User:Anonkusc/sandbox

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== Background  ==

Short
==== Music Videos ====

==== Releases  ====

=== Music   ===

Websites
The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected website format, operations, and the way people surf the internet. Websites such as Brokerage, Live Chats, and Video Streaming Websites, E-Commerce, and Financial Technology have altered their website structure to better fit the unfortunate trends that COVID-19 has brought to our society. Despite this, some websites have seen an increase in page views and/or sales, while a select few others in specific industries have not been so lucky.

Digital Marketing:

Since the start of the pandemic, many website companies have had to alter their digital marketing strategies to either attract more page visits, orders or discourage misleading advertisements that may reduce website credibility and traffic.

o prevent misleading information, Facebook removed more than seven million ad posts listed as faulty information in relation to the COVID-19 virus. With other marketing techniques, digital marketers have seen it fit to normalize the societal depiction of the proper ways of dealing with this virus. By doing so, they have altered their message to the public by including practices of social distancing, staying at home, cleanliness, and the usage of masks in their advertisements. For example, NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, has said to continue its Santa Claus tracking on December 24th, 2020, despite the pandemic. For NORAD to keep children safe and aware, they 3D cartoon photos of Santa Claus wearing a mask while riding his sleigh.

E-Commerce Websites (“ECOM”):

A chart from https://www.bazaarvoice.com/blog/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-e-commerce-by-category/ shows a Year-over-Year (“YoY”) increase in monthly page views and order counts from January 1st - June 30th, 2020, averaged from 6,200 different ECOM websites.

As seen from the above chart, before major statewide quarantines, ECOM was already starting to see increases in page views and orders from January - March, increasing 14% in page views and 19% in orders. When former President Donald Trump issued COVID-19 a National Emergency in mid-March, both page views and order counts had a YoY increase to 96% and 88%, respectively. The trending psychology behind this surge in ECOM usage is since most people at this time were in fear of in-person and Brick-in-Mortar alternatives that were still open at the time.

The top trending ECOM sites amid the pandemic from highest YoY growth to least were Toys and Games, Business and Industrial, Sporting Goods, Hardware, Home & Garden, Entertainment, Animal & Pet Supplies, Electronics, and Food/Beverages/Tobacco. Down trending ECOM websites include those that sell products used in pre-pandemic times, such as Luggage websites. Luggage and Bag websites were one of the only websites to see over 10% decreases in page views and order counts.

Financial Technology (“FinTech”):

The COVID-19 pandemic has, fortunately, like ECOM, presented tail-winds to website usage. Financial analysts predicted that for many payment providers, it could also drive new purchasing habits that could leave the companies in a stronger position once the crisis is over. Credit card network websites such as Visa.com, PayPal.com, and Mastercard.com have seen page view and payment volume growth pressured by temporary business closures, elevated unemployment, and a cutback on international travel. Due to recent social distancing and shelter-in-place, these companies have also seen people increasingly move their spending online, as seen with the increase in ECOM popularity. However, for websites such as Squareup.com, with many Brick-in-Mortar operations, the crisis has negatively impacted them.

Brokerage Websites:

With countless people laid-off, unemployed, financially distraught, or just bored with too much time on their hands from the COVID-19 pandemic and shelter-in-place, many have fallen into retail trading as a new hobby or job. For instance, Robinhood, an investing platform founded in 2013, has leveraged the crisis to their advantage by inducing millions of people to be a part of their platform since the start of the pandemic. They did this by marketing their easy-to-use trading platform to those who may want to become an equities investor.

Live Chats and Video Streaming Websites:

Schools and businesses worldwide have altered their business structure to an online means of learning and work. As a result of the new norm to online chat and video streaming methods, websites such as Zoom.us have seen massive growth in page visits and user volume. These websites have allowed customers; fearful of contracting the virus; a risk-free way of communication, learning, and work.

== In Social Media ==

== In Sports     ==

=== How have Sports Changed Since the Start of the Pandemic? === COVID-19 has forced difficult and financially depleting decisions for the sports industry. Nearly every major sporting event in the sports-event industry had been canceled, moved, or postponed in the midst of the outbreak. As the unfortunate pan of events that emerged from the crisis, sports fans were distraught as some of their favorite teams were forced to withdraw from specific tournaments or even the season altogether. For example, in March 2020, during the Sweet 16, the Rams were forced to withdraw their position in the tournament after multiple players had caught the COVID-19 virus. A 2019-2020 YoY revenue growth chart listed on Forbes Magazine showed that YoY revenue growth had dramatically downsized for major sports leagues due to these cancellations.

A chart from Forbes Magazine shows a revenue growth comparison of major sports leagues from 2019-2020.

New Regulations Affecting Sports