What happens next?
It takes a thief to catch a thief. It takes one to know one. It takes a pandemic to catch a 
virus. It takes a world to end a pandemic.
Hey, I’m for “opening up the economy” as much as anyone. But, would you send your child off to school today? I wouldn’t. So how can we really consider sending them anywhere else?
When we all go back to work and restaurants and the mall, where do the children play?
In the meantime:
Gogo Inflight Internet Company continues to bill your monthly $49.99 subscription. They’re really fast at billing, but really slow at wifi.
With 36 million unemployed Americans, “rent strikes” are popular. My worry is if rents
aren’t paid, then mortgages also go unpaid which would break the banks and other lenders. Isn’t that what caused the last recession?
Unless rents go down, we’ll continue to lose restaurants at breakneck speed. Do the
math: Higher food costs + your same rent + operate at 50% capacity = “I’m out, my margins were already thin.”
The ATM will be a thing of the past. And sooner than you think. So if you take away the $3.50 surcharge to use one that is not your bank — why ever bank with one of the behemoths again? Other than ATM locations, what exactly is the benefit of banking with Wells Fargo, Bank of America or Truist?
The idea of physical office space will not die, it will just diminish. Look for companies to
downsize their owned environments significantly.
Look for brands to comingle: think Dunkin/Baskin…
Look for companies within the same portfolio to merge — think DentsuMcGarryBowen.
Also think BBDO/TBWA.
Look for Harvard, MIT and Stanford to team up with tech giants Google, Apple, IBM, etc to dominate online education. By 2024, MIT will have a freshman class of 20,000 students.
As a result, look for at least 500 private, Liberal arts colleges to go under, maybe even your alma mater.
Speaking of alma maters, can Iona College really afford to pay Rick Pitino $1 mil the same year it loses $20 million?
Look for a severe regression in overall athletic performance across the board.
How ironic is it that Rao’s will now deliver to anyone and everyone that wants their food. Haha.
Gas prices will remain low, even with slightly higher demand. I’m currently getting three weeks to the gallon.
Get ready for virtual vacations and with virtual companions.
D2C brands will thrive. It won’t just be mattresses, diet systems and exercise equipment. It will be almost everything and every brand.
Willy Loman, rest in peace, you’re looking at the death of the salesman.
You’re also looking at the death of the franchisee.
Shame on private clubs that impose a surcharge for online dues payments.
Shame on a society that opens country clubs and malls before schools.
Hyper-locality is not just a trend, it’s the new currency.
Get ready for a barter-friendly agency compensation model.
The virus doesn’t care about our economy or your sanity.
When we all rush back to our former lives, where do the children play?
mikepalma.com 