The last few months have been very critical for the global economy as the COVID-19 has forced people to stay in their home to help control the spread of pandemic. With over 32,32,000 (as on 5th May 2020) people all over the world who are sick and have further exposed millions of people to the virus have left the governments and economies shook. With most sectors facing grave financial challenges, the technology industry stands out as one which has thrived the most amid the global uncertainty.
As many Governments have implemented lockdown with travel bans, school closures, ban on public places, and ban on places where there is a possibility of huge gatherings, and have encouraged the masses to maintain certain distance from fellow humans to limit the spread of the virus, many people are turning to digital tools such as social media platforms, OTT, gaming and whatnot to keep the balance of normality.
Some of the industries have transformed digitally to operate effectively. Today, we are going to look at 5 businesses that have leveraged the technology. These businesses have used the best brand communication strategies to use in times of pandemic to connect to an outer world:
- Rethinking Online Communications – Ability to Work from Home:
If companies thought that they were digitally transformed and could work from home, that idea has been put to the test with the prevalence of COVID-19.Working from home situations are not easy to handle as people are managing their home, work and everything at once. Therefore, Brand managers need to understand the challenges of working remotely and should focus on building stronger communication at these uncertain times.While the ability to work from home is a benefit for many employees, many companies are lacking the technological infrastructure and capability to do business ‘as usual’. Many Multinational Companies like KPMG, Capgemini, Edelman, The Marcom Avenue, Havas Media Worldwide and many others have built the technology infrastructure and enabled their teams to operate from homes amidst crisis. Tech platforms offering face-to-face digital solutions such as Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp have become popular tools to communicate amidst the crisis.While those organisations who were not prepared for the uncertainties like this, have eventually identified and acknowledged their work from home needs and built the required infrastructure for the future, many are still not there. Hire the best digital agency in Gurgaon for assisting you in transforming your business for the next digital wave. - Digital Transformation of Health- Telehealth:
Before the COVID-19 outbreak, there was some progress made in telemedicine, but after the outbreak, there the rapid transformation in telehealth can be seen and the demand for telehealth services spiked in the last few weeks, which has left the medical and pharma industry overwhelmed.Millions of people are seeking care by connecting with doctors electronically via SMS, WhatsApp text, Websites or Apps in order to follow social distancing rules. Hospitals are encouraging patients to use the virtual services for guidance on COVID-19 or any health related queries during the lockdown. Healthcare systems are being forced to address them sooner rather than later with COVID-19. - Digital Transformation of Education- Remote Learning:
As COVID-19 spread through the country, schools, universities and other educational institutions were closed and students shifted to virtual learning options. Many universities have shifted to switch the rest of the semester’s work to online learning management systems. Students and teachers are going virtual with video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet.The transition to digital education is certainly disruptive as it wasn’t planned for the timeline when coronavirus is dictating, but the educators and educational institutions have prepared themselves for the future and for any emergency situations like this. - Digital Transformation of Events- Events Going Virtual:
As the events and conferences are a major part of the global economies, there were many events that have been cancelled or have gone virtual in the last 3 months.The first conference to cancel due to safety concerns was Mobile World Congress, the annual gathering of electronics makers. Google, identifying it as an opportunity, and developed a platform called Google Cloud Next ’20 to deliver the first-in-ever global experience to deliver a free, global and multi-day event. Collison, the fastest-growing tech conference in North America, was another conference that turned to virtual as Collison from Home.Similarly, the popular multiplayer game Fortnite hosted an in-game event of the popular singer Travis Scott in the midst of COVID-19 crisis. The collaboration between the two delivered an astronomical event with an enormous, kaiju-sized Scott avatar looming over players and teleporting around the venue while the visuals around him got increasingly psychedelic. Epic Games recorded participation of 12.3 million concurrent players during the event setting a new world record for the organisation.Conferences are a trillion-dollar industry and have been a critical way to exchange ideas and build professional relationships. Some companies are trying to bridge the gap between in-person events and virtual ones with platforms that combine video, networking and more to try to build an in-person networking platform by leveraging more tech and virtual tools.Make your business visible and helpful in the midst of crisis with some of the top SEO companies in Gurgaon.
- Digital Transformation of Fashion Industry:
Some of the luxury clothing brands are using Augmented Reality shopping tools, powered by Google technology. These tools allow consumers to visualise products in their environment around them and help them make more informed purchasing choices as it shows how products look on models that more closely reflect individual customers. Example: Burberry and ASOS.
There is no question that this pandemic will change the way business is done. For some companies that were already digitally agile there will be small adaptations with increased efforts in areas that were already a focus. For others to survive, it will fundamentally transform the way businesses operate. In the long-term, we will see huge shifts in industries and working dynamics. Consult some of the best social media marketing agencies in Delhi NCR for connecting your brand with the target audience through the best social media optimisation strategies.
Remember that the process of digital transformation can be difficult for some businesses but it is necessary for the survival of the fittest. For advice on how to prepare your business for the immediate digital transformation, you can reach out to the best online advertising agency in Delhi NCR.
