Five thoughts about what happens after coronavirus

By Pelican MD Michael Bennett

“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future”

So, said the famous Danish physicist and Nobel Prize winner Niels Bohr. None of us can pretend to understand what the future holds or how long the new normal of coronavirus will last.

However, we can hazard a guess about some of the things that may happen as a result of the changes we are all experiencing. So, keeping Bohr’s warning very much in mind, myself and my colleagues at Pelican Communications have ventured to make some informed (dare we say it) predictions about what may happen over the months ahead.

Things we’ve learnt from coronavirus:

• Businesses that welcome collaboration will be the long-term winners. If the pandemic has shown us one thing it’s that we can achieve great things when we work together. The breaking down of commercial barriers will open-up a new period of businesses co-operating to achieve common aims, not just a bigger profit. Read more.

 

• We can reduce global warming. There’s been a lot of discussion about flattening the curve of coronavirus, well now is the time to flatten the curve of climate change. We’ve learnt that there are different approaches to work and leisure and that we can manage with less stuff. For the change to be long-term governments need to act boldly. Read more.

 

• Home working is only part of the future. The rise of video conferencing will not see the end of personal contact, but it could change the way we do business. We will still need to meet face-to-face but there will be less need to go into the office or travel a long way to meetings. This could deliver an environmental dividend. Read more.

 

• PR is more important than ever. The survival of some businesses now depends on how their PR teams continue to respond to this crisis. When some normality returns, many consumers will remember those businesses that didn’t do the right thing. Read more.

 

• The pandemic has exposed the cracks in crisis communication plans across all businesses and you need to address the issue as soon as possible. There will be future crises and failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Read more.

Pelican Communications is a specialist in the environment & CSR, food, packaging & logistics and trade association sectors and offers a range of services such as strategy, design, content creation, public relations and people development. Contact us for marketing and communications expertise.