/?d=n

?Blue Marine Foundation has a whole section of educational activities for kids including a marine conservation app, underwater life quiz, a 'get drastic with plastic' work sheet and geography challenge.  Find them here:  https://www.bluemarinefoundation.com/2020/03/25/blue-digital-education/

?Megayacht News has released a series of superyacht sketches for kids to colour including designs from Lurssen, Feadship and Mangusta. When your child is done, take a picture of him or her holding their superyacht sketches, or just the colored results, and send it to them at [email protected] by April 10. They'll post them in a story on MegayachtNews.com and on their Facebook page.  As well, they will make a donation to charity. The info is here:  https://megayachtnews.com/2020/04/superyacht-sketches-for-your-kids-to-color-and-raise-money-for-a-worthy-cause/

?? Dealing With Isolation

Mental health is a big consideration. There will be yacht crew who are feeling concerned and anxious due to travel restrictions, and maritime professionals now working from home struggling with routine changes, family dynamics and relationship tension from forced isolation.

Your well-being during periods of self-isolation or quarantine needs consideration too, so try to be aware of your actions and emotions. Stay connected by phone, WhatsApp or chat-messaging with family, friends and work colleagues and ask for help if you need it.

? Top tip: If you need someone to talk to, there are plenty of maritime-focused organisations who can offer support, information and assistance including ISWAN, The Crew Coach, The Crew Counsellor, and Sailors' Society.

?? My Final Thoughts

The current situation will present major upheaval within the yachting sector. There's no benefit drip-feeding more glorified opinions about how the superyacht industry bounced back from SARS virus, hurricanes, and recessions. Our lives are being upended in ways we didn't expect and for many, the outcome will be far greater than inconvenience.

In this modern era, there has not been one international occurrence where the repercussions impact so many different yachting companies collectively - travel cancellation and curtailment due to government restrictions, operational disruptions for manufacturing, transportation and logistics networks, event cancellations, shifts in media consumption habits and changes to interpersonal relationships.

?? We know that this will open up dialogue between employers and employees relating to remote working within the yachting ecosystem.

??We know that businesses will be recalibrating their values and considering their future ROI for travelling to events and cutting down on face-to-face meetings that should never have been meetings in the first place.

?? I expect the marketing landscape in 2020 to highlight huge skill gaps in digital proficiency, by age, across the yachting sector. Some of us will thrive, others won't.

??What we don't know is the extent of economic damage to come and how far-reaching that will be for our yachting colleagues, clients and supply chains.

Yachting businesses have received a sharp wake-up call that now or in the future you should always be exploring opportunities, communicating your intentions and looking at innovative ways to attract or retain customers.

It's more pertinent than ever to find ways to link customers and the yachting community. I see it as a huge opportunity for the industry to remind people beyond transactional relationships the unique reasons why we exist in the first place.

If there's a case for optimism, we should remain hopeful because there is an incredible global yachting network that can collaborate and find solutions on the ground. We are already seeing the best of the industry via provisioning companies helping out with food supplies, ship chandlers donating face masks to medical staff and crew members setting up apps to keep other crew updated with travel and port restrictions.

I'm doing my bit by sharing free marketing advice on LinkedIn for yachting companies and support to keep going; the reality is that people outside my niches are desperate for help too. This is not a time for self-propelled brownie points, but a time for using our energy and resources to help others in whatever ways we can.

Most importantly, we should show solidarity and compassion for those yachting companies and individuals who will lose their livelihoods and for some, their loved ones.

Key to this, the yachting sector deserves a continuation of serious content and open-minded journalism. We must be proactive not reactive by sharing our stories of resilience, factual updates and best practices to refocus on the future. There will be some legacy media result from this, because people will remember those companies that used the right tone at a difficult time when the horizon seems so far away.

In New Zealand there is a Māori saying, "He waka eke noa." Its relevance is uplifting right now; the rough translation is "We're all in this together." There has never been a more powerful time for the yachting industry to rise up and work together.

? THANK YOU for reading my article. Please leave me a comment and share this article to your network - idea-sharing and discussion is welcome!

? What's one yachting business YOU will support? Tag them in the comments so we can show them some LinkedIn love.

? What solutions do you propose to encourage collaboration within the yachting industry at this time?

?? I would like to thank Sarah Colbon, Victoria Lawson-McKittrick and Helen Iatrou for their assistance and input towards my article. An edited version of this article will be published on Medium.

?? Read more of my free content below:

List of Boat Show & Major Event Postponements & Cancellations

5 Marketing Strategies Your Yachting Company Can Use to Build Brand Awareness on LinkedIn

Yacht Shows & Events: Uncovering The Social Taboo Of Sustainability

ABOUT ME: I'm a freelance writer for yachting, events and travel with published work in print and digital media in 10 countries. Having a background in business development and international marketing, I love connecting with idea generators and writing original articles that challenge the norm.

If you would like to read more articles like this, hit 'FOLLOW' on my LinkedIn profile.

#Yachts #BusinessStrategy #Communication #Media