Due to the Corona crisis, the level of digitization has also reached areas that have previously relied on tried-and-tested concepts. These are achievements that will not be dispensed with once the crisis is over. In this article, we present some areas in which a “Plan B” has been developed in response to sales losses caused by the pandemic – ideas that have ensured the survival of companies. Because of course not all companies can produce disinfectants, toilet paper or hygiene masks.
The Corona crisis has put numerous companies to the test. Many businesses had to close, but others have become even stronger as a result of the crisis: They have developed best practices and sensible strategies for dealing with the pandemic situation.
Innovation during the pandemic – ideas that help companies survive
- Even in the crisis, private individuals will of course be able to maintain contact. Personal meetings such as family birthday parties are not possible depending on the local regulations. This results in more intensive use of the telephone and internet . Telekom is therefore granting its customers more data volume.
- Komdruck, actually a printer manufacturer, had to record a decline in orders. Therefore, the manufacturer switched to producing disinfection columns.
How the pandemic has led to innovation in the social sector
- The Corona crisis has also required innovation in schools: the school server IServ , for example, allows children to download files. Children must upload their homework via this server. Even if school takes place in the form of face-to-face teaching, this server serves as a supplement. But parents also have their own burden to bear: short-time work or even job loss are not exceptions.
- It is a difficult situation for the children, as they cannot see their grandparents or meet up with their friends to play. Before the Corona pandemic, it was hard to imagine a teacher working from home . If the children cannot attend daycare, the parents still receive professional support, for example via the daycare app. If parents and children are constantly sitting together, there is a lot of potential for conflict. The teachers not only give the parents parenting tips via video or letter, but also provide entertainment, for example with fun games that can be played at home or songs that can be sung along to.
Ideas from people in the craft industry
- Sales of toilet paper have increased dramatically due to panic buying. And there are companies that are making fun of this very thing: for example, master baker Tim Kortüm in Dortmund has invented a toilet paper cake that is selling very well: It is a marble cake wrapped in white fondant.
- A one-woman business that previously sold self-sewn clothes was lacking walk-in customers during the Corona crisis. However, a customer who asked for a mask gave the entrepreneur the idea to change her plans. Since then, the seamstress has been making up to 20 masks a day.
Innovation in Culture – How Artists Survive
Culture is particularly tragically affected by the band database Corona restrictions. Artists often have a loss of income of 100% because exhibitions or planned events cannot take place. Digital stages have now been created and concerts that take place without an audience on site are being broadcast via live streams.
- Uwe Ochsenknecht has a great idea : every evening at 7 p.m. he reads a bedtime story, which is broadcast via Facebook.
- Apple Music pays advances to smaller labels so that artists can be paid.
- A tango dance studio had to close because the dance, which is based on hugs, was no longer possible. The dance teacher, who suddenly no longer earned any money, had to change her plans and now offers instructional videos on the Internet.
Instead of a great ambience, now home delivery service – ideas from the catering industry
- The catering industry is one of the biggest
losers in the crisis. In order to keep Oldenburg’s drawing up the organizational structure of the company restaurants and shops open, the non-profit company Lieferdienst-Oldenburg.de offers restaurant owners the opportunity to list their own business on the - website – free of charge. This way, customers can still enjoy restaurant food delivered to their
- home address.
- Courier services throughout Germany are benefiting from Corona: They are a great help to many people or an additional way to protect themselves from Corona.
How big players behave – joy in donating or greed
While numerous large companies and brands are b2b reviews showing solidarity – such as the Coca
Cola brand, which is refusing to advertise and instead making donations – Adidas, H&M and
Deichmann are refusing to pay the rent for closed stores. The company Beck’s, which produced
disinfectant from leftover alcohol – previously only for its own use – has donated numerous bottles of
disinfectant.
As you can see, even a pandemic can still have advantages: namely when great new business ideas
emerge and the development of technology or digitalization is driven forward.
