PR and pandemic: A year of rethinking and reimagining

By Cid Santillan, Content Director

Since the COVID-19 disease landed on Philippines shores, there has been a change in scenery for PR professionals as they are operating on a very different playing field that requires a new way of thinking. PR professionals have been working overtime not only in assessing the impact of the outbreak on businesses and consumers, but also in helping brands to rethink, reimagine, and navigate their pandemic communication strategies. 

Be it dramatic sales drop, event postponements, or change in business and people strategies, we need to determine what’s most important to communicate to our respective audiences. It also applies in deciding what and how things should be communicated to the media, partners, or even own people. 

Today, PR professionals are working mostly from home offices enabled by the technology and with a few tweaks and compromises. But, what does the shift look like in practice? 

Getting and staying connected

The status quo is rapidly changing during this pandemic, therefore everyone needs to be updated constantly. The biggest change is how we communicate with one another, our clients, and with the members of the media. With in-person meetings no longer possible, this stresses the importance of having multiple communication lines such as Zoom calls, instant messaging, company social media platforms, and other digital communication tools.

In TeamAsia, we have regular virtual interaction points, such as Morning Pop-ups and Town Halls to connect with team members for knowledge sharing or celebrating group achievements and company news. The Content Department, which houses editorial, public and media relations teams, has weekly sessions between director and managers for coaching, and with the rest of the units for regular project updates.

Recently, TeamAsia launched TArsday Sessions, a virtual event that gathers our friends from the media and helps us engage with them through fun online activities. This is also our way of strengthening our relationship with them by simply checking in and having a little bonding moment. 

Effectively share information

Adapting to the new landscape starts with recognizing the consumer’s need for meaningful connections. Many PR teams are turning to a tried and tested ways of communicating such as emails, direct mailers, and newsletters.

For us at TeamAsia, we addressed this need through new channels that leverage technology and utilize digital platforms. The Red Circle is our integrated publication, which crafts meaningful and relevant stories and gives readers valuable insights from news and current affairs to technology and lifestyle. The Red Board is a section under this integrated publication that features different announcements, updates, and advisories as well as summary highlights of the press briefings conducted by different government agencies and organizations. Another section is Community Watch for breaking news and developing stories that are deemed important for the Filipino audience. Our goal is to keep our readers informed on the latest happenings and why everyone should be aware of them.

It is no secret that this pandemic has had a particularly adverse effect on people’s lives, routines, and overall well-being. Thus, podcasts played a prominent role during time as people consume more on-demand services to cope. During the first weeks of quarantine, TeamAsia premiered its very own podcast, B2B: Breakfast to Business, to help listeners to jump start their day with light and fresh content. During B2B’s first season, we had an episode called How to Get Away with Crisis where I had the opportunity to share insights and tips in handling crises and how to go about tricky situations.

Now on its second season, it focuses on engaging and thought-provoking morning conversations about today’s times, making the podcast a space where people and brands can “be in the know, and be in the now.” 

Shifting priorities

PR professionals don’t just need to change the way they do their normal tasks, but they also have to account for the changing priorities of their clients. They need to have a strategy that will help them be agile, adapt to the demands of the ‘now normal,’ and provide value to their consumers. 

As the ongoing health crisis continues to change how consumers perceive the world, brands must rise to the challenge and discover the best way to pivot and thrive in the reimagined future. Being able to adapt to the new landscape starts with recognizing what consumers need, especially at this time — meaningful connections despite the restrictions. TeamAsia does this through their Integrated Marketing Experience approach, or IME.

IME is TeamAsia’s proprietary strategic marketing approach that empowers consumers to actively take part in a brand’s story by engaging them across different channels.

Keeping an ear on the ground

Media monitoring and social listening tools are important to understand consumers during the pandemic. Aside from receiving and sharing accurate information, PR professionals must focus on understanding the conversation and coverage, and what kind of impact the crisis will have on businesses and industries. In a literal life-and-death situation, it is increasingly important to understand audiences, monitor their sentiments on certain issues, and combat misinformation.

At TeamAsia, we highlight the importance of collaboration and this is why the Content works closely with Digital. When it comes to monitoring and social listening, these two teams provide a holistic assessment of various issues or crises, which helps us in crafting relevant and timely recommendations for our clients and campaigns.

While now may be a challenging time to explore new things, the pandemic pushes us to be better and provide more, despite having less. As we stay within our area of expertise, we have an opportunity to go beyond our means and rethink how we can make our strategies more meaningful. Current efforts may be on hold, but that should not stop us from preparing for the future.

The life we knew prior to this pandemic has already ceased to exist. But as PR professionals, we need to keep moving forward to thrive in this new normal, and truly embrace the future reimagined.