‘Survival of the fittest’ ~ Charles Darwin’s theory. In the world that is changing so drastically, communicators have to strive to stay a step ahead of it, to survive fruitfully with the following pr trends. The old trends and methods will no longer work alone. If a brand or PR firm does not adapt the new pr trends and evolve accordingly, it might be left behind. There are a few changing trends that we can see in the field of Public Relation that I believe can shape its future.
– Personalisation of content: A man in Bhubaneswar does not want to go through the content served in Mumbai. There is availability of plenty content on various platforms. The content has to be tailored for each small size target audience. It also needs to be attractive so that it seeks attention; it has to be authentic and attractive. There are so many tools available, which have to be used extensively to make sure the right content is out.
– 24*7, 360 Communication, owned media will be one of the important pr trends: The owned media will always have to keep running every day. It has to be used extensively. At any given point, a stakeholder wants to know something or complain about something, he has to be addressed within an hour or so. If the brand is slow, it already will start losing a stakeholder’s trust and the word will spread like fire with a click. If anyone is talking anything about you, it has to be known and responded to.
– Nano and Micro influencers will gain momentum: Post the Covid-19 time, an audience will only trust the people they know or have known since a long time. The words of influencers here will have deep impact. The genuine reviews by anyone who has an impact or following will be potential in terms of future pr trends.
– Brands standing for social cause: Everyone will observe the brands and companies stand on a social issue. A brand has to make sure its stand is clear and loud. The stakeholder will look at the behaviour of the brands in terms of its stand on social issues.
– Integrated communication methodology: A brand cannot solely survive on the basis of the written content or video. It has to learn and use graphics, memes, reference of pop culture, evergreen content, podcasts with topical examples with it. The traditional media should not be done with. Radio still addresses to the whole nation and it has to be used extensively apart from print. Thus, a blend of traditional and modern media will be one of the effective future pr trends.
With all of this, transparency will be the key differentiator as well. A brand can no longer hide the negative side from the consumers because everyone has access to information.
If you see any other trend that might be important in the upcoming days, let me know below.
Also Read: Trends in communications post COVID 19
– Sourav Kanungo
Sourav Kanungo was a student of Class of 2021 at SCoRe. He hails from the Silver city Cuttack and holds a BA-Journalism and Mass Communication (Honours) degree from BGU. A NCC RDC Cadet, he likes to produce documentaries, follows current affairs, and has an interest in politics and the judiciary. He loves nature and wishes to do more to save the environment. He can be reached at @sourav_kanungo on Twitter, and as Sourav Kanungo on LinkedIn.