Well, it’s 2021. Happy new year! And while the new year always seems brimming with possibilities in these early weeks, this year things seem especially uncertain, strange, and off-kilter. With COVID-19 vaccinations underway across the country, and the possible return to something that looks like life as we know it starting to look like true light at the end of the tunnel and not an oncoming train, we here at DDG are feeling hopeful for the future. But we also know that the events of the past year will continue to impact consumers, and businesses, for quite some time. In this blog we’d like to take a moment to look back at some of the insights we gathered in 2020.  

In 2020, as we are painfully aware, the consumer got to stay at home. They managed their households, taught school, and went to work in their PJs. For many, a typical day consisted of surfing the web for things to watch and things to buy.

As of this writing (from my home office, of course), over 5 million people in the United States have contracted the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19. After a period of reopening businesses across the country, climbing case rates have driven many states to begin closing back down again. Almost seven months after the first U.S. case was reported, there are still no clear indicators of when life will return to normal.

Prior to Covid-19, we enjoyed the harmless concept of only 6 degrees of separation from another person.  Specifically, Kevin Bacon.  Interestingly enough, we also called it the “6 Handshake” rule.

The past few weeks have required fundamental changes in the way consumers and businesses operate, in the US (and globally). With 175 million people in the US currently being asked to shelter at home, activity in the streets of many of our cities and towns has slowed to a crawl.

Health insurance coverage is provided by several public and private sources in the United States.