The Covid-19 pandemic has changed everything, from the way people seek information, communicate, and even purchase. These changes mean that brands have to rethink how they market to customers and find new ways to build loyalty. In tandem, the way people work in companies has radically altered. The days of 9 to 5 in the office are gone, to be replaced by remote and hybrid working. This drastic change has forced companies to reassess how teams can communicate and work together to drive business success. So, how have brands been learning to cope with Covid-19 and what impact does it have on the digital marketing activities of today and tomorrow? Our findings reveal 6 significant developments that companies need to consider as they strive to thrive in a post-pandemic world. 1. Ecommerce is crucial to brand success As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, global retail e-commerce sales rose to nearly $4.28 trillion with nearly $432 billion of that being generated in the United States. Between 2019 and 2021 (the peak of Covid-enforced lockdowns), retail platforms - according to Statista - reported a surge of 22 billion visits in June up from 16 billion visits just five months earlier, in January. The Future of Marketing After Covid-19 In the UK, Charged Retail reported that online sales broke records by reaching £10 billion in July 2021 as 40% of people chose to shop from home rather than visit a physical store despite the end of lockdown. In Q2 2021, Shopify revealed it reached its first $1 billion in a quarter on record with its Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV), up 57% year-on-year. And, Shopify isn’t the only company to benefit. GlobalData research revealed that 90% of the top ten ecommerce sites such as Amazon and Alibaba saw double-digit revenue growth. This was due to an increase in the number of people visiting online retail platforms as a result of Covid. The Future of Marketing After Covid-19 And this trend in online retail shopping is continuing, even after the introduction of mass vaccinations, and a shift to more normal life. Many countries are still experiencing huge spikes with Deloitte predicting that U.S holiday retail sales in late 2021 will increase by 7 to 9% while in South-East Asia, ecommerce penetration will grow by 85%, outpacing India (+10%) and China (+5%) and digital consumer spend in this region will increase by 60% by the end of 2021. Whether it’s directly on your brand’s website, through social media or a third-party site such as Amazon or Shopify, optimizing your brand’s ecommerce offering will lead to more leads and sales in this new digital world. 2. Sectors need to pivot and reinvent Due to the nature of their businesses, certain sectors benefited more than others during lockdowns: for example, hospitality and tourism unsurprisingly saw their profits plummet. What became apparent was the importance of being able to think outside the box when external factors come into play. Customers with no option to buy what they needed online just went to another site or brand. Retail An example of this was retail chain Primark, who lost $1 billion during the pandemic by not adopting an ecommerce model. While customers said they would welcome an online shop, Primark stated that the cost of setting up an online function would affect the prices they could offer customers. The bottom line? Primark was not prepared logistically for such an undertaking and starting an ecommerce site would have cost time and money. Other retailers also suffered, changing the landscape of the high street forever. As a result of store closures, the Arcadia Group became Photo Editing Services insolvent and was bought by online retailer Asos for £65 million for its stock and brands, not for its physical stores, which included the UK high street icons, Topshop, Topman, and Miss Selfridge. On the flip side of the fashion coin, resale platforms for secondhand clothing like Depop have flourished as people look to sell unworn or unwanted clothes. As buyers become more aware of the lifespan and journey of what they purchase, customers that value sustainability are preferring to buy clothing differently. Another outcome of the pandemic has been one inspired use of TikTok and its direct effect on the publishing industry. Thanks to the organic success of the #BookTok concept, newer (and younger) audiences are being introduced to the joys of reading paper books and bricks-and-mortar bookshops have been responding by laying out displays based on what’s popular in the online platform. Automotive Industry The car industry also took a significant hit during the pandemic as it is traditionally low tech and has been slow to digitally transform. With no foot traffic into showrooms, the industry has had to find other ways to sell cars as people were forced to stay at home. To draw customers in, many installed new software, offered virtual test drives, and touchless pickup and delivery. Many also leveraged digital strategies to engage with new and existing customers online. Big brands are taking that even further with Nissan launching its online experience Nissan@Home to buy a car from test drive to contracts signing all from home. While one of the largest automotive dealers in the U.S, Sonic Automotive has hired its first CDO and VP of Ecommerce to double annual revenue by 2025.

