This month the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) used the ‘Waffle House Index’ to monitor the severity of Hurricane Florence. Waffle House – a chain restaurant – is renowned for often staying open for local communities during emergencies. Because the chain’s locations are mainly in areas prone to hurricanes, the brand has contingency plans that can allow it to operate with limited menus that can be delivered on reserve power and water supplies, for example. The Waffle House Index is an informal measure used by government agencies to determine the nature and volume of help needed in the aftermath of a storm. If its local restaurants are unable to open, it indicates the situation on-the-ground is very severe.

There are two sides to this innovation, both of which are worth your time. First, let’s consider what FEMA is doing. Yes, we live in a world awash with data. But it’s finding meaningful data that matters. It was FEMA Director Craig Fugate who created the Waffle House Index back in 2011. Are your staff thinking as creatively about which (perhaps somewhat unconventional!) data really matters?

More importantly, let’s consider what Waffle House is doing here. For all the marketing department-led talk of ‘meaningful brands’: it is open at a time when many other basic social institutions have shut down. Think about what that means to a community in need. We’ve featured other examples of brands stepping up to deliver much-needed practical assistance during disasters, for example Tesla upgraded its customers’ cars for free during hurricane Irma to help them escape last year’s mega storm. Of course, we’re not suggesting you look to take advantage of crisis situations, but ask yourself: are you there when customers really need you?