Coronavirus Scare! How are the business tackling this issue?

The scare of Coronavirus spread is everywhere in the world now. Everyone has been asked to stay away from each other which can indeed be the best remedy to stop the spread. If you see today, everyone is sitting at home. Suddenly people have got what they had been cribbing for years to their bosses. It's called "TIME"

Someone recently posted this pic. It says "This week Travel Plan" and shows the picture of its house.

That's how these things are to be faced with some fun too.

Everyone wanted few hour of free time but this time they have got weeks until the situation gets back to normal. Yes this is an awful situation but as one of the IntelliGiant :-) man said "THE SHOW MUST GO ON". Each situation is an opportunity for someone. "You can Cry or Innovate". As a brand you have been trying to reach your customers at every place they could be but today may be they are waiting for you at their homes with ample Time. So what needs to be done? To understand, first questions first:

Who's my Target audience and what are they currently doing?

Be it 18 to 35 years or 35+ or even Below 18, everyone is trying to pass their time at Home. What they have is TIME to go through everything you can show to them. Can we use this opportunity? A few of the people have started utilizing the same already which is in line with what your customers are looking for. Here are something which some of the brands are doing:

1. Building a website on CoronoVirus cases around the world

Channel news Asia did a wonderful job. Salute to these guys for capturing the audience. I see my whatsapp with multiple friends sharing the website as this is what everybody is indeed curious to know. I believe they must be getting more than Billion hits everyday on the same with some people already making it their homepage. "Google homepage just got a competitor".

In addition, i am sure all other News channels and Advertisements around this news would have got millions hits too. Inshorts, The New York Times, BBC News, Times of India, Flipboard and many more. Knock Knock! you see not all business have suddenly stopped making revenues. Instead it may have increased for some.

Here is the info-graphic in case you are that rare species who haven't seen it till date. https://infographics.channelnewsasia.com/covid-19/map.html

2. Offices are closed and everyone working from Home; DIGITAL CONTENT and MOVIE STREAMING apps should ruling

I am sitting at home, what should i do. Heard of "Netflix and Chill" but never had the time. You just got served. May be forget the real meaning of the same in case it upsets you, but surely you can chill watching Netflix, Amazon prime, Hulu, Youtube, Hotstar and many more.

By the time i am writing this, many people may say, Dude! i am done with all this already, tell me something new. I will be like, Sure man seems you have been free since years; you already know how to tackle the situation called "No work in the office".

My suggestions to the Digital streaming content Giants!

Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Hotstar:

Can you reduce your pricing for next 3 months which will surely have all of the Targeted people to hook onto your platforms one by one?

The above brings me to next situation of running out of your Broadband data. Watching Money heist on Netflix all 3 seasons together definitely consumed lot of data. Here lies the opportunity for the Broadband and Mobile network companies.

3. Broadband, DTH and Mobile Network companies; Can they offer different plans with more data

People at home are surfing the net and watching a lot of content. This will surely result in consuming the data at much faster speed in the month. With no data left, i am sure it will drive them real crazy. "Mind you, lot of them have been in the habit of taking orders from the bosses only during the day"and that has been the routine of life which may suddenly change.

Nothing comes for free but even if companies like Airtel , Jio offers extra 200-500 GB at Rs 200 a month, i am sure they will have lot of takers for it. Hope you are listening, Mr Bharti Mittal and Mr Mukesh Ambani

In addition, DTH plans for 3 months can be good strategy for DISH TV, TATA SKY and AIRTEL. Good time to let your users move back to TV after getting bored from Online video streaming apps. People want change. 3 months Special discounted plan will let them to continuously use your services. Retain them.

4. A new era for EDTECH and Skill enhancing companies worldwide

What are you watching on the laptops, everyday? The question all the new age kids have been listening. Its time to indeed give your kids these devices to actually study about their subjects. With no real classes happening, your kids still needs to learn new things.

Here comes the Digital content from Byju's, Unacademy, Vedantu, Toppr, Adda247, Cuemath, Coursera and Eruditusr and many other which indeed teaches you with practical learning and real life examples. That's what we all desired for during our time.

