As COVID-19 has everyone on the planet changing habits, adjusting their lives, and learning to cope with a new reality, there are some areas that we believe will change based on what we have seen so far. These observations are purely anecdotal, as nine weeks is not enough time to really pull any hard data together.
But you know us, we call ‘em like we see ‘em, and this is what we see.
Agriculture – Whether it is farmers’ markets, regular farms, or subscription food box companies, food home delivery is making huge strides. We predict that the convenience factor of this will not go away. We have even seen dairies getting in on the game. An really exciting example is Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan.
Sales – With nearly every big event this summer and fall going to a “Virtual” event, there is a huge opportunity for sending each attendee a box full of all the swag and necessities they would have gotten had they shown up in person. Corporations spend millions of dollars hosting events at destinations like Las Vegas and Florida, so why not help them spend some of that re-directed money on making the experience extraordinary for their virtual attendees?
Restaurant – Many of us are lamenting the fact that we can’t dine out in our favorite restaurants right now. That’s true. But here are a lot of people out here who are enjoying the curb side experience and will continue to order this way even after all clear whistle blows. Home bound people, people with small children, and people who do not enjoy crowds and loud noises are now able to enjoy even the most high-end of cuisines, and even the cocktails that accompany them. Next on the horizon will be the packaging and boxing that goes with that now regular experience. Companies will need to up their branding game as a way to differentiate from the competition, and we predict that the box that your gourmet meals comes in will be yet another Insta-grammable moment.
In posts to come we will examine some of the other domino effects of the COVID-19 virus and how it might permanently change the landscape of consumer behavior, retail offerings and how brands and companies use packaging to achieve their goals and serve their customers.
