The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has forced immediate,far-reaching lifestyle shifts for American consumers. In fact, it’s unlikelythat consumers’ lives will return to normal in the near future.
And as consumers have adapted their media and shoppinghabits to manage their lives through the pandemic, those changes are likelybecoming embedded as part of the new normal that will emerge as the countryrecovers.
Advertisers have experienced similar whiplash as much of theeconomy has come to a halt. Faced with uncertainty about the future, manycompanies are responding by trying to freeze all activity, from hiring tomarketing. But stopping and cutting all activity can only persist for so longwithout dramatic downstream effects. Adaptation will be the key to survival,and the marketers who can begin to strategically evolve their approach tochanging consumer behaviors now will be way ahead of the game when consumersfind post-pandemic balance.
