Out in the open

/ / smart, strawberry

|Digital Transformation and opportunities for growth

Spring is finally here, and unlike in the spring of 2020, the global situation looks a bit more optimistic. It seems that we have learned to live with the uncertainty of covid-19, post covid health crises and finally decided that life needs to move on.

We already know the impact that pandemic has had on some major industries, but what is the data on the behaviour of the general population, their habits and newly acquired lifestyles during COVID-19?

When it comes to smart street furniture market, we have some good news:

Continuous lockdowns and limited movement have made people appreciate the parks and open public spaces again!

According to Google’s COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports the world has seen a huge increase in popularity of Open Spaces like plazas, public gardens, parks, and squares in 2020, compared to the average attendance at these outdoor spaces before the pandemic. The newly collected data span from November 2020 to the end of March 2021 and show a similar trend:

It is clear that with more sunny days, people are starting to flock to open spaces at higher rates.

What does it mean for companies, brands, small businesses and local city governments, in terms of answering the needs of their customers and citizens?

Basically, the data say that local governments should level up the open public spaces ASAP and prepare them for the influx of people eager to spend more time in the fresh air and recuperate from the toll that being confined at homes have had on their mental and overall health.

Brands, local businesses and companies in general, have relied heavily on social media and online marketing especially during the first several months of the pandemic in order to reach their customers.

This new data should be read as a memo to their marketing departments:

Your consumers went outside! Is your brand going to follow?

When it comes to trends on the real estate market, and proptech, the general opinion is that the real blow that pandemic has dealt is yet to be determined, but we know already that it is a heavy one.

According to experts on the topic of proptech and real estate quoted in the Forbes article “… as a society, we will have to adapt to new forms of daily life and business and we will see more rapid adoption of many technologies…

“…Covid-19 has accelerated a lot of the changes within the real estate world that were happening anyway; the digital genie is now completely out of the bottle…”.

Among the other lessons that pandemic has taught us, the important memo for property developers in 2021 is:

Mind the exteriors of your real estate!

Provide connectivity and implement sustainable, easy-maintenance solutions in order to lower the need for additional manpower.

It’s what future residents and leaseholders would want to see.

We can proudly say that our solar Smart Bench checks all the boxes in your 2021 open spaces innovation book. Here are some of the features that stand out and substantially elevate any open public space:

☑ Smart Bench is sustainable: solar energy generates power

☑ Free WiFi for everyone in the vicinity of the bench

☑ 2 Wireless phone charging points and 2 slots for cable charging

☑ Branding surface for brand’s logo or city flag

Pandemic is changing the ways people interact, do about their daily business and relax. We designed a product that answers all the needs of contemporary city dwellers, like connectivity, power and information, in a sustainable way. Smart Bench is unique, modern and universally loved!

It is a chance for companies and brands to associate themselves with a beneficial, sustainable and innovative product and open a new promotional channel in the uncertain times.

It is a chance for local governments to show they care for the environment, for the safety and comfort of their constituents and make the public spaces more adapted to citizens’ needs.

We believe that Smart Bench is a good starting point.

There are 4 different Smart Bench designs and they are all super easy to install and maintain!

We’re here to answer any questions! Contact us at info@eliteareas.gr .