THE POST-COVID FUTURE: POSSIBLE PERSPECTIVES AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The crisis caused by the Coronavirus, which has "paused" the world and forced all of us into a long lockdown at home, will have enormous repercussions in the near future.
The most important collateral effect is certainly the digital revolution we are witnessing, which marks an epochal change for our society: the corona economy will not be a simple evolution of the existing, after the virus habits and consumption will change, we will become a fully digital people and any resistance to the digital revolution will be permanently eliminated. A revolution that would have come anyway, but that we still saw a little far away.
The post-epidemic will open the doors to a completely new and in some ways unexpected historical phase: suddenly millions of people have been catapulted into digital reality and if the so-called millenials and digital natives were already absolutely ready, the same cannot certainly be said for many others; Added to this are the growing critical issues that emerge regarding confidentiality and security, the capabilities and possibilities of Internet access, the connection speed.
Yet, in the last few months of forced closure, it seems that everyone's life is continuing only thanks to an Internet connection, however ephemeral. A huge technological leap that has affected all sectors: primarily education and work (with "distance learning", remote and "smart working"), but also health and social services, agriculture, hotels and restaurants, commerce and culture. And it is precisely these positive aspects and the new opportunities (digitization, optimization of time without unnecessary travel, reduction of pollution, etc.) that we must look to face the recovery, the long-awaited "phase 2" that has just begun.
As regards our sector, Coronavirus has brought about a real revolution in the planet "home": never, as in this period, have been rediscovered the home role as a safe and comfortable environment, as a place of affections, as a symbol of conviviality and sociality. An extremely personal but at the same time equally versatile environment, capable of transforming itself into a perfect smart office or fully equipped gym if necessary.
A pleasant discovery, a real re-evaluation of the home environment. Forced to spend whole days there with family or in solitude, we took care of it, lived and transformed it as perhaps we had never done, appreciating every corner of it. Simple activities such as moving a piece of furniture, decorating a wall, furnishing a room, have allowed us to re-think every space, the long time available has made us fully enjoy every room and piece of furniture.
Now that we are finally going back to breath the freedom, to re-emerge among the rubble of the virus, we are all facing an important test bench: we will not go back so easily, we will not give up on online shopping, home-delivery, video calls, new exclusive services, apps and all the surprising features that have allowed us to go ahead in such a dramatic moment, made of social distancing and stringent prevention measures.
We must be aware of the fact that the world of business has revolutionized and that many tasks will inevitably undergo profound changes due to social detachment, primarily those which by their nature determine gatherings: bars, restaurants and pizzerias, sports centers and gyms, supermarkets and shopping malls, pubs and discos, trains, planes and subways ... but also the whole chain that works for them, nobody will be excluded from the profound revolution underway.
Once defeated, the disease we will have to adapt, always keeping its distance. The business model, purchasing and delivery, training and mentality of people will change. We will learn to have fun, buy and work at zero km: more conscious purchases, preference for Italian products, rediscovery of simple activities such as home cooking and gardening.
Unthinkable scenarios until recently, which we must welcome as an opportunity, a concrete opportunity to rethink our way of living, acting, working and above all, to generate new economic and social efficiencies. In short, a real opportunity to create a better and more efficient world (without pollution, traffic and stress), in which to rediscover previously forgotten, devalued and lost values.
We have discovered new ways of communicating, working, training and relating. We have found out systems and potentiality that will save us time and live better. In short, new perspectives have opened up for a future that, although still uncertain, may be rose again.
An epochal change is affecting our entire economy and society and we cannot be unprepared: we, humans, are creatures of habit, the change tends to frighten us and is seen as something "uncomfortable" because it forces us to leave our "comfort zone", in which we are at ease and feel comfortable, safe and calm.
For Mantellassi, however, from the corporate team to all our partners, a culture of leadership and a mentality based on innovation are at the center of our values and our identity and are reflected in everything we do.
And it is precisely by looking to the future and to the digital world that Mantellassi has been equipping itself for unsuspected times, even before Coronavirus, investing in technological innovation, live streaming, augmented reality... A step forward that was already planned and that the emergency we experienced only pushed us to anticipate: in the days we spent at home, we have engaged more than ever in remote assistance for the customer (through video calls, live chat, social networks), in the creation of digitized catalogs, in investments on online user experience, in the design of new products for the new houses of the future.
And it is precisely for this reason that, guided by our vision and the values that have always animated our spirit and inspired our customers, we welcome the challenge of post-Covid aiming at a completely new way of designing the home environment, a new way of behaving and, in general, of living.
