Happy 2021! I am incredibly optimistic for the year ahead. Why? The Covid Pandemic will end in the developed world in 2021.
There are three vaccines being deployed. Even with the initial distribution hurdles, everyone who wants one will get one. It’s projected that the United States will be vaccinating at least 40 million people per month by March, and Europe, the UK and Canada are not far behind.
It’s a fair bet that we will be past the pandemic within the first half of 2021. If that doesn’t leave you with optimism, I don’t know what will.
In the second half of 2021 expect to see a shift to mass socialization. People are itching to return to restaurants, bars, gyms, concerts, weddings, parties, and theaters. And planes! The desire for travel is immense!
According to Cascadia Motivation, 50% of destinations are already sold out for 2022.
Cascadia is a leading provider of loyalty rewards programs and incentive travel, and a Sticky Branding client. They are running a brilliant marketing campaign that asks, “When the world opens up, where do you want to go?”
It’s an aspirational message with a clear call to action: If you want to book a trip for 2022 you better act fast. The world is ready to get back to meeting in person, and you don’t want to lose another year!
We could be at the start of one of the greatest economic surges in history. After the 1918 Spanish flu came the “Roaring Twenties.” The next decade may be our Roaring Twenties.
Is your brand ready for the rebound?
The actions you take in the first half of 2021 will have a disproportionate impact on how your business slingshots out of the pandemic. This isn’t a moment to be cautious or play it safe. This is a moment to be bold.
At Sticky Branding we call this a “Slingshot Strategy.” It’s a strategy to harness the market forces to come out of the pandemic stronger than ever. What you are trying to do is slingshot your brand to higher revenue growth, capture market share, and leverage the gains (and struggles) you have taken in 2020.
Leadership teams need to shift from defense to offense. Now is the time to increase your marketing; launch new products and services; capture market share; and build up your operational capacity. You are competing to win.
Not all companies will come out of the pandemic equally. Many of your competitors have not made wise choices. Some have cut deeply and need to rebuild their businesses before they can grow.
Whereas companies like Cascadia have done the opposite. They’ve kept all their staff, and even added headcount in strategic areas. They’ve increased their sales and marketing, and are hitting the ground running.
Cascadia will gain market share and come out of this crisis stronger than ever.
You have a similar opportunity. You can see the world and the economy reopening very soon. This is your moment. Seize it!
Create a Slingshot Strategy
If you’d like to discover how Sticky Branding can help you, let’s chat. Here’s a link to my calendar.
