PR in a post-pandemic world: 7 predictions for 2022

The arrival of COVID-19 accelerated digital transformation all while bringing a new way for businesses and the media to conduct public relations (PR), in which it has become critical to have more accurate information, faster responses to unforeseen situations, and a more strategic, comprehensive, and intelligent media monitoring. 

The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) recently surveyed 300 communications executives and senior managers to understand how prepared companies are for this new post-pandemic scenario. It discovered that corporate executives understood the need for communication in dealing with the pandemic. More than three-quarters (81%) of respondents considered their company’s communication role in the face of COVID-19 to be “essential” or “very important”. While most firms have made every effort to prepare for crisis scenarios, just 30% felt their companies were “extremely” prepared to deal with a crisis, while 55% said they were “somewhat” prepared. However, over half of those surveyed (44%) said their crisis communications plan did not incorporate pandemic disease guidelines. Worse, 10% of respondents believed they don’t have a crisis communications plan.

Scenarios like this one demonstrate the need for strategic communication and public relations. In Brazil, for example, a clothing brand was harshly criticized after putting on sale four different models of face masks at exorbitant prices, which resulted in such negative repercussions that Procon, the country’s consumer protection agency, took action. 

These “new” crises, created in an unexpected setting, need a distinct strategy that can only be carried out by a strong and efficient PR team. As a result, here are 7 reasons why PR became more essential during the COVID-19 pandemic.

1. Ability to cope with a crisis

While many PR firms had a challenging 2020, corporate communications and PR teams worked tirelessly to adjust their messaging by giving interviews, developing crisis communications plans, and keeping their audiences calm. In this way, PR demonstrates not just their ability to navigate complex waters, but also how important they are.

2. Profitability  

With a few exceptions, including the health and entertainment industries, the pandemic has had a detrimental influence on most organizations’ marketing spending. So where did they redirect the money then? Many resorted to PR, advertising’s more profitable cousin, with the difficult challenge of persuading others that the investment was worthwhile.

3. Trust 

According to public relations communicators and journalists, the greatest strategy to overcome a crisis is to build trust which will improve the reputation of the organizations they work for. We saw a combination of the PR areas, marketing, social media, and corporate communication like never before.

4. Technological innovation 

PR agencies have had to adapt, implementing technological tools to collect more information and monitor important issues, both in traditional media (radio, press, and television) and digital.

5. Adaptation and interpretation of scenarios

The pandemic demonstrated that now more than ever, PR professionals must be able to quickly understand new scenarios. Understanding the situation of clients – in the case of agencies and accompanying them from a 360 point of view is essential to avoid making mistakes. The world is going at an ever faster speed and this accompaniment must be constant.

6. The human touch 

Consumers today demand and appreciate empathy, and PR professionals are committed to delivering it. People have become aware of the fragility of not just our existence, but also of our dependence and relationships with others at times of such uncertainty, which is why public relations is so important.

7. The power of influencers

Due to the pandemic, influencers received a notable increase in interactions and engagement of their content. It is widely known that many traditional campaigns were stalled, delayed, or suspended, especially in the tourism and hotel sector. Therefore, it became necessary for brands to learn how to reinvent themselves to overcome this crisis and continue to grow.

The pandemic’s challenges, as well as the new scenarios that occurred as a result of it, have caused changes in organizations all across the world. The way many communicated and positioned themselves before their target audiences became outdated and had to change. Technology, strategic thinking, and adaptability are critical to communication in a post-COVID-19 world.

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