In the face of so many reflections brought about by the new coronavirus pandemic, to think about the role of creativity in this context is to think about the foundations of the Advertising industry. Once understood as a means, not an end, to what challenges should we direct creativity, the structuring force of our activity?

In recent months, we have devoted hours and hours to the production and consumption of studies on the impacts of the pandemic on consumer behavior. We collect data on turnover in different categories. We analyze the probable implications of the current scenario on new consumer habits. We projected a future with still unclear outlines, but certainly different from where we started, giving it the name of "new normal".

However, we have not spent much time reflecting on our own business. What is the role of Communication and Propaganda in this "new normal"? How can we remain creative and relevant to our customers when everything seems uncertain?

Amidst so many doubts, the advent of the new coronavirus reinforces a certainty: market and society are, in fact, interdependent.

Thinking business through the lens of "stakeholder capitalism", an expression celebrated at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2020 that contemplates results for all audiences that affect or are affected by a company's activities, and no longer only the shareholder, becomes even more relevant in the face of the harsh experience of the pandemic.

The challenge of implementing, with urgency, the practices of structured business thinking from a long-term systemic vision is today one of the greatest challenges of the great business leaders. Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, emphasizes the importance of such a vision in the current context, leading us to reflect that long-term results do not mean, however, the product of the incessant search for a sequence of short-term goals.

Extreme crises call for role revisions and the creation of new models. They ask for a step further. In order for our activity to remain relevant, our role is to deeply understand our clients' business challenges in the face of the irrefutable interdependence between market and society and to creatively translate them into strong brands. It is first of all about understanding that complex problems cannot be solved with simplistic solutions. Here is the opportunity for our creativity to make a difference: real solutions, for a complex world, translated into consistent strategies capable of building strong brands. After all, if not for that, what is creativity for?

Aline Pimenta is director of NBS SoMa, Social Marketing department. She is a Master in Social Communication from PUC Rio and an expert in strategies and projects of positive impact for companies and brands.

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