This article summarizes the key insights from Davos Online Communications Summit. For your convenience, the ideas are split into two categories depending on the purpose: PR Insights and Corporate Communications Insights.
PR Insights
1. Media and Journalism are Losing Trust
“Journalists and traditional media are less trusted” is a crucial message for outsourced PR specialists.
According to 21st Edelman Trust Barometer Research, 59% of people believe that journalists and media are purposely trying to mislead people or retranslate ideology-biased information.
An average 5-8% loss of trust in different kinds of media, including printed media, search engines, owned media, and even social media, was observed in 2020. However, at the same time trust in employers as a reliable and valid source of information has increased globally.
About 66% of employees in Russia fully trust the messages of their companies. The average level of employer trust around the world is even higher and reaches 76%. Nowadays, people perceive business as the main force of social change, as it performs better than the government.
What are the key take-aways for PR specialists?
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It is time to advance your corporate communication channels if it had not been done yet. The messages broadcasted through these sources are more trusted in society.
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Rethink the development of employer brand and adjust the positioning strategy. Make people see your corporate values implemented in human resources and social projects.
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Continue cooperation with the media, government institutions, and opinion leaders despite the current trend. Cooperation is a symbol of reliability, where businesses can act in a position of trust.
2. Stakeholder Communication: Sustainability and Ethics
Every business is to know its stakeholders. Companies must answer the following questions: what are the customers’ and partners’ concerns and what are their needs. So, personalized communication is the key aspect of successful stakeholder relations.
Apart from that, do make sure to address corporate positioning through open and ethical dialogue with the authority and communities.
Experts agree that modern companies should build attractive brands and align them to sustainability standards. Sustainable companies are more appealing to stakeholders as they contribute to the improvement of people’s well-being and work to minimize the ecological footprint and the economic gap.
Stakeholder relations and communication should not leave ethical values behind. Modesty and smart spending are now more welcomed by the public than high-profile presentations and expensive shows. The rule is simple: corporate narrative must match the public mood.
PR and communications experts emphasize the persistent social tension which is still present in all countries after the pandemic. That is why it is important to maintain a positive tone of voice, highlight the prospects for development, and give hope.
3. Too early for offline
According to some epidemiologists, the upcoming waves of the coronavirus will still rock our world in the future. In this regard, it is better to refrain from traditional live events. Moreover, all interactions with key opinion leaders, vibrant press conferences, and coffee breaks with colleagues in between panel discussions will return someday, but for now, it is recommended to “stay online”.
2021 is still the year of online events and business meetings. Thus, try to give preference to platforms where listeners can directly ask questions to the speakers. This will create more authentic interaction in opposition to webinars, where communication is limited to chatting.
Corporate Communications Insights
1. Work arrangement: office, “flexible office”, “home office”
“Office work”, “flexible office”, and “home office” are the well-established notions that are unlikely to leave our reality. We are at the centre of a huge paradigm change. Particularly, after pandemic employees do expect to have an opportunity to work from any place they want and at the most convenient time.
In this case, employers are to adapt and quickly align business processes to the change. They must create a suitable working environment where people, working permanently or partially from home, would not be excluded from the team.
Hotwire company presented their approach characterized by the motto “Encouraging enriched lives”. They believe that feelings of exclusion and apathy can be conquered with the synergy of three solutions:
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Tech empowerment (enables people to work productively and seamlessly from any place and always be in touch);
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Thoughtful working (enables people to choose the best place, time, and performance rates to produce their best results);
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Bring your whole self to work (the company creates and maintains a friendly environment to make everyone a valid part of the team).
2. Education: strong leaders are made
Lifelong education and employee training is a critical issue for corporate communicators. Both play a key role in building strong corporate culture. It is strategically important to train modern managers, who are ready to face challenges and are able to create strong teams of professionals.
Corporate culture specialists must pay attention to the correlation between a leader’s effectiveness and his or her team. An energetic, charismatic, and educated leader is a role model and inspiration for junior employees. Investing resources and time in the development of a manager's personal brand helps to create strong leader personalities and simultaneously improve the competence of individual employees.
5 qualities of a modern leader:
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Ability to create a compelling vision and motivate people to come on board;
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High emotional intelligence (empathy, honesty, respect, support, and humility);
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Great communication skills;
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Resilience as the ability to recover from setbacks, adapt to changes, keep calm, and go on in the face of adversity;
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Endless curiosity (learning ability, creative thinking, and cultural adaptability).
Elena Chuldina, Fresh Russian Communications
