The year\n2020 has been a \u201cPerfect Storm\u201d to some industries and has been a \u201cBlessing in\nDisguise\u201d to some. COVID-19 has shredded the economy apart and the tourism\n& the hospitality sector, the MSME industry, the aviation sector, the\nautomobile and lastly, the real estate industry has faced the wrath of the\nglobal pandemic. So, how is this \u201cBlessing in Disguise\u201d?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Well, if\nCOVID-19 has done something dramatic, the influence has definitely been the\nfilm and entertainment industry. It has made a theatrical entrance just like\nthe ones in the movies. \u201cNotice me Senpai<\/strong>\u201d it started out loud. But,\nnobody bothered to listen or care. Then it slowly started to make sci-fi movies\nlook real. It made \u201cContagion<\/strong>\u201d feel like a stand-up comedy. Later, when\nbodies began to pile up in China, Italy, and Germany, India got serious about\nit and announced the lockdown. That marked the birth of a new brand \u2013 COVID-19<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Masks\nbecame compulsory. People started hoarding hand sanitizers, tissue papers, surface\ndisinfectants, and whatnots. They felt like the end is near. COVID had\ncertainly grabbed maximum eyeballs. It followed the A.I.D.A.<\/strong> rule\nreligiously. It had the Attention<\/strong> now. Every day, the number of positive\ncases kept rising; the virus began to cover more ground geographically and\ndemographically; celebrities got infected; world leaders gathered to discuss a\nsolution. The entire globe was brought to a standstill. \u201cNow here\u2019s something\nyou would be Interested<\/strong> in\u2026\u201d the virus proceeded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n COVID-19 created a new market for itself. It became an independent brand. All the industries that suffered the aftermath began to \u201cEmbrace the New Normal\u201d (as they kept saying it was<\/em>). People who kept wearing the surgical masks, N95 masks and even those wearing a regular cotton handkerchief, were introduced to \u2018Branded Masks’ of different colour, design and material. Those who continued using regular hand sanitizers were introduced to local brands. #VocalForLocal<\/strong> was the thought that was hammered into our minds. We began seeing more of these brands in the market. To some, we were still stuck to using branded stuff. But, safety and health have always been a major influence to trigger a Desire<\/strong> to buy something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, how\ncome all of us suddenly began to feel health conscious? Especially when the\ncure for such a pandemic is still unknown, people are willing to pay the price\nfor any product that gives them hope, or temporary relief. It might be the\ndeath of someone close to us or someone who had come in close contact with a\nCOVID+ patient that triggered their buying behaviour. People who have been\nworking from home would understand how it feels to be trapped inside. Marketers\nbegan inventing new ways to make COVID inclusive. The terms such as \u2013 lockdown,\nsocial distancing, quarantine, isolation, unlock, stay home, stay safe began to\ntrend on social media. Marketers went to lengths to make sure the global\nlockdown didn\u2019t result in mental breakdowns. Nevertheless, there were cases of\nnumerous suicides, community clashes; riots\u2026 some things never change, no\nmatter what avatar the apocalypse takes on. Someone had to take Action<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n