#SamosaTalks: How are agencies coping with the COVID-19 crisis and lockdown?

Amidst lockdown, agencies are working from home, preparing for the worst, managing cash flows and servicing clients the best they can.

The COVID-19 crisis has hit businesses across the spectrum and it will still be months before the consequences can be measured even when things start to get better. However, this does not mean everything is bad. It just means things will be different. Or so the heads of digital agencies believe. The lockdown is a transitional phase that will change things in a significant way for agencies as they learn and unlearn the best and worst of practices.

In the recent edition of Samosa Talks, Akshay Gurnani, Co-founder & CEO, Schbang, Swati Nathani, Co-founder & Chief Business Officer, Team Pumpkin, Ahmed Aftab Naqvi, CEO & Co-Founder, Gozoop, Rohan Mehta CEO, Kinnect, Dhruvi Joshi, Co-Founder, Head - Strategy, PivotRoots and Vikas Chawla, Digital Consultant, Co-founder, Social Beat came together to discuss how they respective agencies are dealing with the impact of COVID-19 crisis and the nation-wide lockdown.

The panel stood united to several points. These included:

• Going the extra mile to ensure employees felt heard and understood.
• To implement practices that are acceptable while ensuring work wouldn't suffer
• On the business end, there are apprehensions because of a slight dip

Also Read: #SamosaTalks No one prepares for zero business: Experts discuss COVID-19 impact

In battling with the impact of COVID-19, agencies are realising their potentials and limits like never before.

Managing cash flows is a tricky affair, one that the top leadership is trying their best to navigate through. Campaigns are being conceptualised with an extra focus on customer experience and new clients are being onboarded despite the lockdown.

Takeaways for agencies:

Invest in your team: Don't forget the importance of human capital while dealing with cash flows. It is important to retain talent and invest in upskilling in preparation for the post-COVID-19 era.

Mental health matters: Work from home can be a taxing affair for most people in a team. It is important to have open dialogues, communicate more and pay attention to what the individuals may need to perform better.

Be on the lookout for clients: Brands are looking at digital in a new light and there are opportunities to be tapped when they come to pick agencies to help them out. Strengthen your ability to provide innovative solutions.

Clear your backlogs: Bring out all the old briefs that were left hanging and see if there are potential deals that can be closed now.

Digital post-COVID-19: As businesses recover from the aftermath of the lockdown, it is likely for brands to look at digital with an expectation of conversions in a more significant way, especially for higher ROIs.

You can watch the entire Samosa Talks edition here: