This originally appeared in PR Daily.
Our community of sponsors shares their thoughts about the next big thing for communications technology.
1. The criticality of executive visibility. Fifty-one percent of C-suite executives say they spend more time-consuming thought leadership than before the pandemic. And who do executives trust most? You guessed it – other executives. As a result, marketers should integrate their top SMEs into all communications campaigns. Social media is becoming a key trend here as algorithms now deprioritize brands in favor of individual SMEs.
Messages shared by individuals on social media get 561% more reach than the same messages shared by brands. So, don’t overlook your executives’ social profiles when crafting a thought leadership strategy.
2. Crisis Alert! The rise in issues management. If the pandemic has taught us anything it’s that we should be prepared for a crisis of any nature at any time. Yet, according to Deloitte, less than half of board members say their companies have playbooks for likely crisis scenarios.
Businesses cannot delay the implementation of crisis comms plans any longer.
3. Integrating DE&I into comms programs. Over the past five years, organizations have placed a greater emphasis on filling newly created DE&I executive positions. These internal champions for equity and inclusion have crafted powerful programs, and 2022 is the year for marketers to begin weaving these programs into external communications. This shift will spark questions such as: “Does our bench of spokespeople mirror the diversity of our organization?” and “Are we reaching a diverse audience via our ‘usual’ media outlets or do those outlets have an implicit bias?”