How brands can use PR Strategy in Pandemic to stand out from the competition in a cost-effective way.

As we are all very aware of the repercussion that COVID-19 left. Many of us in the world are still fighting to return to normal life but nothing would be the same after these 2 two years. As we say so we know that though it was harsh on every person in the world, it also somehow created ways for us that we thought didn’t exist before.

Every industry in the world was majorly affected by it so was the Public Relations companies in noida as PR majorly depends on the growth and success of other industries hence the crisis-affected each business.

As we are still combating the post-pandemic effect it has become vital for us to accept the post-Covid situation into account. We will have to take a major chunk of the Digital Marketing domain in our approach for marketing. It strangely opened new avenues for business to exist as you might know how much Amazon profited from it. Our lives totally depended on Amazon, Zoom, and Instagram for a business to thrive we will have to flourish online.

We are no newcomers to knowing how it has impacted our daily life that of the industry sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a substantial impact on several media markets places in 2020 as a result of the disruption of commercial brought on by the worldwide lockdowns taken by governments.

Impacts of Covid on Print media can be seen in the below-mentioned points:

1. Print Ads – A major downward flux could be seen in Print ads as the lockdown impacted all industries. Due to customers’ response, the advertisement sector to had to adjust to the demands. Though there was a surge in digital advertisement, it was print ads that were seen changing drastically. Covid-19 and lockdown both paralyzed the print media industry and newspapers. With the lockdown came the escalation of false news circulating on social media which also affected the distribution of newspapers.

Transport was the root cause of almost no circulation of newspapers as it too had to halt its services due to lockdown.

• FM Radio – As there was major saturation newspaper radio on the other seemed to be a preferable mode for gathering information. Though there was risk involved they still tried their best to keep listeners well informed about the effects and impact of Covid.
• OOH – For long the outdoor advertising has been a go-to form of marketing until 2020 happens. Like other industries, OOH also was not unaffected by this. When the lockdown forced everyone inside their homes, brands were reluctant to advertise. The major lesson we can learn is that though lockdown gave rise to a lot of negativity it also had a positive effect too. As these years passed there was a radical shift in consumer behavior which compelled brands to evolve as well.
• Cinematic Ads – We are not alien to the shutting down of all theatres and production houses which furthermore affected the online entertainment as well. Due to this impact, Indian advertising had to come up with ideas for their ads to be relevant according to these tumultuous times. They were forced to make their content crisp and significant.
• Electronic media – Covid -19 has coerced us to change. It is nearly impossible to turn a blind eye to the impact it made on us. Not only did it compel us to evolve our tactics and approach to reach the masses the consumers and brands also had evolved as per the new ways of working. We recognize the fact that electronic media has been surging since lockdown. Since its outbreak people all over the world have turned to screens of their laptops and phones more than ever which eventually became a worthy resource for brands, organizations, and institutions to take advantage of!

PR had to change its approach due to pandemic to exit. It too has gone virtual instead of empirical. The evolution of Public Relations companies in noida has been nothing less than amazing:

1. Virtual instead of Physical: Last 2 years have been all about virtual reality. As we were stuck in our homes the bill for our internet was at an all-time high. While we sat on zoom meetings, we came up with ways to help our clients get the right content for messaging for their own brand image. It majorly depended on making a connection with your consumers and with compatible minds.

Public Relations companies in Indiatoo has to fight against the bounds of lockdown and rose from there.

Owning a consequential online presence just not caters to the viewers about what is happening but also helps in building reliability for the clients. Everyone goes for a google search nowadays before jumping on any decision so naturally, your client will also put your name in google to get an idea of your agency persona. The decision making of your client depends on what he finds in that that will not only prove your expertise and credibility but also give off an aura of unmatched professionalism.

• Go Digital: It has become imperative to hold a presence online. This was a major lesson we learned as we couldn’t ignore it when the world shut down. Your business presence online reflects a lot about your brand. Your online presence acts as a portfolio for the clients and brands out there.  Also, online interviews and talk session has been a game-changer for Public Relations companies in India.