Remote working is not a new phenomenon by any means—but it is a concept that was given its long overdue time in the sun due to the pandemic. As the world was thrust into a state of mass isolation in spring 2020 and businesses across sectors scrambled to stay afloat, working from home became standard, with employers offering remote opportunities to staff wherever possible. During the peak of the pandemic, working from home doubled in the UK, with 8.4 million people conducting their daily duties remotely. Meanwhile, in the US where 1 in 5 Americans say they had worked from home before the pandemic, more than a third of professionals started working from home. Several remote working studies (including an MIT-based survey suggest that many business leaders believe that embracing remote working boosts productivity and fosters innovation. The remote working revolution has changed the professional playing field, offering people the freedom and flexibility to pursue their careers in ways that break down the shackles of traditional office practices. Despite highlighting the potential and possibilities of working from home, as the pandemic saw signs of levelling out in the 3rd quarter of 2021, many employers have been commanding a return to work. Hybrid or Remote working Just as the world of marketing after Covid-19 has changed completely, so too has the world of work, where remote working has so quickly become a part of modern life. And it might take a few years to settle into its own “new normal”. According to a Slack survey, many workers like the new way of working with nearly three-quarters preferring a hybrid arrangement, while only 12% want to work in the office full-time and 13% at home full-time. Back to the Office - the great return or great resignation? As a result of Covid lockdowns, certain technologies and platforms like Zoom, Slack, and Google Meet became indispensable to companies and workers. With a return to work taking place slowly across the globe, many companies are introducing schedules and staggered groups to minimize contact. But many of them are working towards a hybrid or remote model that allows people to be flexible and choose how they wish to work. What companies are doing a hybrid work model? Notable examples of companies that are embracing a hybrid work model are: Google - plans to allow remote working indefinitely or people can choose to work half the week at home Microsoft - offers the chance to work from home less than half the working week without approval Uber - has extended its work from home policy and a $500 fund to set up a home office Zillow - allows employees to work from home permanently Virgin Media - creating a ‘future of ways’ work strategy to adapt offices for hybrid working Revolut - moving its staff to permanent flexible working and converting offices into collaboration spaces Ultimately, the way we work and the technology we need to do it will continue to evolve. The Great Resignation Every change has consequences and just as employers have been asking their employees to head back into the office and fit back into Philippines Photo Editor more geographically-focused and rigid work routines, a mass exodus has started to unfold—in the form of resignations. Many professionals, marketing creatives included, have decided to leave companies that are seeking to end the more flexible, remote-working situations they have become used to. What is driving the great resignation? US-based studies show that a sizable 60% of employees will quit their job if forced to return to the office—with factors for leaving driven by not having to commute (83%), cost savings (74%), and time savings (69%), among others. While working from home doesn’t suit everyone, it appears that the main issue here is a lack of autonomy rather than a flat refusal to return to the office at all. Many professionals may feel coerced to return to the workplace with a lack of emphasis on a flexible remote working and office-based hybrid. There is evidence to show that telecommuting works and that it offers the potential for a more progressive, more open attitude to remaining productive—yet the hard U-turn that many businesses are adopting could well prove damaging: a company does after all thrive on its talent. Securing a brighter remote working future Jobs in the digital marketing field are among the world’s most lucrative and rewarding remote-based jobs. According to a survey from the remote-office platform, unremot, the top 10 top remote roles include content writers, social media managers, and user experience (UX designers). The same study also shows that remote workers have a higher income than their office-based counterparts in nations such as the UK, US, Hong Kong (China), Spain, The United Arab Emirates, and New Zealand. And, a significant portion of high earning freelancers fall into the globe-trotting, digital nomad category. If you’re reluctant to return to the office and go back to a more traditional professional lifestyle, honing your digital marketing skills will significantly increase your chances of landing a rewarding remote working situation. No matter which country you’re in, whether you’re looking to branch into digital marketing or advance your existing career in the field, there are a wealth of opportunities out there for the taking, from social media manager or SEO manager, even a social media influence