As the second year of the pandemic draws to a close, Position : Global has humbly had a growth and opportunity filled year. We know what our customers on the front lines of the supply chain war have been living since January, 2020, and we are focused on doing everything in our power to support them, tell their stories, tell their customers and agents just what the hell is happening today (or this hour or even this minute), as it feels like things change with a rapidity previously not experienced by logistics professionals and practitioners.
To us, the pandemic and global climate reflected two different chapters – and it will be interesting to see what the third is or isn’t in 2022.
In 2020, the progression was China shutdown –> Europe shutdown –> US shutdown –> World sheltering –> We’re all in this together –> Here comes the PPE –> Asia’s reopened! –> Protect transportation workers –> There’s an election.
Early in the pandemic and in the preceding years, there was a focus on punitive trade policy directed at enemies and allies alike. From Section 301 tariffs imposed on Chinese exports to shutting down the WTO and steel and aluminum actions against European allies, the rapid-fire updates were focused on the ever-changing, “Who are we having a trade war with and what’s the current rate of duty importers pay for ‘x’?”
In 2021 with vaccines rolling out across America and elsewhere (although admittedly not where they’re needed, in lower and middle income countries throughout the southern hemisphere) and a change of administration, the focus pivoted to soaring costs of transportation, increasing congestion, stratospheric carrier profitability paired with plummeting service and a return to the normal tick-tock of a government that publishes proposed regulatory changes, adjudicates comments and puts forth new rules to operate.
This, coupled with the unwinding of disputes over steel, aluminum, digital service taxes and global minimum taxation rates have meant that we have a steady diet of “normal” things to write about.
We’ve also invested in video production resources and are increasingly going onsite and doing shoots for clients that involve multi-person crews with tens of thousands of dollars in video, audio and lighting equipment. With that investment on the front end comes equal investment in storylines and post-production. In 2022, we’re looking to do more of this.
This year, we added three new full-time team members in Jim, Jessica and Irma. Jim’s bucketed for ’21 even though he started doing freelance work for us in the last quarter of ’20. In a little over a year, Jim has cemented himself at the nexus of everything we do, from project management to account management and watches and has eyes on everything that happens. He joined us as “Chief Click Whisperer,” but effective January 1st, he will be P : G’s Managing Director.
Jessica and Irma have been wonderful in helping us do more of what Position : Global is known for – content and social. Both are extremely capable and many of videos we’ve done for clients have gone through Jessica. Irma is a writer through-and-through and her ability synthesize issues and interview clients and produce amazing pieces will only grow in the coming years.
What’s coming next year? Candidly – we hope to be out traveling again. Pre-omicron, I made a list of conferences and events that P : G would be attending or working. It’s a “playing of the hits” as well as some new material including:
- AirCargo 2022
- TPM Tech
- Seafood Expo
- NCBFAA Annual Conference
- WESCCON
- Ground Handling International Americas
- CNS
- TMSA
These conferences join a hopeful return to business travel to major gateway cities where we have clients including New York, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Seattle and multiple points in Florida, Texas, Alabama, California and the Pacific Northwest. There might even be an international or trip as well depending upon the state of the world.
We’re also focused on helping our clients understand the value of paid advertising and will be encouraging it because the results we’ve seen from those using it has been impactful to their businesses. Geographic and audience interest targeting on social media and utilizing industry publications reaches buyers and an increasingly digital audience needs to be reached through digital ways.
There will also be much more visual storytelling with video across multiple platforms and channels.
The issue of sustainability will be front and center for logistics companies even more than it is now – it’ll be something that everybody needs to have a policy and concrete action plan to support and we’re no different. That’s in the pipeline for us and our customers.
Finally, we’re going to expand into a few logistics-adjacent verticals. Those rollouts will come in ’22 and if you’re in one of them, you’ll know that P : G has entered the chat.
From all of our team, thank you for your support, your friendship, your understanding and your humanity as we’ve gone through this. I tell myself when service is slow at my local restaurant or my same-day cleaners needs an extra day, we’ve all got to have a little more grace and understanding. I’m being patient, I’m tipping people who are on the front lines of hospitality who have be there every day and I’m trying to be a better human.