insight : kathy wall
Is There a Silver Lining from COVID-19?
Take the positive lessons learned from the pandemic and apply them to your business BY KATHY WALL
A
fter months of self-quarantine—working and teaching our kids from home, eating nearly every meal at home, binge-watching Netflix at home— we’ve come face to face with some ugly truths: the flaws in our homes.
The dining room table works fine for sending a few emails, but now we need a truly functional office space—one with enough style to keep us inspired for eight hours a day. Our range has gotten us through many a Taco Tuesday, but it’s sadly not up to the task of baking the ultimate sourdough loaf. Our living space feels comfycozy for the latest episode of “The Crown,” but shape-shifting between family game time and streaming 317 straight minutes of “Tiger King”? Please send blackout shades. The laundry list of problems sounds painful, but in this brave new world, no one is going to be defeated by little things like fading paint or last decade’s window treatments. We’re ready to fix
our home’s flaws. And that’s good news for the design industry.
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SEPTEMBER + OCTOBER 2020 | wf-vision.com
The rush to redo, redecorate and refresh can be seen in the packed parking lots of furniture stores and home centers. It can be heard in the renewed ringing of interior designers’ telephones. But it’s not quite business as usual. People are still rightfully concerned about their health and well-being. There are lessons to be learned from quarantine times—things retailers, designers and window covering shops may want to consider as they fine-tune a business model to flourish in these unprecedented times.
Stay Engaged on Social Media
With nary a social event on their calendars, people had more time to spend perusing Instagram and tuning into live chats with designers. They’ve been rewarded with loads of inspiration. Home furnishing and interior design companies that have increased their social media promotions and advertising budgets are also reaping the benefits—with a significantly higher percentage of new followers than those that aren’t pursuing this avenue to grow their business. Social media advertising continues to be a low-
cost, efficient tool to reach targeted audiences.
