After a rollercoaster year with totally unexpected twists and turns, we here at AMC Global took a minute to look back and find some silver linings. There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed our lives in 2020, and will continue to impact the way we live and work in years to come. But, with the disruptive, shocking, and often frustrating events of this year, also came some unexpected positive things we can appreciate and enjoy.
Good Old Home Cookin’
Let’s face it, with our busy pre-COVID lives, finding time to cook was a rarity for many. After the onset of stay-at-home orders, 32% of Americans said they’d be making more home-cooked meals. And we did too—sometimes with our favorite recipes, and also trying new recipes with varying levels of success. Our own Nichole Smith recently shared this cake recipe with the AMC Global team. Perhaps, like us, some others have found a new love of creating meals and treats in the comfort of their own home kitchens—what are some of your new favorites?
Keeping it Comfy: Loungewear
For many of us, putting on an actual pair of pants was a very infrequent occurrence during most of 2020. We didn’t dare stand up during video calls in case our colleagues or clients saw past the quickly assembled professional-looking “top half” to the fuzzy Batman pajama-clad “bottom half”. We’ve developed a new appreciation for loungewear, perhaps finding a style that better suits our aesthetics, personalities and the cadence of our “new” daily lives.
Finding Time for Furry Friends
One of the biggest joys of 2020? Spending more time with our fur children. Early in the pandemic, we must admit our dogs were weary of constant “walkies”, but as time went on we found both peace and joy in each other’s constant presence. Even our colleagues, teachers, friends and family enjoy seeing a glimpse of our pets during video calls (and we enjoy showing them off). In fact, for many “their pets have played a critical role in helping reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, isolation and loneliness in these tough months.” We are grateful for our pets, like beautiful Bella pictured here who was rescued by our CEO Ken Roshkoff during COVID-19.
We weren’t alone in enjoying a few more cocktails at home than usual—our ongoing study this year shows that you did too! As bars and restaurants closed nationwide, many people brought the party to their own living rooms. In fact, we even released a white paper exploring how alcohol consumption has shifted in the United States this year, “Americans are saying Cheers more often.” (And so are we!)
Yay! Collaboration Opportunities!
Back in March, we launched an ongoing study with our partner OpinionRoute in order to meet a year that needed more insights than ever before. Not only has the study been full of interesting and useful consumer insights—from shopping patterns to favorite social distance activities to trending snacks and beyond—we were able to share this data with our clients’ leadership teams to help them navigate what consumer attitudes and behaviors are being impacted in our ever-changing world.
Adding New Team Members
Here at AMC, we were excited to add new team members this year. Of course onboarding has been a bit different due to our new (yet successful) pivot to remote working, but it actually allowed us to look beyond our offices and find talent wherever they may be. The expertise and input of all of our new employees has enriched our culture, our customer service and our client offerings—and some of us haven’t even met each other in person yet! We’re thankful for all the digital technologies that allow us to grow and continue our work uninterrupted.
What silver linings have you uncovered this year? Share with us!