It is hard to find an industry in the world that has not been impacted by COVID-19. Brand and personal PR experts have to adjust the PR strategy almost every month. In 2020 brands have learned that a key to PR success is flexibility. Keeping that in mind, here are 5 ways to evolve your PR approach:
Adjust Your Key Messages. A central challenge is adapting PR to meet a changing news environment. As we know, coronavirus stories continue to dominate and the news cycle is moving faster than in pre-pandemic times. Brands have had to move quickly to ensure their messages are relevant, relatable, and respectful. Also, how brands tell their stories is important. New and more timely angles are necessary.
Monitor the News Cycle to Ensure Relevance. Media interest in the pandemic will continue indefinitely. Crafting messages without monitoring the news and social conversations is never a good idea. It's worse now. Work with your social media team to incorporate social listening. This input likely will assist you in creating timely, impactful storylines.
Elevate Your Expert Voice. Leveraging your leaders is a strategic way to communicate expertise around news topics of interest. That is when your voice becomes a resource for media by sharing it on platforms where audiences seek information. Consumers are home and searching for relevant information. Help them find the right guidance.
Highlight Support For Society. Communicate how you support your community in challenging times. Launch a series of free online events or a charity giveaway. Find you can leverage it in the local media.
Make It Global. To maximize coverage, consider tailoring and translating storylines to find your audience globally. COVID-19 proved that business has no real borders. We are all online. Stories can be adapted to fit into the media landscape of any country.