Public Relations in the age of COVID-19

There have been so many different industries that have been adversely affected by this pandemic. Those effects can be seen in the form of furloughed workers; lay-offs and dramatic cut-backs from executives on their businesses. Journalism for instance, has been an industry that unfortunately has suffered tremendously through this pandemic in the form of lay-offs and the like. 

Josh Nass PR has had a unique experience through the Coronavirus Pandemic. At the intersection of media and journalism, Josh Nass PR has been able to continuously provide their high quality communications services to their clients, while still managing to keep their staff on board. The agency has in fact picked up some business since the start of this pandemic. 

A number of clients have retained Josh Nass PR over the course of this crisis, since their industries might now be relevant to members of the media, when under normative circumstances they wouldn’t be. 

Executives of industries that might be experiencing these sorts of feelings include the urgent care industry; the life insurance industry; the nursing home industry and many others. The crisis communications practice of a number of public relations firms have ballooned over the course of this crisis. 

Companies are in need of help in terms of communicating to their customer base about how they intend on managing the crisis; while ensuring their customers and employees’ needs are properly met. This balance is certainly a challenging one to strike; and there’s a reason that public relations firms have a function to play and a role to serve throughout. 

These challenges include how to properly ensure that staff members are properly informed and educated about the companies’ policies during this pandemic. Those policies can include safety and security policies, that have been implemented in an effort to enhance the safety customers are feeling either physically in the store; or even If they are purchasing products through e-commerce platforms or digitally, but want to make sure the product is safe when they receive it. The reality is that communication is key; and that through this crisis, businesses small, medium and large have all had to cope with this new reality in a way that’s responsible both to their consumers, shareholders and staffs. 

The reality is that there have indeed been some case-studies of companies that have done an outstanding job of communicating the issues to both audiences through this crisis. And in some cases, the difference in the quality of communication has even played a role in whether the company has been able to endure this crisis or not. 

Communication is a fundamental part of running any business; and many business owners have difficulty grappling with this sobering reality. And even though many companies do have the benefit of having in-house communications and marketing teams, there is still often a need to bring in external public relations firms to provide strategic counsel when situations are as challenging as the current pandemic that we are all living through. Kudos to the firms that have proven to have an effective handle on both the value and the need to do so, even during this pandemic. Too often public relations is the first budgetary item that businesses cut, identifying it as an accessory as opposed to a necessity. In the COVID-19 world, public relations is key and its significance will only continue growing, with time.