Last month, the University of Southern California’s Annenberg Center for Public Relations produced its annual “Relevance Report” examining new trends in communications. TikTok, the Chinese-owned lip-synch app, was cited as a game-changer and world-leading startup. It appeals to Gen Z but it also may be mining the habits of American youth for foreign governments. So, regardless of its apparent popularity, brands are taking note.
Relevance and scrutiny are the twin targets of public relations. Our role is to make companies relevant by getting people to listen, share, act and buy. Unlike advertising, we are also the bulwark against misinformation and the marketplace confusion generated by business communication that hasn’t kept up with the times.
Here are trends in PR for 2020:
Small stories attract customers – Stories about customers, patients or investor outcomes earn trust and drive an action, not descriptions of a company’s product or how it works. PR can drive leads but only if we tell customer stories.
Authentic activism – Companies must be prepared to discuss their purpose such as specific efforts to eliminate their carbon footprint, how it is investing in employees and its community support or be ready to tackle issues that are of grave concern for its stakeholders. It’s a wake-up call that most respondents to a recent Quartz Insight study believe brands, rather than governments, are responsible for driving social change.
On the campaign trail – Preparing our clients to respond thoughtfully is an important PR job, especially in 2020. The presidential election is forcing businesses and CEOs to take a stand on issues and not claim ignorance. It’s time to sharpen responses, craft pivots and hone bridging tactics so that companies can address important topics without betraying their stakeholders.
Social refresh – Social channels morph constantly and sometimes even die. RIP Snapchat? Even Facebook is changing in demographics. The Relevance Report notes that while respondents to their survey said Facebook is the platform where they’ll most likely post, only 23 percent of those under 30 will post on Facebook. Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn all play different roles and require different tactics. Social channels need fresh and vigorous attention to represent a brand while also moving engagement to an action and a “feeling.”
Review your reviews – This year taught us that a brand’s image is a fragile thing. Negative news coverage ranks highest in search engines. Shoring up a company’s online reputation must be a part of every public relations program which requires daily/weekly attention to review sites like Glassdoor and Yelp! as well as updating Wikipedia pages and other tools such as Wikidata and Crunchbase. Stay away from spotty reputation management practices.
Finally, as publications move to digital-only, it’s important to embrace “offline,” where we meet face-to-face at conferences, trade shows and one-on-ones. No technology can compete with the value of personal interaction.
Wishing you all an exciting and meaningful 2020.
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