Dear Friends,
I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting these past weeks about how to conduct responsible PR during a time of crisis. I’ve been inspired by various industry colleagues and their take and wanted to share my thoughts about how PR can play an instrumental role in leading companies through this difficult time.
Something that we often stress with our clients is the need for strong and decisive leadership. I would add that right now we need courageous leadership as well. As business leaders, we are being faced with challenges we were not prepared for. We have found ourselves in a place where doing the right thing for our employees and customers/clients has never been more important. To lead through this crisis, it requires us to use our voices, to be sincere, to be honest and truthful and to show our humanity.
When we are able to do this, our communications and messaging are received more readily. If you’re a business that provides a valuable service, now isn’t the time to shy away from telling your stories, rather it’s a time to position these stories to clearly articulate how you help. For example, one of our clients provides communication and collaboration technology to support remote workforces. Their story during this time is incredibly compelling due to the fact that workforces shifted from on-site to virtual, practically overnight. They have something to offer that is not only helpful, but extremely beneficial to ensuring continued team collaboration and productivity during this time. Another client offers Managed Service Providers (MSPs) technology solutions to support SMEs. As a result of Covid-19 our client has seen a shift in requirements from MSPs to help support secure remote working without interruption.
Again, this is another example of a business that is helping an industry navigate a new approach that helps safeguard their customers during the crisis.
These are just two examples of the kind of stories that PR can help craft and communicate the value of technology in the current environment. I believe we have to lead by example and I’m incredibly proud to work with a team of dedicated PR professionals who are going above and beyond to help companies shift their PR strategy to better adapt to our new realities.
For more on how we’re helping companies adapt to the new normal, read our blog: Back to Basics: 3 Ways to Lean on PR During Times of Crisis here.
Stay safe. 🙂
Rahme Mehmet
