Communication and public relations are disciplines highly related to the evolution of technology and sensitive to social issues. The pandemic has tested both variables when doing effective PR work. The gradual return to normalcy during 2022 will bring several challenges to adapt the work of a public relations agency, communication and marketing to a reality nuanced by new work scenarios and new social realities.

Work habits acquired during the pandemic, new emerging businesses related to technology and consumer needs to attend to Research and Markets estimates that the PR market will move 93 billion dollars in 2022, and to achieve these objectives there are a series of trends that public relations professionals should be aware of.

Social branding and ESG

A study by Sprout Social indicates that 70% of consumers ask brands to take sides on big political and social issues. It is time for PR professionals to underline the ethical pillars of their clients to face the need for positions on social problems.

Similarly, companies with diffuse inclusion and diversity policies may run into problems in a market with increasing sensitivity to these issues. A study by McKinsey & Company confirms that companies that adopt these practices increase their revenues by 19%, and acquire a competitive advantage of 35% over their rivals.

Social Branding will also increasingly extend to environmental sustainability criteria. Greater investment in effectively communicating the adequacy of ESG standards will be critical to an effective public relations strategy in the near future.

Talent without borders

There is an aspect driven in these almost two years of pandemic that can help PR companies meet those diversity goals, both internally and vis-à-vis customers. Companies have progressively opened up to hiring workers abroad.

This possibility opens up opportunities to create multicultural teams with diverse personal and professional experiences. And it also allows companies to expand their objectives in the search for talent, without the need to increase costs due to the facilities offered by technology.

Influencers and marketing

Influencer marketing will grow even more in 2022. In addition to not seeing influencers as mere posters to advertise a product, but as content creators together with the PR agency, the industry of internet personalities capable of recommending products to their audience does not stop growing.

Influencer marketing is projected to grow 33.6% to $ 3.69 trillion in the United States. Knowing how to find the right influencer for the client is essential for an effective PR strategy in 2022. And you do not need to be an influencer with millions of followers: it is enough that it is one with great prestige in the specific niche that interests the client.

Marketing and PR work are increasingly interrelated, and that reality is manifested in the growing importance of data. The impact of SEO strategies, ads on social networks, the quantification of the distribution of press releases … All this helps the client to have tangible proof of the effective work of PR.

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Physical events, here to stay

One communication trend that is here to stay is podcasts. A Public Relations strategy that prides itself on adapting to the new reality and new audiences will have to take into account the possibility that your client will participate in a podcast of reference on their subject of interest.

Latin America is the region that grew the most in podcast consumption during 2020, according to Spotify data. And to understand its importance, you only need to listen to episodes on this platform to realize the new advertising reality of podcasts, with ads embedded in the content.

Another trend that seems immovable for 2022 are the so-called Phygital events. The pandemic has driven Zoom and Meet video calling, but not only that. Online events through these platforms and others such as YouTube and Instagram have displaced the traditional physical events organized by PR agencies.

These new digital formats save costs for the customer, which can be relocated to other products. In addition, they expand the geographic and audience reach to potential consumers. The hybrid model that will combine one-off face-to-face meetings with a greater number of virtual events will be one of the trends in 2022.

Custom pitches are more effective

The negative impact of the pandemic has accelerated some of these transformations in the world of communication. Nor has it helped to stop the bleeding of journalists in the newsrooms of almost all the media. Newsrooms are emptier and journalists cover more and more topics.

Getting their attention with attractive guidelines that stand out amidst the maelstrom of communications they receive on a daily basis is a challenge. In addition, the strong variation in the schedules generated by the home office also alters the timing of the shipment, breaking the usual strategies for mass mailings.

In that sense, developing a personalized pitch is the best PR strategy and something that is becoming more and more frequent. A study by Muck Rack states that 96% of PR professionals believe that the most effective way to create a relationship with the journalist is a personalized pitch.

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