Communication and Pandemic: An unlikely match

Adapting to remote work

In March, all of us started working from home. Even before the government stated remote work as mandatory, our team was already starting a new adventure. Over time, we realised that some of our initial plans would have to change. That we would not participate in any relevant events to our core areas. That everything was going to change.

Despite having the flexibility to work from home before it turned into the current reality, many of our team members did not know what it meant to be part of new communication, project management and meetings dynamics.  They did not know what it would be like to be in a space that would be both their home and work environment.

Together with the Human Resources Department, we started defining new approaches focused on the maintenance of internal communication as well as new strategies capable of bringing the teams closer and giving voice to every employee. One of the first initiatives is still occurring, and it consists of a daily meeting, between fifteen to thirty minutes, that simulates a virtual coffee. Every day, at 10:00 am, we meet and talk about several topics. Besides addressing the main news that is on the national and international panorama, this virtual meeting is essential to talk about several important issues related to the company: entry of new employees, presentation of new projects, scheduling internal events, among others.

We also introduced welfare activities as a way of connecting and feel more energetic and motivated to adapt to remote work. During the state of the emergency, I gave sport lessons once a week. Directly from my living room to the rooms, offices and living rooms of my colleagues. It was one of the funniest times of the year! As a sports lover and enthusiastic, I loved challenging the team to complete different workout circuits. 

Besides the sports lessons, Patrícia Pereira surprised us with her stretching classes that are still taking place. Every week, we gather to stretch our body and prepare our bodies and minds to kick off a new day of work. As a ballet dancer, Patrícia revealed a huge easiness in encouraging each one of us to improve our flexibility and to reduce the number of hours spent sit by the desk.

’’We got down to business and the ideas started to appear!’’

The winning ideas

Besides the adversities felt in the team dialogue and proximity, it was necessary to adapt our communication strategies quickly. We had programmed several activities and dynamics, as well as participating in external events that were in our list. How could we be able to maintain a differentiated strategy in our social media channels? How could we be closer to our customers and promote commercial opportunities? These and other questions challenged the minds of the Marketing and Communication Department. We got down to business and the ideas started to appear!

During the state of emergency, our team, processes and reality became the main actors of our social media channels. We asked every colleague to show their new work setup, to share their new leisure habits, to present their adorable pets, that were the new desk mates, to tell the stories brought by the pandemic and to list different productivity tips. Together, we realised that all of us were experiencing the same challenges.

Aside from sharing these moments in our digital channels, we changed the way we celebrated different ephemeris days, such as Mother’s and Father’s Days. We sent a personalised message over email to every mother and father at Ubiwhere. We created two special recruitment campaigns with two customised landing pages to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Easter.

We kept writing news, technical and opinion articles in different communication media to show that every single day we create smart and sustainable products in different areas like Mobility, Environment, Tourism and Energy, ready for the challenges of the future. We gathered experts in the field of Smart Mobility to organise a webinar series that culminated in the production of a specialised ebook addressing the present and future of Smart Mobility.

2020 is being one of the most demanding years ever, for any industry, any company, and professional. At Ubiwhere, every member of the team was essential to the adjustment of our strategy. Thank you for going along with our activities and craziness. Thank you for your collaboration and creativity. Thank you for letting others see and feel our reality. There are more stories and surprises about to happen!

Written by Daniela Grácio Santos, Digital Project Manager at Ubiwhere