PR professionals “working” through new world landscape with new-aged technology
Byline: Keresha Donaldson, Ananda Garrison 1/17/20
Situation Synopsis:
Remember when we were able to attend music festivals with our friends? Remember when we were able to physically attend our learning institutions? Remember when we were able to attend our, (often dreadful,) work meetings? It seems like it’s been ages since we’ve been able to live a seemingly “normal” life. It has been almost a year since COVID-19 has shook the world and everyone was forced to adapt to a new way of life. Wearing masks, constant sanitizing, curfews, and virtual learning have become the new norm.
The media landscape in particular, has faced a complete shift in 2020. The rapid switch to an almost completely digital world has caught many in the PR world off guard. Ameer Ismail, President of MullenLowe Lintas Group, expressed how PR agencies have had to take action, reimagine PR agency models, and develop new collaborative PR agency models. PR agencies have quickly had to become everything in order to expand offerings with allied competencies like creative, experiential and social media capabilities.
Simply sending a press release on behalf of clients is no longer sufficient. It is now vital that visuals, of any sort be paired with a pitch. Archana Jain, Managing Director at PR Pundit, expressed that PR agencies will now have to assist organizations with putting human faces on campaigns in order to form emotional connections with customers. She explains that this is vital because it will assist in exhibiting authenticity, help articulate and manifest the purpose of the organization, and will create communication with both internal and external audiences.
Strat Com/PR Correlation:
With no word on when the pandemic will come to an end, brands are forced to focus on their digital presence. Consumers are now met with endless options across media and entertainment. As consumers increasingly adopt multiple platforms, it is important for brands to find ways to keep their audiences coming back. Bridget Hilton, expressed that in 2021, we should expect to see improvements regarding the innovative and merging of digital and physical worlds and that leaders can prepare for this by thinking of ways in which they can improve experiences when it can’t be shown in real life. Ashley Dees, Manager of Digital Media at the Smithsonian Institution, expressed that organizations should have a digital-first solution to keep us all connected as consumers.
Collage of YouTube Live, Instagram Live, Linked In Live and Facebook Live logos.
Brands will have to create innovative and interactive content in order to reach audiences, drive sales, and deliver memorable experiences. An imperative way brands will be able to achieve this will be by utilizing live videos. Live videos are critical because unlike pre-produced videos, live videos encourage viewers to participate in a conversation as it is taking place in real time and will help create an authentic digital experience.
Despite the many benefits of live videos, Tom Garruto, Director of Operations at The Social Edge, urges companies to consult with internal communications leaders before going live especially during the pandemic. Garruto urges organizations to consider four things before utilizing live videos. First, he states that organizations should make sure their PR agencies are representing their brands in a positive way. Second, he states that organizations should avoid giving advice their organization does not have the authority to give especially during the current state of the world. Third, he states that organizations should avoid parroting the same content as other businesses. Lastly, he urges organizations to practice going live internally before doing so publicly.
Compare & Contrast:
Although there has been a push for digital events, that doesn’t mean it’s an end all be all for in person events. Gideon Kimbrell, Co-Founder of InList, stated that mega-clubs were becoming less trendy even before 2020 and large scale events, such as festivals, will take a long time to come back. Kimbrell expressed that people now have a preference for smaller and more intimate events with smaller groups of people.
Award shows in particular have had to adjust to the current climate. Although most award shows had to make the switch entirely to virtual, there were some that still dared to incorporate a bit of “in person” activity. The 2020 Country Music Awards was the first award show to host a live audience post Covid-19 on November 11, 2020. Prior to Covid-19, the CMA’s would usually host approximately 15,000 audience members. For the 2020 show, there was an executive decision made to have less than 100 audience members. In fact, the audience members consisted only of performers and/or presenters and their guests. Robert Deaton, the CMA’s showrunner, stated that he started designing the show back in March of 2020, when Covid originally began. He expressed that although many thought the hysteria surrounding Covid-19 would last only a few months, he had a gut feeling that it would be best to start coming up with alternatives for the 2020 CMA’s. Deaton also expressed the importance of coming up with multiple plans for the show. “This is not something where you come up with a plan A and a backup and you’re done. You have to have plan A, B, C and D,” expressed Deaton when asked if he panicked about filling slots on the show. He also expressed that he made the decision to over book the show in case they had to lose any artists due to Covid-19. Deaton’s precise planning proved to work in his favor when five artists had to drop out at the last minute due to Covid-19.
A snapshot of the 2020 Country Music Awards, taken place on November 11, 2020.
Personal Reflection & Closing Remarks:
An image of blocks switching from the number 2020 to 2021.
We are now in the beginning of 2021, (I’m sure we’re all ecstatic to put 2020 behind us.) It is safe to say that the rules of the PR industry will continue to fluctuate as the state of the world continues to fluctuate. In terms of events and event planning in 2021, the world will most likely still be in a state of isolation therefore, it is best for PR professionals to either move to digital strategies if they haven’t already done so or continue and refine their digital strategies that they developed in 2020. In terms of events, virtual events are going to probably be more preferred by the public for as long as the hysteria around Covid-19 is present. In terms of “in person” events, with the right amount of planning, they are still very much possible.
Just Keresha 