Open up Marketing

I have previously written about how Marketing & Business strategies have played out over the various phases of the pandemic. As we enter the recovery phase with many business embracing the new normal, we see a slew of categories embracing new business opportunities.

In this piece, I will cover some of the new avenues for business growth that are emerging as the world starts getting back to business as usual.

#1. Domestic Tourism: With international travel likely to take a much longer time to recover, restless citizens around the world have already started planning domestic vacations. There is actually a proposal with the tourism ministry to declare 2021 as the year of domestic travel. Consumers are also preferring to travel in close family groups to stay homes and cottages that are in the vicinity of where they currently stay.

#2. Covid Friendly Furniture: Another huge change in the new normal is how we work at home & in the offices of the future. This is likely to spark a massive trend of social distancing friendly furniture at work. Further other factors that are now playing a role is easily cleanable furniture like those made of wood and modular furniture so you can convert your work space into a place of leisure and vice versa.

#3. Male Grooming: This is a segment that was already on the rise, before Covid. However, the friendly neighborhood barber still seems unsafe and hence Indian men have finally started realizing, if I am going to grow a beard, might as well trim, wax & shampoo it. This is leading to a big business opportunity for start-ups in terms of launching new products or just importing them from the neighborhood markets of South East Asia, where men have never been shy of grooming themselves.

#4. OTT Releases: With movie theaters still out of actions, Big Budget releases on OTT are likely to now become the norm rather than an exception. Movies like Akshay Kumar’s Laxmmi, multi starrer Ludo have already released on Netflix. The platter is full for the next few months with films and series releasing across platforms like Netflix, Zee5 etc. The persistence of this route shows that monetization through this route is fast becoming a reality that can challenges the revenues from the multiplexes. 

#5. Cloud Kitchens : Now, cloud kitchens were always on the rise, but one start-up service that I am completely in love with is ‘FoodyBuddy.com’, there have completely turned the consumers craving for good convenient food and the belief in local services into a massive business opportunity. This platform connects you to the peoples making delicious home cooked meals in your own society! Absolutely brilliant innovations & one that’s likely to last!

Overall, while the pandemic has wrecked many business, yet it’s also heartening to observe the agility of entrepreneurs and the resilience of business that know how to turn crisis into opportunity and build business models that not just survive but actually thrive during times of crises.

There is no bigger testament to the spirit of the human race than optimism for the future than seeing business bounce back & surprising & delighting the consumer in new and unexpected ways.