Who To Believe? Changes or No Changes?

The Facts
It’s August, and the so-called experts are arguing over whether Covid-19 has permanently changed marketing or not. Throw in a dash of civil unrest and add in a major political year and there is no doubt that a few marketers have had to step back and rethink relationships with their consumers. But the rest feel that the relationship between them and their consumers has in fact, strengthened.

Spiker Insights
It’s a proven fact that humans change little in the short term, but they can change a lot in the long term if the seeds are planted at the beginning. America did not magically change to a mask-wearing nation overnight. Even in the Covid-19 hot spots it took months for people to accept wearing masks. And in areas that are not hot spots, citizens do not want to wear masks. It’s an American right to do what you want to do and wearing a mask upsets a ton of people.

Airports are starting to implement a new layer of security checks that include thermal cameras to check your body temperature. Universities for the most part are planning on opening this fall with smaller classroom sizes, dormitories at far below capacity, and strict social distancing measures. Companies will likely abandon the open-plan offices and use specially designed cubicles and offices. Still, the world will likely return to most pre-coronavirus normal once the crisis has passed and a vaccine is developed.

What to do in the meantime:
1. Do not succumb to business hysteria. Think calmly and rationally to determine what exactly the coronavirus pandemic will change in the context of your general industry. However long the downturn will persist, we do have specific marketing-in-a-recession recommendations.
2. Make adjustments only as truly necessary. Most likely, little of significance will change and we’ll all have to adapt to new health codes and regulations.
3. Do not obsess about going digital unless absolutely needed. In the meantime, wear your mask, wash your hands, and use commonsense to think your way through this.

I hope you will consider us a part of your next team project.