The ongoing pandemic crisis is turning from bad to worse. Many of the regional agencies like mine who have been hoping that work will get back to normal in five-six months are in a fix as there is no respite in sight. We are all social animals and like being part of events, gatherings, formal functions, social initiatives which in fact drive a lot of business for regional agencies. But with restrictions in place, this major driver is also ruled out for now. And with most of the work paused, what next?
The only way to navigate these challenging times is to keep the continuity of engagement and work with the Client. While earlier in the pre-COVID period we were busy with Client service on one side and media relations on the other, we seldom concentrated on the so-called but all-important backend service i.e ‘Content’. Apart from drafting press releases and statements, we probably thought the rest of the content requirements like writing articles, translations, preparing content for other promotional purposes could be outsourced from experts. But the same so-called backend tool today can come to the forefront and become an important reason for engagement with the client as well as a small but an important vertical in regional agencies. Whether it is writing blogs, updating and making websites content-rich, contributing to their newsletters, in house journals, narrating client experiences through innovative means, rich and good content brings a lot of value to the services we offer. Most of the Clients who use digital platforms need seamless communications and are ready to invest in good content. Whether it is a new form of engagements like the podcast, the one thing which will be a key is good Content.
As the roles evolve lines are blurring between Public Relations, Brand Consultancy, and Marketing, more opportunities for PR agencies will emerge. The only thing in question is whether we are ready to work beyond our regular scope or work and step up to support our clients.
-By Sameer Ranade
PR Practitioner
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