Perspective can lead one person to see opportunity where another sees despair. The year 2020 can be described in so many ways. It was a year of uncertainty, tragedy, and most importantly of all — uncharted opportunity. As a society, we were challenged to adapt to a new way of life overnight. We had to learn to live, interact, and work differently. The initial reactions were frustration, anguish, and fear. Then many of us realized there were ways to adapt to these changes and make them positives in our worlds.
Online shopping skyrocketed, grocery store pick-up became a habit and working from home became a welcome standard. Efficiencies in the way we shop, work and interact made us dependent on digital services. The benefits to these offerings definitely outweighed the barriers to learning and adopting these new technologies. The exciting thing is that this is just the beginning. The Digital Renaissance is upon us, what we have to ask ourselves as business owners is are we embracing this unprecedented time in history or are we fighting it waiting for “normal” to come back?
If you answered, “I am waiting for this to all go away and things to go back to ‘normal’,” then plan on watching your competitors soar past you. The advances and changes society is going to expect will change the way we do business forever. The new normal can be an exciting time, if you allow your perspective to identify the opportunities and embrace them. Remember back in 2009 – 2011 when consumers began demanding more value for their money. The recession scared them, but spending didn’t stop. Instead, consumers decided to change how they spend their money. To protect their purchases, consumers began relying on “reviews” online. Social testimonials and online reviews became a safety net in making purchases, selecting a restaurant, and hiring a service provider. The ability to generate and manage online reviews became an essential part of a business’ online reputation.
The new consumer demands and business opportunities surfacing during this Digital Renaissance are unlimited. Businesses that embrace new digital opportunities and find ways to incorporate them into their business models will be at the forefront of growth. Being proactive by embracing the alignment of information between consumers and businesses is the basis of a data-driven economy. More importantly, it is also the basis of this current Digital Renaissance. Data will not only tell the story, it will drive future business decisions and demand.
History tends to repeat itself and we can learn great things by looking back and seeing the parallels to today. The Great Recession ignited the Industrial Revolution; the Pandemic of 2020 is igniting a new digital data-driven marketing opportunity that is going to spark a new and exciting digital business age.
Changes in business often happen slowly, making it easy for you to adjust and meet the demands of markets and your consumers. That’s not the case this time. Your company’s success may well depend on whether you adapt to change and embrace the opportunities presenting themselves. Will your perspective be one of waiting, or will you choose to take action and make the changes that drive your success? We at Forecast Sunny are here to show you the bright side, the view that lights the way to your empowerment and growth. By partnering with our team, you can be proactive and part of the data revolution that will help your business grow and thrive.