Coronavirus is the most destructive pandemic we have seen in our lifetime. But it’s not the first one in the history of humanity. Humans had faced pandemics most of which were more fatal than Coronavirus. Every time, humanity survived. This time, we will survive as well, but many things will change.

As advertising people, we are always in the middle of social changes. Coronavirus crisis will be no exception. During this time we’ll experience one of the most significant changes in our professional lives.

Consumer Behavior Will Change

Nobody is certain about the long term effects of Coronavirus crisis, but the first indications show us that we will see a global recession in the upcoming months.

Many specialists in the field of economics emphasize that this recession won’t be like the economic crisis of 2008. The solution and naturally the impact of the current crisis are is uncertain.

Since uncertainty is the worst enemy of the economy, many people will either lose their jobs or have less income. Undoubtfully, this anxious atmosphere will have repercussions on their shopping habits.

As many families will struggle to survive economically, their shopping habits will change. However, unlike the 2008 crisis, their shopping habits won’t change only in terms of dollars. This time shopping channels will also change.

The Shift in Shopping Channels

Apparently, consumers won’t feel comfortable to shop outside for a while. But there will still be some needs to be fulfilled. It’s not hard to say that e-commerce will bloom in this period.

The tourism industry is a major part of e-commerce and as the tourism industry took a major hit from the Coronavirus crisis, its ad spending declined dramatically and this trend will continue for a while. But the loss from the tourism industry can be recovered by the retail industry. For many people doing groceries online wasn’t an option till today. But now, there is a peak in demand for online supermarkets.

Such a change in shopping channels can be permanent, as people will acquire a new habit. Since digital advertising generates more revenues from e-commerce than from brick and mortar businesses, the loss ofrevenues can be limited to some extent.

Effectiveness Will Be the Key

We are talking about effectiveness for a while, as we have the tools for measuring the effects of our marketing communication efforts. But to be honest almost none of us is in an ideal position because we still consider measurement as something “nice to have”.

But today, as most of the brands will have a very limited budget for advertising, they will seek value for every penny they spend. Providing effective solutions will no longer be something “nice to have”. It will be a must.

There is no doubt, a huge challenge awaits us. But every challenge comes with opportunities, and this one is no exception.