INTRODUCTION

W ell, thank goodness that’s over.

Time both sped up and stood still in 2020. (By ‘2020’ I mainly mean the coronavirus bits; January and February were part of another era altogether.) The days under lockdown seemed to drag, as we were stuck in the same home, with the same people – or lack of people – for an eternity. But when we look back at what we had done, without the mental time-stamps of meeting people, doing things and going places, last month seemed as close as yesterday.

Now we are returning to normal, or – to use a phrase that’s become as familiar as a ticking clock – ‘the new normal’. In parts of the Middle East, people are returning to offices and events are even coming back, albeit with social distancing measures in place. We are lucky here to have a less pernicious flu season than that which has seen countries in Europe and further afield go back into lockdown. Even where the virus is still rampant, the administration of vaccines has provided a ray of light at the end of a grim tunnel.

Nothing will ever be the same. But nothing ever is. Covid-19 has brought about many changes as a direct reaction to its primary health and secondary economic effects, and it has also accelerated much digital transformation. In July, Publicis Groupe media agency Zenith predicted that for the first time digital advertising would account for more than half of global adspend in 2020. It had previously forecast this milestone would arrive in 2021.

People spent a lot more time in front of screens, and as an industry we have reacted to that, putting more and better (or at least that’s generally the plan) marketing in front of everyone staring at their computers, phones and tablets.

Will this mean the world has become more hooked on digital? Or will it mean we have a new appreciation for real-life interactions? There can be few among us who aren’t looking forward to meeting people without having to wear a mask, and to leaving our homes without fear of contagion. This will always be The Year of Covid. And most of us will be grateful when it’s gone. For now, we can look back and reflect on it with a little more perspective. See you all next year.