The seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic entered the consciousness of most people I know (in the U.S., anyway) in March 2020. I specifically remember circling the date on the calendar when it truly sunk in for me: March 13. What a difference a year makes.

Today, we realize that the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak are extensive and labyrinthine, affecting most facets of our lives. I think back to eating out at restaurants, going to the movies, or even just enjoying a simple family barbecue, and it seems like a different lifetime. While we will surely return to activities such as these, many of the adaptations we innovated due to necessity have actually made our lives easier and more efficient—and we aren’t looking back.

The global prevalence of our digital communications and activities is a prime example. With lockdowns and closures in full force, we turned online for everything: work, entertainment, shopping (both personal and business), and more. In doing so, we discovered (or created) a new digital age.

According to survey results from McKinsey & Co.,¹ “Far from a local phenomenon, the shift to digital and remote engagement has been embraced by decision makers in all countries surveyed worldwide. B2B sales leaders have moved from being ‘forced’ to adopt digital in reaction to the widespread shutdowns in the early stages of COVID-19 to a growing conviction that digital is the way to go.”

Indeed, the majority of McKinsey’s survey respondents are fully embracing the switch to digital. “More than three quarters of buyers and sellers say they now prefer digital self-serve and remote human engagement over face-to-face interactions—a sentiment that has steadily intensified even after lockdowns have ended.”

ASI is leaning in to the digital switch as well, with the launch of a dynamic new eMagazine format with our March issue! Instead of a traditional page-turning type digital issue, articles are now designed in a vertical orientation to simplify the reading experience. To access the full text of each article and review the easy-to-read graphics, readers simply scroll down each page. In addition, it’s easier than ever to navigate within each issue; the navigation hub is located in the top left of every screen.

Readers have the ability to move to different articles using the arrows on the left and right sides of their screen, or with the dynamic menu bar. Once they select the menu bar via the hamburger menu located at the top left of each page, all of the articles will scroll along the bottom of the screen. The Table of Contents can be accessed from the dynamic menu bar as well, or by selecting Back to Contents at the top left of each page. If readers would like a review of the eMagazine’s general navigation, they can select the “i” button.

We’re really excited about this new platform’s additional functionalities and enhancements. I’d love to hear what you think! Please contact me at (330) 564-3440 or suttons@bnpmedia.com to share your thoughts.

Reference

1. A. Bages-Amat, L. Harrison, D. Spillecke, and J. Stanley, “These eight charts show how COVID-19 has changed B2B sales forever,” McKinsey & Co., October 14, 2020, www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/marketing-and-sales/our-insights/these-eight-charts-show-how-covid-19-has-changed-b2b-sales-forever.