Every day this week has been heavy with developments and news surrounding the coronavirus crisis and its wide-ranging impact across nearly every industry.
At Adweek, we’re hard at work bringing you the latest updates on event cancellations, industry impacts and news about what’s happening—and what’s next—across the advertising, marketing and media worlds in light of the coronavirus. In fact, in the past week and a half we’ve published more than 130 in-depth articles about how COVID-19 is changing our industry.
Here are some of the top stories and insights we’ve published this week to help you navigate the crisis and what it means for each sector. Plus, you can keep up with the latest details using our Coronavirus Tracker, which we update in real time with the latest developments.
What Brands Can Do If the Coronavirus Crisis Drags On for Months
By Robert Klara
Much of the retail sector, along with many a popular food chain, has shut down stores and operations due to control the spread of the coronavirus. Nobody knows how long this restrictive period will last, but the mere uncertainty of the pandemic’s duration calls into question just how well companies are equipped to manage a long-term disruption to their business. Taking it on the chin for the next quarter is one thing, but business may well be severely disrupted into the quarter after that—or longer. In order to survive, brands may need to pivot to ecommerce and alternative marketing solutions in the coming months.
- Related: Distressed retailers, already struggling to attract shoppers and service debt, may find it difficult to remain solvent due to measures taken by governments and companies to contain the coronavirus.
Ad-Tech Companies Are Finding Their ‘New Normal’ Amid Coronavirus Uncertainty
By Andrew Blustein
When the shockwaves of the coronavirus pandemic first hit the ad world, ad-tech firms said they hadn’t yet felt a drastic impact to their businesses. But a lot can change in just two weeks. As marketers reevaluate their budgets and the work-from-home life upends typical sales protocols, ad-tech companies have to find new ways to get deals done. It’s in these uncertain times when the art of the sale comes into play.
With Handshakes on Hold, Media Ad Sales Teams Must Navigate a New World Order
By Josh Sternberg
Media is a people business built on relationships. Pressing the flesh wins deals in ways that spray-and-pray pitches don’t. But when the industry works from home, where meetings are done via Zoom and relationships are strained because we’re all being socially distant, ad sales teams have to quickly reinvent their processes, if not their whole way of operating. Here’s what media ad sales teams will need to grapple with in this new normal.
- Notably, Disney ad sales chief Rita Ferro sent a note to clients on Tuesday updating them on the company’s efforts on helping advertisers find alternatives for their live sports ad buys.
Can the Coronavirus Crisis Prompt a Correction in Brand Safety Tactics?
By Sara Jerde, Andrew Blustein, Ronan Shields
As the global calamity unfolds, audiences are naturally turning to trusted online news sources. Normally, large audiences generating record numbers of clicks are good for publishers’ finances, but thanks to keyword blacklisting around coronavirus-related content, difficulties have arisen in monetizing their most popular content with programmatic buys, further compounding a widespread freeze on advertiser spend. Can these conflicts be overcome as the crisis is set to define the news agenda?
Agency Freelancers Face Uncertainty as Marketers Press Pause Amid Pandemic
By Minda Smiley
It’s not just brands that are facing uncertainty. While agency employees, many of whom are working from home for the foreseeable future, are no doubt feeling the impact, it’s freelancers who are left wondering where their next gig—and paycheck—will come from.
As Movie Theaters Close Around the Country, It’s Transactional VOD’s Time to Shine
By Kelsey Sutton
While many U.S. businesses are in free fall thanks to COVID-19, the pandemic is providing a unique opportunity for transaction video-on-demand services like Vudu and iTunes, with so many people at home and looking for something to watch. New releases like Disney’s Onward are migrating to digital platforms sooner than ever, and viewership is spiking.
How Coronavirus Has Impacted Foot Traffic Across Industries
By David Cohen
Were people already hunkering down in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic, or were they out and about getting shopping done while they could? According to two reports, the answer is a little of both.
Coronavirus Quarantines Could Spell Doom for Already Distressed Retailers
By Richard Collings
Distressed retailers, already struggling to attract shoppers and service debt, may find it difficult to remain solvent due to the coronavirus. The response to the contagion, ranging from mass store closings and event cancellations to shifting employees to work from home—all in tandem with fears of a recession—may prove insurmountable for a number of companies.
