2020 Positives

2020 has been quite a whirlwind from a global pandemic to the Australian wildfires, it may seem as if nothing positive has happened this year. All of the bad news on TV and social media can be easy to get lost in, but as we wind down to the end of the year, I thought it would be a good idea to focus on 10 positives from 2020:

1. A 103-year-old grandma beat COVID-19 and celebrated with a Bud Light and now has more time to learn digital skills like Zoom.

2. Zoom has grown from 10 million daily users to 300 million as a result of businesses being forced to shut down; their workers needed to learn a new set of skills quickly and now have more expertise to add to their resumes.

3. Big box stores like Walmart and Target have cancelled in-store shopping on Thanksgiving so workers can finally enjoy the holiday with their loved ones and don't need to worry about being trampled on by thousands of shoppers trying to buy the last flat screen.

4. Telemedicine is now a real & common thing and proving to provide significant value to many patients who are unable to leave their homes.

5. The emphasis on shopping locally through small shops, local farmers, etc. has never been so prominent.

6. Organizations that have had to rethink their business plans in favor of more innovative solutions, have also had to reevaluate their promotional ad campaigns when it comes to advertising and marketing and have been able to see a faster rate of return than ever before.

7. Our healthcare workers, protective service workers, cashiers in grocery stores, production and food processing workers, etc. have received greater appreciation for their sacrifice.

8. Less time commuting to and from work = less energy usage = improved air quality and more time to spend with family.

9. Medical research as a result of searching for the right vaccine for corona has initiated a new focus on science and research to combat other diseases.

10. Marketing and advertising has been one of the top areas that have benefited from extreme growth as a result of the pandemic and the increased web traffic and digital usage numbers. Speaking of that--did you know that digital ad spending is predicted to reach over $375 billion by 2021 worldwide? That's a $75 billion increase, one of the largest to date. #thinkaboutit

So tell me, how has 2020 impacted you or your business in a positive way?