Up to 16 components are needed to brew Coca Cola's Coke, however during World War II, a Coca Cola facility in Nazi Germany lacked the majority of those ingredients. What would you do if you were the plant manager? Keep in mind that the Nazi dictatorship would turn your plant into an artillery factory and send your employees to the front lines if you failed to produce soft drinks.

Plans, opportunities, time, money, resources, and skills are never adequate when pursuing something amazing in a world that is changing quickly. No strategy survives initial contact with the enemy, as General Eisenhower is credited as saying. Consequently, you have two options when things get difficult: either give up or stick with your plan and innovate.

The process of doing unexpected actions while making use of whatever is available to you to accomplish desired results is known as improvisation. Instead of strictly adhering to the book, it is crucial to be contextual.

The plant manager, Max Keith, made Fanta out of whatever was available, including cheese whey and apple fiber left over from lollipops. Unlike today's Fanta, the original flavor was yellow and had a distinct texture. Also, the flavor evolved during the battle based on the components that were accessible.

Max Keith (on the right) Source: Atlas Obscura

Improvisation is a continuous process.

Practices

Here are some tips for brands on how to improvise:

  • Be open-minded: A brand needs to be willing to try new things and be open-minded. It should be willing to try out different ideas and ways of doing things in order to find the best solution.
  • Have a clear goal: A brand needs to have a clear goal or objective in mind when improvising. This will help guide the improvisation process and make sure that the end result fits with the brand's overall strategy.
  • Stay on track: A brand needs to be flexible and open-minded, but it also needs to stay on track with its core values and mission. It shouldn't change things up in ways that could hurt its brand identity.
  • Use what you have. When you improvise, you often have to make the most of what you have. Brands should be smart and creative about how they use the resources they have to reach their goals.
  • Be flexible. For improvisation to work, both the brand and the team working on the project need to be flexible. Brands should be willing to listen to feedback and change their approach as needed to get the results they want.
  • Learn from your mistakes. Not every time you improvise will work out, and that's okay. Brands should be willing to learn from their mistakes and use what they've learned to make their products better in the future.

Examples

The clothing company H&M is a good example of a brand that was able to improvise. Many of H&M's physical stores were closed because of lockdowns, so the company turned its attention to online sales and gave customers free shipping. The company also used its supply chain to make and give away personal protective equipment to healthcare workers and hand sanitizer to local communities. Also, H&M quickly changed its production to make clothes that were comfortable and easy to wear for customers who stayed home because of the pandemic. During a tough time, these efforts helped the company keep its sales and reputation.

Source: CNN

Oreo’s witty and quick response to accident. The power went out in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans during the 2013 Super Bowl, which caused a delay in the game. During the unexpected delay, some brands were caught off guard and didn't know what to do. However, Oreo Cookies quickly took advantage of the situation by tweeting a picture with the caption "Power out? No problem. You can still dunk at night." The clever and well-timed tweet quickly went viral, and Oreo was praised for being able to adapt and take advantage of the situation. This showed how fast the brand could think and how willing it was to take risks to connect with its audience.

Source: ashokcharan.com

Gertie, a restaurant in New York City that specializes in Jewish comfort food, not only changed to fit the new situation during COVID-19, but also came up with a unique way to give back to the community. The restaurant started selling "family meal kits" that had all the ingredients and instructions for customers to cook their own meals at home. This change helped the restaurant keep its staff working and bring in money. It also gave customers a chance to learn how to cook new dishes and spend time with their families during a hard time. Gertie also started a program called "pay it forward" where customers could buy meals for frontline workers and people in need. Gertie was able to do well during a hard time because it was able to adapt and find new ways to serve its customers and the community.

Source: Time Out
Source: Brands Vietnam