Post-pandemic industry adaptations for the summer of 2021 and beyond
We’ve scanned the internet far and wide and picked our top 3 post-pandemic industry adaptations for the summer of 2021 and beyond. Read on for our hot take on digital marketing, travel, and work-life as we settle into a little something that everyone is (predictably) calling ‘the new normal.
Social media marketing is in, and traditional advertising is out
The top marketer insights for 2021 tell a story that suggests traditional advertising is on its way out. At the height of the pandemic, ad spend averaged a 9% decrease across Europe because consumer behaviour dictates advertising trends. A world at home meant no footfall to appreciate billboards in cities, no movie-goers to enjoy the pre-movie ads, and no commuters to grab a morning paper and browse the enticing print adverts that usually fill newspapers and magazines.
The flip side of the traditional advertising downturn meant digital advertising picked up considerably, and consumers directed all their at-home attention on their screens. Back in those dark days, TVs, tablets and smartphones were our only window to the world outside, and on social media, ad spends increased from 13.3% in February 2020 to 23.2% by June 2020.
Given the universal lifestyle change we experienced during the lockdown, it’s no surprise that marketing adapted to suit our new needs. Still, the more interesting fact is how these adaptations have turned into strategies that marketers are keen to keep up with beyond the pandemic because they’ve proven so successful.
Examples include how customer experience and customer service have become primary features of digital brand experiences. Connecting with customers socially and adopting new social channels have all helped support the continued growth of businesses online.
Instagram Reels, TikTok for Business, influencer advertising and connecting e-commerce experiences with social media are all highlighted by Harvard Business Review as powerful channels for marketers to funnel their efforts into now that we’re emerging on the other side of the pandemic.
Bleisure (business + leisure) travel is trending
With vaccination rates rising, it’s only a matter of time before the leisure and tourism sector open up once again. Will travel be the same? Not likely. Increases in checks, pre-flight screening, post-flight quarantines and a traffic light system operating in some countries to flag ‘high risk’ locations all mean it will be a while before we can expect business as usual in the travel industry.
However, as with all industries affected by the pandemic, business travel has experienced a mini-renaissance that affords frequent flyers greater possibility when they have to venture abroad. 2021 trends include:
- Greater flexibility: some airlines have removed rebooking fees and flight change fees to keep costs down and make customers feel more confident about booking tickets.
- Rapid testing: reducing friction for travel and helping customers make quick and easy ticket purchases means offering on-site testing at some hotels and airports.
- Offering perks: hotels and small bed and breakfast providers offer perks like free meals, gym access and late check-outs to encourage longer stays and provide additional ‘home comforts’.
Office spaces continue to evolve
Office occupancy used to matter. We spent our working hours plastered to our office chairs, eating lunch at our desks, turning up early to get a headstart clearing out the inbox, and going home late so we could finish the final slide of that presentation pitch deck.
Sound familiar, right? But have you gone back to that schedule post-pandemic? The short answer for many of us is ‘no’. We haven’t.
Adapting to a post-pandemic normal also means saying goodbye to parts of our work culture that weren’t working, and that’s why despite the rush to get the world back to how it was before, some of the habits and schedules we used to follow might not make a comeback
in ‘version 2’ of the working world.
Less time commuting, vanishing office overheads for businesses that downsized or went virtual, and more time spent with our loved ones and friends. All these reasons make it easy to see why this summer’s ‘new normal’ doesn’t include a celebratory return to the rigid 9-5 workdays of pre-pandemic life.
Giants like Twitter have already announced that they offer permanent remote work as an employee option. At e-Arabization, we’ve followed suit and have made it even easier for talented linguists to join our team at a distance. Meanwhile, Google, Microsoft and Ford Motor Co. have all stated that their offices would remain closed through the summer.
The final takeaway
It seems like ‘flexibility’ is the theme for 2021 and a post-pandemic return to normality. And at e-Arabization, we’re excited to see how digital trends and new working habits help millions of people work smarter (not harder) and enjoy a more balanced lifestyle.
Whatever the summer has in store for us as business owners, customers and private individuals, let’s not forget that we’re still recovering from over a year and a half of pandemic disruptions, lockdowns, economic losses and a priceless emotional cost for many.
It’s incredible to see how we have adapted and responded to the challenges we’ve faced and continue to face in the light of an uncertain economic climate. Still, before we all rush out to embrace the world’s offerings again, it might be nice to take a minute to stop, smell the roses, and congratulate ourselves for making it through one of the most challenging periods in recent history.
Thank you to everyone who stuck with us and continued to support our business throughout the pandemic, and thanks to our epic team at e-Arabization, we survived a global catastrophe, but many companies were not so lucky.