Pandemic - The Largest Human Transformation Incubator
Let me ask you a personal question, are you tired? (You don't need to answer, I will just make an assumption) Yes! Are you feeling everything is constantly changing? Yes! (Me, too) And weirdly, do you also feel that some normality is coming in to your life the longer we are in this together (with enough social distance, of course)? That is good news! Because, it means you are human and not a machine. At least for now.
According to a study from Salvatore Maddi a researcher at the University of Chicago found out that "Adaptive leaders chose to view all changes, whether wanted or unwanted, as an expected part of the human experience, rather than as a tragic anomaly that victimizes unlucky people."*
That leads to a provocative hypothesis; Are businesses that put people first and design more human-centric experiences adapt faster to changes?
The matter of fact is, digital transformation and disruption are no longer theoretical – they are real. The past few months have been permeated with change. The world was set in a massive incubator of human transformation and it turns out a hundred year old truth is proven again; Humans are ever evolving and set to constant change.
No industry is untouched from the pandemic and no leader can turn to the past for answers in navigating these unprecedented, accelerated, unpredictable shifts in business and consumer behavior. For brands to make it through this change, they must make meaningful, systemic adjustments to the capability and velocity of how their organizations transforms, learns and growth meaningful relationships with people.
While predictions are what they are, assumptions and hypothesis two things are for certain, even in uncertain times likes this. The world, cultures, humans and businesses will change. And technology will accelerate even faster and be a key-driver of the next decade. For today’s forward-thinking brands, this calls for a new approach to reaching consumers and meeting them where they are, when it matters.
The “Decade Of Change” examines the top trends for the coming years, breaking up the 10 years ahead into three core waves – short-term from 2021-2022, mid-term from 2022-2025 and long-term 2026-2030.
Answering some of the following provocations:
How might we use technology and social distancing to rewrite the rules of retail? The rise of the machines will also see a shift in the job economy as we see the current reduction in checkout workers grow. Expect to start seeing more robots in shelf stacking, stock management and even taking on surprising roles such as personal shoppers and stylists.
How might we integrate brands meaningful in the new, ever connected consumer ecosystem? Existing digital services like Microsoft Teams facilitating remote meetings team communication and interactive digital work communities, paired with technologies like Vibe, an interactive whiteboard that facilitates virtual collaboration will only see an increase in popularity as once poor connections are replaced by fast and reliable connectivity.
How might brands use wearable and AI technologies open up new opportunities for personalized health and mental stability for employee’s and consumers? In the current state of healthcare, providers and facilities are seeing a “bottleneck” effect of patients with different levels of ailments. In the wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, companies like Alibaba, Tencent and Baidu are ramping up digital medicine efforts - from launching digital diagnostic services, to using cloud computing services and AI algorithms for CT scan reviews, claiming it can “identify the difference of images between the highly suspected coronavirus-infected pneumonia, slightly suspected, and non coronavirus-infected pneumonia within 20 seconds, with (an) accuracy rate up to 96%.”
How might reputation systems and the sweeping potential of social credit scoring change human behaviors in a meaningful way? Just imagine how such social surveillance systems could also be deployed to prevent future pandemics, be it a public cough without covering, or non-essential public activity with a reading of high body temperature in time of an outbreak.
As technological innovations reach new heights, permeating every aspect of daily life, a deeper dialogue is taking place among brands, citizens and consumers alike. No doubt, new questions will arise around privacy, data and surveillance.
A new paradigm will drive the next decade. Making technology meaningful, useful and most importantly invisible to design valuable products, services, businesses and experiences for humans – with humans.
Smart brands will redefine the distinctions between body, space and mind. This calls for a new approach to designing consumer experiences focusing on people’s needs.