COVID-19 and Defining Your “Next Normal”

They say the Chinese symbol for crisis is made up of two characters — danger and opportunity. 

Companies that have spent the last several weeks focused on the danger of the coronavirus pandemic are starting to try to figure out what operations should look like after the outbreak. 

There’s always opportunity in what comes next. In fact, we’re constantly figuring out new and better ways of working as the world changes. As McKinsey puts it, it’s not a new normal, it’s the “next normal.”

These transitions to the next normal accelerate our ability to adapt. We find ways of working that are not just different, but better.

But without an initial challenge, we often stay in our comfort zones. Take video conferencing, for example. The public first got its glimpse of video calls at the 1964 World’s Fair. The Bell’s Mod I (Model I) Picturephone allowed visitors in Queens to have a video conversation with a complete stranger at Disneyland in California. It cost $16 for three minutes.

Video calls have gotten a lot better (and cheaper) in the 50 years since, and the technology started to catch on in the last decade. But there’s no doubt today’s reality of remote work will drive greater use of video calls long after the coronavirus outbreak subsides. They’re part of the next normal.

Over the last month, businesses across industries have had to make big adjustments to how they work. It’s impacted every aspect of their communications, from sales and marketing to internal communications. We’ve developed a new playbook of marketing and PR strategies we’re using with clients. As companies start doing things differently, they’re figuring out how to do them better.