According to a report on PRNews Online, the coronavirus pandemic will have consequences for the PR and PR agencies as PR focused on day-to-day issues.
PR pros understand their higher duty is to ensure that the executives and the companies they represent can successfully navigate challenging circumstances.
However, PR should use this opportunity to think about the future, the post-COVID-19 era.
The following changes have been predicted-
It was said that after the pandemic, there will be a new in-house/agency balance as brands and companies may focus on building robust in-house capabilities.
Outside help will support the in-house team and this will bring out the best in each side of the relationship.
In-house personnel offer institutional and subject-matter expertise and the strategic vision and tactical execution of an agency will complement that expertise.
However,in the wake of the pandemic,the brick-and-mortar agency will decline, some PR firms will need to examine their real estate costs as Office space has become a substantial expense, rather than an asset.
That said, PR is a human-first business: being in the same room remains incredibly valuable.
Also, the shift toward a virtual model will be noticeable, agencies will maintain offices. However, they may resemble a free-flowing, co-working meeting space, rather than a dedicated desk-and-cubicle office.
Also, every firm will be a crisis firm as the pandemic has turned nearly every communicator into an issues-management consultant, whether they started in consumer PR or influencer marketing.
Crisis management expertise has gone from a highly concentrated specialization to an expectation of every PR pro. As a result, the mystery (and higher billable rates) for this kind of work will be challenged.
Companies and brands will continue to demand issues-management sensibility from consultants, no matter the project.
Projects will become the new normal,as economic uncertainty skyrockets, companies on retainer may become less prevalent.
Also, the pressure on brand communicator and PR agency pro to do more on identical or smaller budgets will grow during the coming downturn.
However, this isn’t a temporary trend. PR budgets have been squeezed for years, the current downturn has tightened belts and budgets more. As a result, PR pros will need to show their value through quick, nimble projects. Projects that yield results and keep potential long-term clients coming back for more.
As demand for PR holds,It is clear that until the pandemic is over, public relations will live with constant change and heightened uncertainty.
Once the pandemic subsides, the PR will enter the post-COVID-19 world. The industry’s winners will look fairly similar.
Success will belong to those who form strategic partnerships with those they represent. They will serve as resources during crisis and upheaval, and ultimately deliver on their promises.
Firms will be held to a higher standard and the public will expect nothing less.