Students may not have new books in beginning of April but the parents would want them to be involved in the new class courses. This is the time to show the parents about the value difference your content creates.

Offer the students new class content (Basic free plan) for April and charge for the next plan as everything comes at a cost, the content creation being on top.

With parents at home with their kids, they can actually see the difference their child may have made via Practical learning kit. I am sure this will help in converting more customers for paid plan later on.

5. Bollywood and Hollywood, how can you stay behind in making revenues; Why bear losses coz of no movie screenings

Since end of Feb, we have all seen Cinemas running empty and with closure decision lot of movies have been postponed and made losses as they had just hit the theaters. What's the way out?

Release your movies earlier on DVD or Movie streaming platform. What's a better time to reach to your audience than this? Movies like Sholay, Andaz apna apna and Dhamaal were big time flops on theaters but gathered appreciation later on. So this may be your chance too.

Hollywood movies Bloodshot and The Invisible man already made decisions to release earlier on Video on Demand. It's time for Bollywood too to take similar steps and give their audience something more to watch.

6. A user asked, I don't watch movies alone or shop alone what shall i do?

WATCH MOVIES TOGETHER: Heard of Netflix Party? It's a new way to watch Netflix with your friends online. Netflix Party synchronizes video playback and adds group chat to your favorite Netflix shows. Superb. Check more about it here: https://www.netflixparty.com/

SHOP TOGETHER on E-commerce platform: A lot of ladies and men want to shop with their friends. The opinion or confirmation from the other person does make a lot of difference to them while shopping. Can you go out shopping? A strict NO. But what if your e-commerce platforms like Myntra, Flipkart and Amazon let your shop online with your friends. The fun of shopping is together only. Here is how it will happen (FLIPKART SHARE is just taken as a suggestion from my side):

1. Select your friends from contacts to share your screen
2. Shop together with chat option
3. Buy as per your friend's choice or recommendations

7. Take help from your users to Put reviews for your product or services

All of us have been using many platforms but never got a chance to post our reviews or than them for such services. Here is the time. The Brands always need support for their hard work and giving out such services. Who won't be happy with your feedback. For instance, I know a lot of happy users of Quick Ride carpooling. Here is my request to all of them and any other people who want to thank brands like Flipkart, Snapdeal, Amazon, Linkedin, Google, Facebook, Instagram, snapchat whatever it is, this is the time to show your support.

In this time of downfall for everyone, your feedback and reviews will keep them alive and strive for more when things go back to normal.

8. Earn for your reviews too on platforms like Tripadvisor and Google reviews.

a. Tripadvisor reviews

Writing genuine reviews on Tripadvisor can help you earn Intermiles. I used to do it a lot and trust me i earned 25000 JP miles via this. With JP miles now turning into Intermiles, the offer remains but have been tweaked like below, but still feels good:

InterMiles' earning on each review topic:

• Restaurants – Write 5 reviews each month and earn up to 75 InterMiles
• Hotels - Write 2 reviews each month and earn up to 200 InterMiles
• Attractions – Write 10 reviews each month and earn up to 75 InterMiles

b. Google reviews

Go to Google maps and you can start reviewing the venues, restaurant, petrol pumps anything which needs a reviews and will help other users to make a better choice. You will earn points for each contribution and help you to reach various levels:

Here is the points table:

a. Each review gives 10 points

b. Photo gives 5 points

c. Adding new place gives 10 points

d. Adding video gives 7 points

e. Any road added 15 points

c. Using Phone Pe switch to earn

Phone Pe allows you to order via apps on its platform like Swiggy, Grofers, Oyo, Fassos, Dominos and more. It also helps you earn cashback and coins if the services are being used. As a user, nothing to lose at all. Please do utilize the same.

Let me know in case you know more ways how brands or individuals can utilize this opportunity and help people to move out of this phase in safe manner. Let's strive for better future. This time "Let's not be Together to fight this". United we fall Divided we Rise. Keep up the social and physical distancing to stop the spread.