Coronavirus may be the best teacher we have ever come across

• While there is gloom and pain, this is also a time to reflect on the learning from this catastrophic pandemic to help us to emerge stronger, writes Bharat Subramaniam, Managing Director, Big Trunk Communications
• He further shares a few ways in which COVID-19 is teaching us to be better humans.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is creating worldwide panic and fear with its alarming spread. This unprecedented situation requires us to adhere to 'social distancing' which currently seems to be the only viable solution. Staying confined in our homes is the best we can do for our country and community.

While there is gloom and pain, this is also a time to reflect on the learning from this catastrophic pandemic to help us to emerge stronger.

Cleaner and Greener Planet: With social distancing and a corresponding reduction in movements of vehicles and industrial activity, the pollution levels have come down. Nature has forced us to restore ecological balance. We might have collectively given a respite to melting glaciers and rising sea-levels. We might have saved millions of animals from dying this year. A cleaner and greener planet will emerge. We should continue to undertake such initiatives to keep the ecological balance even after we navigate the Coronavirus scare.

Leveraging power of Digital and Technology: Using technology is not an option anymore. It has become a necessity today. This situation will teach us to efficiently “work from home” and co-ordinate with each other using technology. Apart from equipping everyone with the required digital infrastructure and connectivity, there is much more that needs to be done in terms of resource allocation, having a short-term and long-term plan in place, relooking at marketing strategies, operations management, communication challenges etc. However, its benefits can be accrued in the long run as we will seamlessly collaborate “virtually”. This will enable each of us to become more agile and will also make organizations nimbler. It will also enhance engagement with the clients as the process of developing creative concepts, delivering tech projects and building applications etc. will become a lot more collaborative.

Digital Channels will gain more prominence: The Coronavirus (COVID-19) scare and the subsequent lockdown has impacted traditional media and marketing significantly. Due to the social distancing mandates, newspapers have halted publishing for the time being and brands would not be interested in showcasing themselves on billboards or hoardings due to lack of eyeballs. The only channel that can cut through these barriers is “digital”. Hence, it will become much more prominent in marketing plans and strategies. Post the Coronavirus phase, companies and brands would be required to accelerate business and race against time. The demand for better segmentation and targeting, faster and wider outreach and quicker conversions across the marketing funnel would be unprecedented. Digital Marketing will be the torchbearer of this impending paradigm shift in positioning products and services to customers.

On a macro level, the focus on personal hygiene bought about by this pandemic is a very positive change. There has never been a more effective campaign to make people aware of the health benefits of washing hands so often. This simple practice, if continued, will be ingrained in our habits and make the world a much healthier place.

While we can’t wash our hands off the Coronavirus menace as it has been our doing as human beings, we can reflect on the adjustments made by us in our respective professional and personal lives in the past few days and inculcate it in our routines to enhance productivity, health and happiness. The post Coronavirus era will be a game-changer for digital marketing as it will become the avenue of choice to accelerate business growth, build brand recall and spread general awareness. I am confident that the world will soon navigate this torrid and testing phase. While we are in it, I pray that everyone stays safe and healthy. I also wish that each one of us extends all possible help to those who need it desperately and immediately.

- By Bharat Subramaniam, Managing Director, Big Trunk Communications