Millions are out of work, but new jobless claims have been trending lower each week. Moody’s chief economist Mark Zandi has declared the COVID recession over.

Publicly traded firms that employ about 8.1 million people – roughly 26 percent of all employment at tracked publicly traded companies – are all or mostly excluded from direct government relief, based on an analysis from a group of Harvard University researchers.

Moving forward, short-term strategies for recovery should address what consumers need right now and position the brand to meet those needs.

As some consumers view solidarity statements from corporate America as hollow, other companies stand out from the crowd.