Making sense of the pandemic is an evolving proposition, varying across geographies, months and industries. We asked futurist Peter Schwartz to join us at Signal 2020 to give us his best take on framing the impact and identifying the opportunities coming out of this moment. Since 1972, Schwartz has been planning scenarios, for the Space Shuttle, Stanford Research Institute and countless others. “And this is the most uncertain I’ve seen,” he said.
Still, his grasp on the variables and unknowns is firm. In this engaging presentation, Schwartz names eight “critical uncertainties,” examines four countries’ response to the pandemic, and spots four “accelerating trends.” He puts special attention on retail, which he says will undergo a big change, shifting completely toward entertainment. “The shopping experience must be entertaining,” he says. “It must be fun, informing, rich, innovative.” Schwartz, an Olay Regnerist devotee, says he wants to be entertained, too: “When a new version of Regenerist comes along, I want you to invite me to a really cool Olay store, where maybe with over a glass of champagne, I try the new version.”
Watch the full 14-minute session here:
