Insights & Trends 2020
Review and presentations

Germany is in a balancing act between rethinking and returning to normality

No other event in recent history has changed the lives of people worldwide as drastically as the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus. Terms such as lockdown, home schooling, compulsory masks, contact restrictions, and social distancing, which were almost never heard of just a couple of months ago, have become part of our everyday language. This pandemic is not just about the spread of a virus and its associated health risks, it has also had an extensive impact on the economy, our lives and society as a whole. For some industries, the impact is critical, threatening their existence. While other sectors are coping better with the consequences, or may even be able to profit from the circumstances. The relatively slow pace of digitalization prior to the outbreak of the pandemic, for example, has been significantly sped up. While home offices were previously the exception, they are now part of the “new normal” – just one example of many.

In its two-hour program, the gfu Insights & Trends event showcased how different groups from science, industry, trade and media have been dealing with the challenges posed by COVID-19, the insights they have gained, the solutions they found and what we can learn for the future. Consumers also had their say – gfu had prepared a comprehensive large representative study of German consumers in preparation for the event.

gfu Insights & Trends was also the kick-off event for the IFA 2020 Special Edition, on 3-5 September in Berlin. This year, the world’s most important trade show for consumer electronics and domestic appliances is focusing on its core B2B functions, purely because of the restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and is being held as a purely invitation-only event.