How PR team management has changed during the Covid-19

Strategic communication was among the first disciplines and activities to board the digital transformation train. Even since major communication media outlets began to extend their presence online, agencies, press offices, and PR consultancies have been managing certain processes through the “network of networks”.

This is the case with 360 media campaigns. For several years now, it is inconceivable to design campaigns of this kind without including digital media, activations on social networks, automated advertising and data analytics. And while technology is essential to achieving effective PR team management in this new normal, the final product which reaches the customer only represents a fraction – the tip of the iceberg.

As a result, the PR industry was already working remotely with clients and suppliers before Covid-19 disrupted life all over the world, applying a kind of self-imposed social distancing that effectively optimizes most vital processes through digitization.

Now, after almost a year of telecommuting, public relations companies may start to return to the office. But they will do so in a trickle, since most will opt for a mixed model, alternating between face-to-face and distanced attendance, and setting schedules to minimize crowds in confined spaces. They will do so safely in the knowledge that successfully managing PR work teams in the new normal does not hinge on in-person attendance, but instead on clear guidelines and tangible objectives for each employee.

A new way of relating to work has taken hold, and cannot be ignored. A study carried out in the first half of the year by the AfterCollege recruitment and job search platform suggested that 68% of millennial professionals have a comparatively greater interest in companies that offer remote-working options. Both employees and team leaders must understand that while working from home may require adaptation, it also comes with great benefits: cost savings, hiring agility, the ability to work with professionals from anywhere in the world, scalability and diversity of ideas.

Undoubtedly, technology has played an unusual leading role during the global pandemic, gaining more of a foothold in people’s lives than ever before. It was a lifeline that prevented the world from grinding to a complete halt over the pandemic, prompting multiple sectors to make the jump to virtuality. In Latin America, each country is different and not everyone has equal conditions for the implementation and management of remote working.

Last September the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) noted that between the first and second quarters of 2020, website traffic and uses of applications related to teleworking increased by 324% worldwide. Platforms such as Zoom or Google Meet are included in this analysis.

According to ECLAC, the average statistical probability of teleworking in Latin America is only 22%, with the most promising countries in this regard being Brazil (26%), Chile (25%), Panama (24%), Mexico ( 17%), and Ecuador (16%). The data is unflattering and represents a challenge for team leaders and companies who, in addition to dealing with issues related to physical distance on a daily basis, must also take into account this limited access to technology. This would seem to confirm the relative benefits of measuring productivity using goals and objectives as a guideline, as opposed to other indicators.

Furthermore, as new technologies such as artificial intelligence are conceived and adopted, new jobs will be created and others will be destroyed. Despite the difficulties experienced by certain sectors, such as public relations, companies have managed to stay current thanks to digitalization. For example, between March and May 2020 the increase in business websites in Colombia and Mexico was 800%, and in Brazil and Chile it was close to 360%.

So the challenge is to ensure that Latin Americans have the necessary skills to face this new reality. This will be a joint effort between governments and the private sector, backed up by a profound cultural change in the corporate world. PR team management in the new normal has already changed forever.

PR team management will require not only discipline, commitment and organization, but also plenty of empathy and a human touch, to understand and anticipate the dynamics of each industry as embodied by your customers.

The spread of the pandemic, and resulting confinement and obligation to work remotely, has invariably generated uncertainty and distrust. Indeed, distrust of the unknown is a part of human nature, and of our DNA. But assertive and appropriate communication between companies, their directors, and the entire workforce can generate trust and a positive environment, even in the toughest times.

Similarly, empathy and closeness should always be applied to one’s relationships with the media. Editors and journalists are a PR team’s main allies, so the bond must be even stronger in the new normal than it was before.

The higher the level of trust, the more likely you are to reach them with relevant proposals and content. Just as the public no longer consumes the same content as five or ten years ago, neither do journalists; so innovation is key.

Besides, in times of uncertainty such as these, communication professionals must be fully aware of the fragility of existence itself and the interdependence that exists between us. We need to relate, feel close to others, and understand our mutual involvement. Applying public relations not only in the corporate sphere, but also personally, is relevant today more than ever.

Whether for PR team management work in the new normal, or relations with clients, journalists and other audiences of interest, we must always show our faces. Social distancing should not rule out possibilities for contact but, on the contrary, should enhance them. Sensitivity, understanding and empathy are necessary at all times and PR professionals should always be committed to offering them.

As we have already mentioned, organization and discipline are key to keeping things in order while managing a team from a distance. But this is not the only step for achieving healthy and structured work dynamics within an organization. The idea is to have a cohesive overview of each action and each team, to understand their roles and to communicate effectively and assertively.

It is essential to be clear about the activities to be carried out daily and organize each stage of. These activities must then be monitored so that all team members are aware of how each stage is going, allowing them to develop their work independently and add value at all times.

Digital tools should be used to our advantage. Dozens of applications can help you to manage workflows and work teams in the new normal. With a task organizer, you can create tasks, delegate roles, create checklists, attach materials, and much more. Likewise, centralize communications through a select few channels so that no workflow is hampered by a lack of dialogue.

It is essential that the members of a team understand the purpose of a communications and PR company; what are its ideals and values, and how to treat clients, co-workers and partners. This helps create identification and a strong connection with the environment and spirit of the business.

In the new normal, it is very important to maintain a culture of feedback. Whether in person or remotely, your employees should know where they are going wrong and what they are getting right. This is the only way your business will evolve. Using regular video calls to define new strategies and show concrete results will help your collaborators to understand what is working and what is not.

A new and disruptive phenomenon has completely swept away conventional work patterns. Nowadays everything is being reinvented, and it is necessary to run tests and evaluate techniques, tools, and dynamics until we settle on an optimal fit.

The new normal will be defined by the decisions we make today, and even more importantly, by the decisions we make tomorrow. Every day we learn something new from this pandemic. It is an intense process of trial and error and, as public relations professionals, we are responsible for ushering in this new era. It is a never-ending process, but good management of PR teams in the new normal will invariably require focus, strength, and confidence. Fortunately, all this is possible.