Mark Atkinson

Is Digital The New Norm?

26 October 2020

Is ‘Digital’ the new norm?

“Healthcare Communications Account Manager, Mark Atkinson, poses the question - is digital the new norm? In an industry filled with live events and congresses, should everything now be virtual instead or will there always be a place for face to face?“

Over the last few months, we’ve had to adapt. To change the way we think. Most of us have been able to… at least most of the time.

Einstein said, “The measure of intelligence is the ability to change”.

I’m taking from that - for the majority of the time I’ve done my best to adapt, I’m as smart as ol’ Albert

The point is that we’ve had to and as an industry, Med Comms is no different, it literally has been ‘adapt or die’ for all agencies where their business is live events!

Virtual events are the NEW NORM, gathering hundreds of participants over a Zoom call from around the world.

So… is virtual the only way forward? Will we be able to run big events in person again? Will it be necessary even when it is possible?

I’m privileged to work with some fantastic clients who have taken digital to the next level and adopted it as a methodology and business plan – they create some world-class campaigns, that have changed perspectives and behaviours like never before.

To me, Digital makes so much sense, whether right or wrong I’m on a screen most of the time and it’s where I engage. It's where the majority of us spend most of our time, even before we've been restricted.

Is there a place for a live meeting moving forwards – in my opinion, absolutely! It’s how we get REAL, it’s how we really connect, not virtual but personal! Nothing beats a handshake and a smile, but in a world where we've got be physically detached and technically switched on, maybe virtual and digital is the new norm...