Unintended Consequences

By Mark Schaefer, Adjunct Marketing Professor - Rutgers University USA
 
The people of the world have been whacked out by the fear, grief, and upheaval of a pandemic. Some of the consequences are obvious. We’ve learned new ways to work, shop, learn, connect, date, work out, and entertain ourselves, to name a few. But perhaps our marketing future will be determined by unintended consequences we can’t fathom at the moment.
It will take a long time to sort out what goes back to normal and what new habits transcend the pandemic. I’d like to share a weird little story that illustrates a much more subtle, and perhaps profoundly important, business consideration as we emerge from our suffering. It starts with a playful child.
 
A Story of Unintended Consequences
As pandemic restrictions thawed, my wife and I decided to attend an outdoor, socially-distanced community event. We were happy to see old friends — behind their masks, of course!
We stood in the sunshine talking to a young c...