PR: The perfect instrument for social change

The Covid-19 pandemic has struck nations worldwide, leading to every government announcing drastic measures of quarantining, social distancing, and self-isolation to combat it. This has led to an overnight change in the way the world functions and businesses have had to reinvent the wheel in order to stay afloat during these very trying times.

With the need for brands to communicate more now, the need for effective PR has increased manifold. After all, an efficient and well-planned PR campaign can guide any brand successfully in this delicate situation – it is like guiding a bull out of a shop, with minimum damage!

Reassurance of the brand

PR empowers brands with more sensitivity and responsibility to survive in the ‘new normal’. It is at this stage that brands need the maximum hand-holding as any wrong communication can result in damaging the equity of the brand. There needs to be a special focus on the information doled out by businesses in public platforms since any weak, or cracked communication, can lead to an increased state of turmoil and even exacerbate the losses. In fact, in times like this, it is absolutely crucial for companies to evaluate their communication, through the realm of PR, to influence goodwill from all their stakeholders – internal as well as external.

Roadmap for the future

In the words of the famous British entrepreneur Richard Branson: “A good PR campaign is infinitely more effective than a front-page ad.” No doubt, this is the most appropriate time for any PR agency to plan out the future of any brand. Instead of catching up, PR prepares its clients to be ahead of the curve in the post Covid-19 world.

Empathy

As the common saying goes, humans telling their own story imply other humans are more likely to pay attention to it. Empathy separates exemplary PR from other forms of communication. In these challenging times, it is imperative for every company to display empathy towards its own employees as well as its customers. Human relationships have come to the forefront in a big way again. Every good company, through both internal and external communication based on responsiveness and support, must reassure that they are in control of the situation and are ready for the sunshine once the gloom of the pandemic lifts.

Thrust on internal and external communication

Unified internal and external communication is the need of the hour to represent a positive organizational culture. Any reputed PR agency like Communications 2.0 underscores this need and facilitates it in the form of e-mails, newsletters, personal contact as well as other collaboration and team bonding tools. For example, hygiene measures need to be highlighted internally for brands that are operational currently, to reassure those who are braving the deadly virus to report to work. Similarly, for businesses in the hospitality sector for example, it becomes important to highlight to the target audience reassuring communication related to kitchen hygiene, security and sanitization for people to feel safe to visit or even go in for online takeaways.

New and innovative campaigns

In the present situation, every business should make the crucial investment to communicate via innovative campaigns, through the medium of PR. In fact, since advertising and outdoor media is expensive, most companies are relying on PR to come up with novel strategies to disseminate important information. In these pandemic-ridden times, the traditional media will hold its ground but digitization is the way forward. The companies will communicate through the different channels of PR like media, bloggers and influencers to build trust between the brand and the target audience. Personalized campaigns will go a long way in establishing a long-lasting relationship and goodwill that is absolutely critical in keeping the companies in good stead in these uncertain times as well as the times to follow.