The first step towards achieving this goal is building a website for your business. A website works as a map for the clients/audience in getting what they want. It helps in bridging the gap between any agency and the potential clients as it helps in locating the personality of your company and provides a legitimate mark of your existence.

3.          Social Media Existence: This one doesn’t need any introduction as we are much more well versed in the SM language than our own mother tongue. It needs no introduction as to why it is important but in today’s digital era, we must take advantage of it as much as we can. It helps you in reaching a massive audience with just one click. People are naturally drawn to good content these days, hence if you have the objectivity of what you are posting with a fresh approach then SM can act as a weapon for you that will become an asset in the coming time.

4.          Videos Dominate: The need for videos is just as the increase in the graphics dominates the SM presence, whether it is in form of ‘reels’, IGTV, or just ‘gifs’. The ever-increasing demand for motion should be utilized in our content as there is no doubt that the graphics work best when it comes to sending a message across to the consumers as it highlights the nature, profoundness, and temperament of your brand.

Below are the few advantages mentioned for videos:

1. It helps in enhancing the SEO as it aims at getting the message across in just a few seconds.
2. Videos are a great way to engage the audience. It helps in increasing the audience/client’s engagement as videos carry a high chance of being shared on other SM apps.

5.          Acing the content: Your content building for sending the information across all SM channels including the website should be immaculate. Content can be a dealmaker or deal-breaker for you. The interest of people, consumers, and journalists largely depend on it. With the right usage of content and strategy, you can literally take our firm to reach new heights that is why so many brand higher content marketing experts are in their own team.

6.          Influencer Marketing: Adopt influencer marketing for your brand. There are many benefits to it as it helps in gaining trust from the audience. Influencers have a big audience base and choosing the right influencers to promote your business can be really beneficial for your firm. There are many pros of why adopting it like, brand awareness, enriches your content, getting your views, helps in building partnerships, etc. 

A clear understanding of how it works, can really help your boost your brand awareness and help you in achieving your goals.

7.         Prove ROI: Everyone needs affirmative ROI and the clients are under immense pressure to determine and demonstrate ROI. Hence, clients look for a PR agency with a high ROI whether it is with word-of-mouth or through a content testing engine. They do thorough research before pitching their plan to any PR firm.

•  Virtual Events: During lockdown as we were working from the vicinity of our homes PR came to our rescue when we wanted to reach out there. Nowadays many companies adopt doing events online by inviting famous personalities.

Webinars and Insta Live were at a record level high during this period. It worked wonders in order to reach people in the comfort of their homes which is not only cost-effective but also gives you promised results.

• Rising demand for influencers: Nowadays what works best is pitching an influencer. Whether it is a big market or small influencers adopting them in your promotion plan it works a big way. More than celebrities’ people are now targeting micro/macro influencers for promotions as they hold many followers under their hats.

1. Emphasis on customer values:  For any brand, it is of essence to gain their customer’s trust. Here is where PR shines. No matter how social media posts you upload, or how many videos you create until the review comes from a credible source no one is actually going to believe you. Big companies don’t just rely on social media but they put great emphasis on investing in good PR. 

These are some of the few ways through which much impact can be made in the building of an online brand presence without burning a huge hole in the financial pocket. Whether it’s getting leads or client, brand awareness, or amplifying your reach… these key ingredient is the real deal when it comes to the survival and thriving of business in pandemic and post-pandemic marketing.

During Covid, it became impossible for firms to adopt expensive marketing plans whether it is to generate leads or awareness. The option for proper pocket-friendly strategies was almost negative. But it gave us an opportunity to channel our thoughts into devising a marketing/promotion plan that suits our pockets and gets reliable results. Above mentioned points are some of the key takeaways from this.

Other than that organic approach to social media and generating proper content as per the algorithms can work to your advantage. Also, PR is all about networking hence your connections with other people can open new avenues that will prove to be an economical tactic.