The COVID-19 pandemic affected industries differently, but one similarity globally was rapid innovation. The PR industry also had its fair share of innovative solutions during this time, from virtual events to AI adoption to increased use of automation tools to augmented advertising. Most of these solutions have remained relevant post-pandemic, and new technologies are entering the PR space. If you are curious about what modern and innovative PR trends to adopt, we have compiled a list with examples to help you stay updated.
New Trends in Public Relations Post-COVID
The public relations (PR) field has witnessed several innovative developments and trends in the post-COVID era. Here are some of the most notable ones to inspire your PR strategy.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
During the pandemic, companies could not host physical events or product launches. Most consumers were disconnected from family and needed something to interact with. Thus, VR and AR technologies became part of PR campaigns as a solution to providing immersive and interactive experiences. The unique blend of sound, pictures, and other elements helps to trigger emotional responses in viewers, which makes the brand more memorable.
Many brands are using VR/AR to showcase products, create virtual tours, and deliver engaging content at events, and there’s an unlimited number of possibilities it offers. For example, Campbell and Co., a food brand, launched a new line of Goldfish crackers using gamification and AR with their immersive Focus Faceoff Lens Campaign. The campaign used a Snapchat lens filter to challenge teenagers to an attention span test. Participants were asked to concentrate on the new Flavor Blasted Cravin’ Ketchup Goldfish for more than nine seconds. The idea behind the campaign was a fun way to prove (or disprove) a statistic that people have a shorter attention span than a goldfish while creating an emotional experience to build awareness for the new Goldfish crackers.
Virtual Events
Virtual events saw rapid adoption during the pandemic and have since become part of most PR strategies. Unlike physical events, they offer a cost-effective option and wider reach. For example, most event participants couldn’t attend physical events due to travel issues or time constraints. However, with virtual events, you can showcase your products and distribute information to participants globally from your office or even your home. Thanks to advanced video communication tools like Zoom, companies can also collect attendees’ information for retargeting. There are also chances of integrating AR technologies into virtual events to create an even more immersive experience.
Data-Driven PR
Achieving successful PR performance has evolved from following trends to predicting changes and adapting in real time. That’s one of the changes brought about by the pandemic. Businesses had to innovate quickly, identify consumers’ ever-changing behavior, and make decisions to address them. This change led to creating and updating data analytics tools for PR. Today, PR teams can monitor website visitors’ behavior in real-time with Hotjar allowing you to assess content performance and make adjustments. You can also track PR campaign performance with Google Analytics or monitor brand mentions for proactive crisis management with Mention.
AI Automation Tools
AI automation is another innovative PR approach that established roots in the industry post-COVID. Many PR tools now integrate AI features to deliver personalized experiences to consumers. For example, chatbots are an AI tool that helps companies offer fast and efficient customer service. Some chatbots, like Blenderbot, have been trained using conversational data to give a more human-like and less robotic customer experience. Recently, the news of ChatGPT has become mainstream with many benefits to PR professionals, like research and creating media pitches. The field of AI automation is still evolving, and there are still more innovative solutions to expect.
How to Integrate Innovative PR into Your Campaign Strategy
As the business landscape changes, integrating innovative PR strategies is imperative. However, before embarking on the journey, you must identify your objectives when adopting these innovative PR strategies in your business to help you decide the best method to follow. Here are some best practices for the adoption of innovative PR strategies.
Asses PR Campaign Performance to Identify Growth Opportunities
You should also assess previous campaign performance to identify how you can integrate innovative PR solutions for improved results. For example, you can use automation tools like Google Analytics to track campaign performance and identify peak moments for audience interaction. You can then upgrade the campaign experience with AR solutions to create an immersive experience and better performance.
Review Industry Trends
Although innovative PR can get you great results, you must stay informed of what’s working in your industry. Designing a campaign using an innovative approach that doesn’t resonate with your audience won’t be effective. The best way to identify these trends is to research top competitors and viral PR campaigns in the industry. Also, listen to expert predictions to understand what the audience likes, what’s working, and how to adopt these innovative PR solutions in your company.
Next Steps for Incorporating Innovative PR In Your Business
Are you ready to adopt innovative PR strategies to build awareness and sales performance for your business? Schedule a PR consultation with us at RPR Firm to get personalized PR solutions that generate results.
