While the current crisis is taking a heavy toll on travel and retails companies, other brands can come through as they listen to consumers, retool their roadmap and invest, says Laura Desmond, former global CEO of media agency giant Starcom.

She says that consumers are in control and smart marketers need to follow consumer trends closely.  She says this period offers brand marketers an “incredibly creative” time to reinvent their businesses.

Desmond is Operating Partner at Eagle Equity Partners and Interim CEO of DoubleVerify.