By Robert Leslie , Noah Lewis , and Claire Price
Until COVID-19 hit, the global cruise industry was on course for a record-breaking year. But major coronavirus outbreaks on board ships cost lives, jobs, and damaged the reputation of the fastest-growing sector of the travel industry.
Researchers set out Wednesday to survey Biscayne Bay between the 79th Street and Julia Tuttle Causeways, where dead fish were seen bobbing along the surface.
“It is an emergency. The bay is not in a good place right now,” said Piero Gardinali, a chemistry professor who is director of the institute’s Freshwater Resources Division. “It’s a warning sign more than anything else. People have been predicting that things like this could happen. I think it’s time for us to sit at the table and say ‘OK, let’s do something about it.’”
Researchers believe fish were killed when the bay’s saltwater became so hot, it could no longer retain oxygen in the amounts necessary for marine life to thrive.
They are using an autonomous surface vehicle equipped with sensors to measure temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and chlorophyll, which can be an indicator for algae. What they find could provide more details on the health of the bay. The vessel allows researchers to collect more data over a larger area.
The pandemic has not only tested Walgreens’ operating model and stock levels – it’s also forced the brand to rethink its e-commerce and marketing strategy. Its chief marketing officer reveals why Covid-19 has been a “wake-up” call for the business.
— Read on www.thedrum.com/news/2020/07/01/it-s-been-wake-up-call-walgreens-cmo-flexing-its-digital-muscle-post-covid-19
From Gartner:
In a crisis situation subject to rapid change, CMOs need a proactive plan to adjust and adapt how they lead their teams, speak to their customers, and manage their brands.
Customers may never know how a company’s finance or HR department responds to a major unpredicted event, but marketing sits center stage, its moves reflected in every ad campaign, message and channel. You set the tone for how customers perceive the brand during a difficult time.
Taking the right actions and finding the right message can be challenging, especially in a fast-changing situation. All companies should operate with integrity and trust even as they come under pressure from a swiftly evolving situation. Those with a product or service well-suited for difficult times must, meanwhile, tread lightly, lest customers think they’re exploiting tragedy.
“Long before the coronavirus emerged, consumer trust in both government and large brands had eroded.”
“Among marketing’s greatest challenges is foreseeing how customer wants, needs, expectations and purchasing decisions will evolve,” says Augie Ray, VP Analyst, Gartner. “Customers themselves won’t know until COVID-19 infections, fears and restrictions occur in their workplaces, locales and lives.”Marketers shouldn’t wait for problems to develop or the market to point in a clear direction before making plans and taking action. Instead, follow a four-step action plan to define scenarios, monitor customers and plan for marketing changes.
— Read on www.gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/articles/adapt-the-marketing-strategy-for-covid-19
Check out this article from USA TODAY:
Apple Watch, Fitbit as first line of defense? Tests expand on whether wearables could predict coronavirus
Data from millions of mobile phones shows varying behavior across the United States in May as people responded to the loosening of stay-at-home orders, a Reuters analysis shows.
Americans returned to parks, restaurants and gas stations first. In most of the country, though, people continued to stay away from bars, fitness centers and religious institutions, which remain closed in many areas, according to the analysis of anonymized smartphone data from SafeGraph.
— Read on www.oann.com/smartphone-data-shows-americas-cautious-comeback/
Hurricane Dorian: Palm Beacher and pilot Gary Lickle flew one of first civilian reconnaissance missions into storm-ravaged Bahamas this week.
An error at the Shuiyun Water Park’s wave pool left dozens of visitors injured. See the video
— Read on digg.com/video/wave-pool-malfunction-china
In a moment that could have been truly terrifying, Atsuko Okatsuka somehow kept the crowd laughing.
— Read on digg.com/2019/earthquake-comedy-set-atsuko-okatsuka
