The role of the communications specialist – perspectives for 2023 and beyond

The role of the communications professional has taken on new meaning as communication and consumer relations have become essential to the success of any company.

From building and managing the reputation of a corporate or personal brand, to managing crises and communicating with stakeholders, PR professionals have learned to juggle a wide range of communication methods and channels to reach target audiences and deliver key messages consistently.

In this article, I will outline a few areas where I believe these professionals will play a key role in the healthy communication of the brand they represent well into the future:

The ability to manage moments of crisis plays a critical role in protecting brand reputation and minimizing negative impact. While this has always been an essential part of PR, the speed of response has changed (social media communication demands speed).

Crisis scenarios should be part of every company’s communications strategy, and teams should be prepared to act quickly, think strategically, and be empathetic. At the same time, in addition to preparing potential statements, there is a need for professionals who know how to communicate according to the specific communication channel.

With well-trained crisis communications specialists, much of the information that is released to the public or incidents can be managed in a way that does not create a communications crisis. Here is an example of a crisis that has caught my attention in recent years that the Burger King UK brand faced and managed well.

Read more : Getting PR professionals to work with journalists: tips and pitfalls to avoid

While external communication is important, we should not underestimate the importance of internal communication. The PR professional is playing an increasingly important role in developing and implementing internal communications strategies in companies of all sizes. Employees are brand ambassadors and can have a significant impact on a brand’s reputation.

This means devoting more resources to creating a coherent internal strategy that meets the needs of employees and keeps them engaged & connected to the company’s goals. Of course, a healthy organizational culture is not just about beautifully written messages, but more importantly about leadership models that help create a healthy working environment.

As mentioned at the beginning of this article, the PR professional needs to be able to manage a wide range of communication channels to reach audiences. However, a brand’s decision to enter a new channel or social network must be made with careful consideration of the benefits, audience, and resources required.

At the same time, the communications professional must be able to monitor and evaluate the impact and effectiveness of communications campaigns and adjust strategies accordingly. As technology continues to evolve and change the way we communicate, they will need to test and see how they can integrate it into their communications and understand its impact on end-consumer behavior.

Read more : B2B technology PR: unleashing the power of strategic communications

We can already see how organizations are integrating the principles of sustainability – at least at a declarative level – into their business strategies. PR professionals will have an increasing responsibility to inform the public about sustainability projects and initiatives in a fair and transparent way that does not encourage greenwashing.

Read the Romanian version of the article here:

• Rolul specialistului în comunicare – perspective pentru 2023 și mai departe