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Dating back to 1999, Google had just been established. The concept of Facebook had not even taken birth. Amazon was not even close to making profits, but the founders of some of these giants could already foresee the foundations of the digital evolution developing. And suddenly, in a matter of less than a decade, the PR placements that exercised control in the morning newspaper and over the nightly news broke through the chaotic marketplace of digital media – and the shift, a.k.a. the evolution rapidly skyrocketed.

In this time and age of the digital world, performing PR has no longer remained limited to the traditional routes. Thanks to social media, it has expanded the horizons of engaging with the audiences and building a reputation. Interrelated changes involve the reduction of print media – particularly newspapers and magazines – and the extensive availability of online content that is easily accessible and can be published by anyone, at any point in time – whether it is through LinkedIn guest posts, blogs, videos, or eBooks and eNewsletters. What was earlier considered “traditional PR” has now taken rebirth through technology, turning itself into an implausible digital hub that consistently abstracts new expertise and tactics to elicit even bigger deliverables?

The following details will help to demonstrate the development of the PR industry in the contemporary world of digital media.

A Touch of Personalization

Prior to the inception of the internet, the recipients of PR activities were anonymous masses of individuals branded under generic titles. A target group that the publicists were looking to influence through mass media. But everything changed with the advent of social media. The power of social networks has transformed each individual amongst those anonymous masses into probable influencers with immense capacity to impact the positioning and reputation of any brand. And with time, the most advanced professionals have realized that digital change is unstoppable, and whilst the whole industry is still acknowledging the personalization of social influence, on the basis of the exchange of digital data, the new wave seems to have arrived. But this time, it’s interlinked to financial transactions – the entry of blockchain technology.

An All-new Modernized Approach

The professionals of the industry who have survived through the pre-digital era plus post would agree to the fact that there are plenty of opportunities now, as compared to the phase prior to the big data flareup of digital media. Publicists, as well as brands, have found comfort and relief in knowing that now there are more platforms and better ways of narrating stories using visuals like videos and photos; and ways to quantify that impact of activities: knowing the audiences responding to your stories, traffic on the website, engaging with the virtual fans, and having your journey shared throughout the internet without it ever being broadcasted on television or newspaper.

Entry of Web-based Analytics

In the times when traditional PR tactics ruled the market, the success of its activities was measured in terms of listenership, viewership, or circulation. This, to date, holds applicable to a great extent, however, because of the digital web, the PR professionals have been able to add more and more layers of data to the effect that PR is having. One may think that the leading financial and business newspaper is the biggest driver of traffic to their website, but in reality, it could also be a little newly-started blog that truly focuses on what’s preferred in the industry. And this, the change and growth happening in real-time, is something that the digital age has brought with itself, which also indirectly prompts the need to keep an eye on the ball and that is: engaging with the audiences through news stories that feature a fresh take on every subject. The new holistic approach to PR, using social media and other third-party outlets, backed by data-driven information to communicate reputation and value reflects on the fact that the industry is embracing the multichannel route and are meeting with success by standing out whilst also gaining trust in the eyes of the stakeholders. The bottom line is – whether it is traditional PR or digital PR – it works – just a little differently, mostly better, than it used to!

By all means, the world has realized that it’s in the midst of an unprecedented crisis that is affecting every facet of our lives. How we create news and consume it has evolved to a great extent over these past few months. As communications professionals who work alongside the media on a day to day basis, the COVID-19 pandemic has given rise to a news affair that not even the most experienced public relations maestro has ever witnessed.

Every big published story undergoes a phase what we term as a “news cycle” – in other words, the time taken for a story to break, touch a pitch point, and then get filed away in the corner of our minds as “greyed news.” Through our day, the 24 hours of back to back news and a desperate need to reel the airwaves have led most of the news stories to afflict in a day; whilst big headlines survive a few days more. According to the severity, the impact for brands who depend on the media differs for public relations. So, what does this indicate for your brand or any other that wants to narrate a story right now, amidst a pandemic? The quick answer to this isn’t the one that you’d appreciate much. It just means you may want to postpone making an announcement – be it a story or launch of a campaign – until some time in the near future. And this, in itself, is the biggest impact that COVID-19 has brought to the public relations (PR) industry.

Homecoming to the traditional

Right from the start of the crisis, the world of social media has been flooded with posts and videos spreading misinformation about COVID-19. No, ingesting disinfection or consuming raw garlic won’t avert the threat of the disease. And the otherwise loved Corona beer has no connection with the coronavirus disease. And while the rumours made a shift from being ridiculous to irrational, the widely-spread information has surely reignited a renaissance in the traditional media (Yes, old is gold!) with constant false news wearing away trust at a time when accuracy and clarity of information are the need of the hour.

Authenticity remains paramount

Be it pre or post-COVID-19 era, if there’s one thing that has stayed constant, it is the consumers’ emphasis on authenticity. However, consumers are now, more than ever, gravitating towards brands that are providing real value to people during a time like this, not the ones taking benefit of the crisis and endorsing their latest deals and offers. Take the example of the fast-food chain – Subway – who was pushed to make an apology after one of its chains distributed free masks to people who purchased two or more sandwiches. This instance was perceived as a highly-insensitive and an opportunistic step, especially at a time when the world is facing a shortage of protective equipment.

On the other hand, the goodwill of Brewdog hit the headlines for all things right! Despite being heavily affected by the pandemic, they produced hand sanitizers from its distillery in Scotland to do as much as they could to help the people. The difference here is in the two different approaches – which seems nothing but astounding. Never before has meaningful and authentic brand communication been more important.

Shift in the workplace pattern

Perhaps, the most obvious yet crucial point to make about the impact of COVID-19 on the industry relates to how professionals are working and will continue to work in the near future. We have gone from visiting offices every day to seeing colleagues on Zoom calls, setting up meetings at coffee shops to hosting Zoom sessions. And while some organizations are hopeful of returning to their offices soon, a majority are embracing the “new normal”, the work from home a model, even from a long-term perspective. This means, balancing the company culture and constantly boosting employee morale will become even more vital for leaders and agency owners, since attracting and retaining the best talent still remains a huge priority. 

Takeaway

How the communicators, also the backbone of the industry, communicate in PR makes a great deal. As long as PRs and communications professionals know that brands must continue to put people first and maintain transparency, the outcome is very less likely to differ as compared to the pre-pandemic phase. Thus, even though it may sound repetitive, but having a strong communications strategy right now is more important than ever before. At the end of the day, make sure you are narrating the right story in the right way to the right audience for the right purpose!