Guesswork – 14 April 2020 Plus
Mehta Rajesh
Providing value to build businesses across the globe. With more than 25 years of experience in India and Africa. Software, digital marketing, FMCG, construction chemicals, adhesives, sealants and tyres.
Let us make some assumptions, not farfetched, but assumptions:
1. Use of public transport will become too risky
2. Need for personalized and safe transport
3. People over 70 need not step out for another six months
4. Mask yes, but hand gloves will come into picture soon for protection.
5. Social and group interaction will decline for the foreseeable future
6. Shopping malls and stores in their current format will become dangerous and risky. The model will change soon.
7. There will be a need to identify screened people and maybe only those who are clean will be allowed in some gathering
8. No doubt that e-commerce services will prosper. They will recover their losses and make more than they have lost in the last few years.
But, the other business must start and start soon unless we want more people to die of hunger, depression, and hypertension.
So here are some of the possible solution for small to medium organizations:
1. Self-certification of individuals that they have not met anyone other than the family during the lockdown. Really? Do we have a choice? Can we test all our colleagues? Nope. Self Certification is the way.
2. Those with self-doubt can get themselves checked for an additional 24-day symptom window, that means stay in quarantine for some more time.
3. Pool safe cars – Taxis cannot be disinfected after each ride unless you sit with gloves
4. The office can become zones, disinfected areas, and one will wear gloves and mask for another six months.
5. Retailers should open their shop on Shopify or a similar platform, link their store on google maps. A walk on Linking road using Google Maps! The store must deliver within 30 minutes, and there is no workaround on this. So, hyper localization, which was once started in the days of S Kumar and now what Jio is planning will happen quickly
6. Factories and warehouse will operate in the same way, but the bus which will carry the workers each day will be disinfected daily. No public transport as yet.
7. Restaurants will not be able to operate for a long time. There is no solution that they have, and they will have the food delivered. Zomato and Swiggy will win.
8. Ports, Shipping, government offices will have no choice but to test and an actual test for all the employees. Build a glass partition for interaction? Make it easier for people to stay away from the municipality and the Government. This is the toughest of the lot.
I see phase one of the opening up like this if we stay indoors for another ten days and one there are no untoward events
Meanwhile, there will be an advent of hyper-localized advertising. You want all internet inventory for advertisement in Pin code 40001 to show your restaurant. The power of hyper-localized ad will now come into the foray.
Also, irrespective of what you do, an online store is on the cards with the only USP being when the person will reach your place with the demo kit.
How will this eventually pan out? No clue. I guess our body will innovate as we will do in our business.