The Hottest Products of the Pandemic Are Zoom, Purell and Netflix (And Booze, Cannabis and ... Spiral Hams?)

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In "news more predictable than the plot of a Dane Cook movie" news, branding agency MBLM (pronounced "Emblem") is out with its "Brand Intimacy Study 2020," revealing that the hottest brands of the pandemic in terms of consumers' usage of and emotional attachment to them are, in descending order (drumroll): Zoom, Purell and Netflix. 

The study was based on a survey of 3,000 consumers in the U.S. in late summer who shared their opinions of and experiences with 100 brands across 10 sectors. The full study will be released Oct. 7. 

The popularity of Zoom, Purell and Netflix may be a no-brainer, as are greater sales of stuff like home workout equipment, jigsaw puzzles and, last but certainly not least, booze. Then there are all those products (paper goods, disinfectant spray) that flew off the shelves because of the mass hoarding of all you selfish bastards. But our being largely shut in the last six months has also led to a curious run on a number of other products, as AARP reported — among them, inflatable swimming pools and bidets. And Business Insider noted the surprising rise in demand for things like nail polish remover, Kombucha and spiral hams.

Of surprise to absolutely no one is the massive spike the cannabis industry has enjoyed since Covid hit, as TechCrunch reported. "Some company CEOs see the pandemic driving consumer acceptance and pushing legalization at the national level," the site noted. "With legalization, new consumers enter the market, and companies such as Canopy Growth, PAX and Grenco Science look to benefit as makers of some of the best vaporizers on the market — that is if consumers can find them in stock." Meanwhile, new players are joining the gold rush all the time — including, most recently, Martha Stewart, who launched her own line of CBD gummies. (They are simply delicious. I hear.) 

You know another thing that's been on the upswing during Covid? Debilitating depression. Which might have a tad something to do with the popularity of booze and marijuana. (And I'm pretty sure the sudden demand for spiral hams is related to the latter.)

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