Blue Fog Communications, Shift Communications and Others on Future Of PR…

Continued interviews on the future of PR, with many differing thoughts.

Here’s a few industry leaders:

Stephanie Driscoll of Blue Fog Communications predicts, “…  we will see a large increase in individual PR in the future. If you think of some of the greatest brands of all time such as Oprah Winfrey and George Forman, it’s their personal brand that sticks out, not their business brands. They are successful because they built a personal brand and established trust with their audiences who then stood behind and supported their business brand. As the media landscape consolidates and reporters will scan several beats, they will be looking for input from individuals and thought leaders to guide the content for their stories. Individuals will need to be nimble and willing to go the extra mile for reporters to get them the research and quotes they need. Its a winning combination as individuals strengthen their personal brand and we support reporters whose jobs have become increasingly more difficult.”

Kim Morreale, President and CEO, Morreale Strategic Communications said that  “The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emphasize existing inequalities, making inclusion, listening and creative problem solving with a broad group of stakeholders even more essential. 

It is critical for Public Relations professionals to not only have a seat, but a voice at the table when strategies are made, and to advocate for more diverse and equitable decisions. We need to rethink the way we engage with our clients’ communities – customers, stakeholders, business partners and workforce – to leverage the diversity of thought from the c-suite and beyond.

As a women-led firm with a workforce of nearly 90 percent minority and female, we believe it’s equally vital for the Public Relations industry and its leaders to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.  

It’s important to take this time to invest in goals, metrics and actionable steps that will improve your organization’s role in the community at-large, with strong engagement serving as a foundation. As we navigate today’s dynamic policy, government at the media landscape, it is clear organizations that prioritize inclusion and social responsibility at every level will have more resilient futures.”

Annie Perkins, Managing Director – East at SHIFT Communications said, “I believe the events of 2020 will usher in a new understanding of and reliance on public relations. PR will be seen as much broader, more strategic discipline; as the epicenter for informing, defining and positioning a brand’s higher purpose to engage all of its stakeholders. The pandemic and activism around racial injustice have brought an entirely new level of focus to brand purpose. It has been a challenging space for many brands to live in, simultaneously requiring both reflection and action. I believe this new era of activism and ‘conscious capitalism’ is here to stay. And PR will need to play a key role in helping businesses thrive in this new world through honest storytelling and accountability that will help grow and fortify a brand’s reputation. To do that successfully and strengthen the PR practice for the future, we need to adopt an insights-driven approach to understand what influences our audiences and to build brand platforms. We need to carry that through with passion and empathy. And we need to become adept at delivering our stories and messages with precision, finding and engaging our audiences wherever they are, across any and all mediums.”

Thanks to these leaders for their thoughts.