[INSIGHT] It’s been a chaotic two-years for the strategic communications and public relations industry.
Coming out of a prolonged period of public uncertainty, an increased skepticism in brand messages and general distrust of information, we find ourselves standing face-to-face with a tougher but far more significant challenge as we approach the second half of 2022.
We have one simple focus: to regain a position of trust for the leaders and brands (or companies) we represent in the minds of South Africans. The question we should be asking ourselves is: how do we play a meaningful part in this as strategic communicators?
With this, there are three priorities that PR agencies (or any company really) should move to the top of their business agenda as a key focus in 2022 and beyond.
Firstly, communication and PR objectives that aren’t aligned to business objectives have no place in your 2022 strategy. Work that delivers business results will deliver business wins for agencies looking to elevate their offering above the rest. This is no more about the busy work but the work that delivers.
Secondly, PR agencies need to reassess their overall creative offering and the role that creative plays as part of campaigns and always-on work. There is a strong call from clients and consumers for better, cut-through creative that elevates a conversation to its most powerful. Better creative means it needs to be adhesive, able to effectively drive conversation and cut through the noise of the news cyclone.
The third – and potentially most important – objective as it directly impacts the first two is the ongoing war for the right talent. Talent acquisition is out, and talent attraction is in.
Finding and retaining the right talent that deliver at the top of their game but also feel a sense of belonging and fit to your corporate culture will be what makes or breaks agency success. Your values are where you can make the greatest impact on value. Like we always say, a better place for our people and a better place for our clients.
~ Dustin Chick, partner and managing director at Razor PR.
