This blog is part of our Tech In Review: 21-22 report series. Head to the hub to access the reports, insight and analysis.
After the seismic events of 2020, 2021 brought fresh challenges to the technology market – and saw the unwelcome return of some old issues.
Our Navigating Tech PR & Comms report focusses on specific aspects and what they mean for you as a comms professional. We’ve drawn key highlights from our report below.
Understanding the big picture is key to creating better campaigns with content that resonates, and strategies and tactics that drive customer behaviours.
Moreover, comms and marketing have critical roles to play in how the rest of the world perceives the tech sector.
The changing role of tech comms
The pandemic has rocked the status quo of media relations. During the early stages of the pandemic, people consumed huge amounts of media to try to grasp the constantly evolving situation. This resulted in a saturated news cycle dominated by big themes, and an over-proliferation of channels of communication.
An eternal truth is that, in an ever more complicated landscape, brands need to communicate clearly. LinkedIn has reported that chief communications officer hires grew by 35% over the past year.
Communications expertise is valued more and more highly across all areas of business, from humanising corporate responses to the pandemic, through managing concerns around environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues.
That trust is the foundation of investor, consumer, and regulator confidence – and, therefore, of business success.
PR and comms teams are well-versed in managing and coordinating stakeholder relationships, from the media to board members. In 2022, tech comms has an opportunity to solidify the role it has played in successfully steering firms through 18 tricky months.
3 2022 comms priorities
Fighting fake news
While communications teams are by no means limited to media relations, an over- whelming distrust in information and the media threatens a key channel of communication with consumers.
The media is still more trusted than social platforms or brand channels as a source of information. Earlier this year, The Verge had to update its public ethics policy to be clearer in interactions with public relations and corporate communications professionals. Building relationships with journalists and sharing trusted and verified data is a great step to rebuilding trust.
Fighting values washing
With ESG moving rapidly up the business agenda, there’s a temptation for companies to inflate their green credentials without following up to substantiate them.
Evolving ROI and measurement
While comms and PR teams have had to embrace a greater scope of responsibility in the pandemic, much of the work they do re- mains intangible; however great the impact, it can’t be seen on the balance sheet. 2022 must see continued evolution on the part of comms, with teams finding new ways to demonstrate the commercial impact of their strategies.
For a full analysis of what 2022 means for Tech PR & Comms, download the report below.
