The summer of outdoor commerce

Advertising spend is down, non-essential affiliate marketing is on life support, subscription strategies are nascent, and direct-to-consumer commerce is a rarity. Media is being forced to evolve, once more. And so are brands.

And then looking forward, as we eventually exit this pandemic and slog through the economic downturn, what will convince mass consumers to move their money toward more environmentally friendly products?

We’re seeing endings everywhere, in both obvious and non-obvious ways. Let me count the ways.Despite Trump’s non-brand-approved appearance, McDonald’s is failing as a major E. coli outbreak hit their (icky) onions (along with Burger King and Taco Bell too), sending shares down. It’s not just the E. coli but one of the brand’s fry suppliers closed m... See more

These behavioral shifts are creating rapid changes in our economy. There will be both short-term and long-term impact as consumers and businesses are forced to change their behavior radically for weeks or months.

Those of us who spend our careers analyzing businesses tend to see these types of massive behavioral shifts from a business-first perspective, but what does this look like for consumers?