The coronavirus, as a black swan event, continues to have an unpredictable impact on consumer shopping behavior, ecommerce sales, and the global economy. Monitoring the daily data of ecommerce sales reveals how consumers are adapting, searching, and buying which has helped marketers pivot their strategies. Due to the global nature of the coronavirus, a broader view of its impact will help us plan for recovery. Understanding the intersection of strategy, technology, innovations, and insights will inspire us to make better informed decisions.
NetElixir launches a new webinar series called Reimagine Tomorrow. Here, we welcome back speakers from our X=Experience events who are experts in various fields across academia and retail industry. Our monthly series will welcome a range of voices and perspectives on the current coronavirus crisis and prepare us for the post-pandemic world. World-class thought leaders will share their insights, opinions, and strategies to help business leaders navigate this crisis and come out of it stronger. Our schedule is as follows:
- Tomorrow, May 12 at 2 PM ET
- Anindya Ghose presents Leveraging AI, Data, and Tech Platforms To Understand Health Pandemics
- Thursday, June 4 at 2 PM ET
- Jerry Wind presents Opportunities in Times of Crisis
- Thursday , July 9 at 2 PM ET
- George Day presents How Vigilant Organizations Gain an Edge
Explore the full lineup at netelixir.com/experience.
Meet Anindya Ghose
Anindya Ghose is the Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of Business and Director of the Masters of Business Analytics Program at NYU’s Stern School of Business. He specializes in advising companies on the business value from IT investments, internet marketing, mobile marketing, digital analytics, social media, and more.
Published works by Anindya Ghose
In 2017, he published TAP: Unlocking the Mobile Economy, a best-selling double winner of the 2018 Axiom Business Book Awards. TAP, according to its Amazon description, considers “how the smartphone can become a personal concierge (not a stalker) in the mobile marketing revolution of smarter companies, value-seeking consumers, and curated offers.” Businesses can tap into the data trail left on consumers phones to capture some of the mobile economy (valued at more than three trillion dollars).
Your phone can act as your butler, serving you relevant and tailored mobile advertisements. Ghose identifies nine forces that shape consumer behavior, examining how these forces operate in conjunction and separately. An effective mobile ecommerce offer can reach those staying at home, who are learning how to shop online during this time.
The coronavirus can expedite the trend toward digital shopping and learning. Cell phones are becoming essential in monitoring contact tracing of the virus throughout different countries.
X=Experience Event
In 2019, Ghose joined NetElixir’s annual X=Experience event. Ghose spoke on using AI and blockchain to monetize the mobile economy. As a speaker and consultant at events, conferences, businesses, and start-ups around the world, Ghose has extensive expertise in how AI and technology helps companies evolve and grow. America is leading AI research, while China leads AI implementation. Global connections will be beneficial to all of us, as we work together to use technology to improve our condition.
The mobile economy is constantly growing, especially as the coronavirus crisis has accelerated the move towards digital. Ghose says winners of the mobile economy rely on predicting the known needs of their known customers – and maintaining this into the future relies on predicting the unknown needs of unknown customers. Last year, Ghose spoke on a shift in the consumer’s mindset regarding data exchange with firms for a better, more personalized shopping experience.
Because the coronavirus dramatically and quickly changed consumer shopping behavior, we could see a steady rise in online shopping. Ghose will explore how cell phones and location data are being used to monitor the spread of the coronavirus crisis. Our smartphones could become butlers not only in curating a better shopping experience, but in controlling the spread of diseases and keeping officials informed.
Live Discussion with Anindya Ghose
As part of our Reimagine Tomorrow webinar series, Ghose will look at how technology and AI can help us better understand, monitor, and fight health pandemics. His discussion will cover:
- How tech has been used for predictive analytics to model the Covid-19 outbreak;
- The means of using cell phone location data for contact tracing;
- Understanding the extent of social distancing in America based on location data;
- How researchers have used random sampling, genomic science, and AI based nanosensors to identity undetected or asymptomatic cases;
- The debate between public good and civil liberties in the context of privacy trade offs;
- Recent empirical research.
As our first speaker in our Reimagine Tomorrow series, Anindya Ghose will look at the evolution of the coronavirus outbreak since December, 2020. He has extensive expertise in using mobile phones to track consumer spending to improve marketing and engagement; Ghose will explore how mobile phones help measure compliance with social distancing by using location data to see where people actually traveled to during the outbreak. When did the average travel distance first fall below two miles? How did Spring Breakers in Fort Lauderdale spread the virus?
Additionally, Ghose will discuss reopening the economy. Which businesses should open first and which should open later? By assessing the ease of spreadability, space, number of people, functions of air conditioning, and more, Ghose will consider what types of businesses pose the greatest risk of increasing infections. By using data available from around the world, Ghose will compare the response of America with that of China, Germany, and South Korea.
Our live webinar presentation offers an exciting opportunity to ask Ghose questions, discuss the future of AI and technology, and learn more about how the coronavirus spreads and is contained.
Additional Insights
Our partners at BWG Strategy present Real Time Data on eCommerce Sales and Online Shopper Behavior on Tuesday, May 19 at 11 AM ET. Founder and CEO of NetElixir Udayan Bose will discuss a path to a successful economic recovery. He will detail the continued impact of the coronavirus on ecommerce sales, online shopping behavior, and CPC’s.
Our Covid-19 Updates Webinar series can be viewed in its entirety. The schedule is as follows:
- March 11: Our first webinar on tracking the impact of the coronavirus on ecommerce sales and online shopping behavior
- March 26: Meet our first Retail Superhero, Parag Shah, the Vice President of Grocery at Wakefern Food Corporation for Shoprite. Learn over a month’s worth of research
- April 9: Our third update featured UPS’s President of SMB and US Marketing, Gerard Gibbons, for a live Q&A
- April 23: We detailed over two months’ worth of research. Kaki Zell, Co-Owner and Vice President of Ames Walker shares a story of innovation in the apparel industry
- Our fifth installment, Road to Recovery – Real Time Data on eCommerce Sales & Online Shopper Behavior, will air live Thursday, May 21 at 2 PM ET.
Looking for additional insights and information for your specific category? Email us at shareinsights@netelixir.com.
Learn More about Ecommerce Updates During Coronavirus
You can join the conversation on social media using #NxInsights.
For further reading, you can see our prior retail analytics updates on retail ecommerce and online shopping behavior:
- Digital Learning in a Virtual Classroom, from Friday, May 8
- Resources to Continue Navigating the Coronavirus Crisis, from Wednesday, May 6
- In Honor of Teacher Appreciation Week 2020, from Monday, May 4
- Brief Ecommerce Sales Updates, from Friday, May 1
- Brief Retail Analytics Updates Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, from Wednesday, April 29
