Jesse Alkire

March has been dominated by the COVID-19 crisis, but it's also been Women's History Month. And as it draws to a close, it's worth reminding brands that they should acknowledge the hardships of women year-round, rather than spent one month patting themselves on the back for their own inclusivity. As a senior producer and director for over a decade, I've witnessed these discrepancies first-hand working for brands, agencies and production companies across the ad industry.

Three weeks ago, I met Fernando Machado in Miami for a podcast episode of It's Only Fu--ing Advertising. The coronavirus was on the news a lot (nothing compared to the 24/7 coverage there is now). As we greeted each other, Fernando and I joked about doing a fist bump instead of shaking hands. A very small part of the podcast was even devoted to COVID-19.

In these unprecedented times, making content that is emotionally resonant is more important than ever. Nobody wants to appear opportunistic or callous, and marketers have the unenviable task of trying to find the right tone of voice without all the usual tools of production. Given the constraints we're facing, traditional live-action production is pretty much impossible. But that doesn't mean the work has to stop.