Public Relations (PR) and marketing have seen drastic shifts in recent years. Online platforms and social media have fundamentally changed how PR is delivered and received. It’s important for organisations across multiple industry verticals to revamp their approach to PR and keep up with the changing business landscape.
With new methods, techniques, and business frameworks like Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), there are far more factors that need to be considered when planning for PR and marketing.
As the public has become more connected to the business world with access to the internet, a few key issues are now far more important to them. It’s therefore vital that businesses get a grasp of what these issues are and align their brands to resonate with their target audience.
Many of these customer concerns can be allocated into three broad categories. These topics were covered in a recent webinar hosted by Meltwater, “Comms Collective - The March of PR,” and we’ve rounded up some of the key findings below.
Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
The public has become much more conscious of environmental issues in the past few years, making it more of a concern for their day-to-day decision-making. A business that can leverage its environmental credentials will make its target demographics more receptive to its messaging, as well as boost its brand image.
Alongside the public becoming more environmentally aware, social factors have also become more important. Some social factors include gender and racial diversity among the workforce, fair labour practice and data protection.
Governance then ties back into the previous two points as the makeup of a business’ leadership can affect how a company is viewed. This leadership makeup falls under the same social concerns the public may have for the enterprise as a whole. For example, leadership that does not follow the same environmental policy as the organisation as a whole can be problematic.
According to IDC, nearly £160 billion will be invested into ESG initiatives around the world by 2025. This investment is being driven by demands from customers, investors and regulatory bodies alongside businesses that are recognising a tangible business case for sustainability. It will be the businesses that address this need head-on and put the necessary processes and practises in place that will stand to benefit the most as leaders in sustainability. A company that can address these points can create a far more positive image of itself in the eyes of the public, building a brand that people want to get behind.
Executive Positioning
Complementary to the Governance aspect of ESG, is the practice of executive positioning, which is a strategic way of defining and leveraging an executive’s personal brand.
Executives are increasingly front facing as companies become more connected with their customers. It’s important for executives and company leaders to build their personal brand in a way that enhances their profile, but also fits with the company messaging. Having misaligned messages between executives and the brand is counterproductive, so consistency is key.
Executive profiling can also help mitigate the risks around crisis management before a crisis even occurs. According to PWC’s Global Crisis Survey, most executives have faced a crisis in the last five years of their careers, and of those, around 70% have experienced three.
Executive profiling is a way to build trust with your audience. If the public resonates with a company executive and feels like they know them, this could help the company if or when a crisis arises. Traditionally those executives who appear to be available, honest, and open to discourse are those more likely to be trusted.
Unifying Messaging and the Future of PR
The business audience can no longer be kept at arm’s length – people want to know who they are engaging with. Executives must be able to communicate their key messages and convey their purpose and vision succinctly.
ESG and executive positioning are key considerations that can drastically improve the way a company is perceived. Building a unified brand across multiple platforms can build trust and encourage more engagement from customers who have a more favourable perception of the business.
If you’d like support with executive profiling or communicating your business’ ESG commitments, do contact us today at info@ilexcontent.com for a free, no-obligation consultation.