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Communications during COVID-19 is fraught with challenges. From communicating to employees about the potential for pay cuts, furloughs or even layoffs, to determining how to notify people of exposure to the virus, communicators have their work cut out for them. Since health care arguably is at the center of most of our lives at the moment, communications in and out of hospitals is in the spotlight.

You know things are bad when a chief communications officer longs for a ‘normal’ crisis. That’s the case for City of Toronto’s CCO Brad Ross as he works to communicate vital messages during coronavirus. At least crises during pre-COVID-19 had a timeline, Ross writes. “Give us a fighting chance. COVID-19 is otherworldly,” Ross laments.

If you post a brand-focused, non-coronavirus update to your social media account, how will your audience take it?
During a recent webinar hosted by PRNEWS, communicators mulled over the question, many of them concerned that promoting goods or services, fundraising efforts or other non-coronavirus content would come across as tone-deaf. To help clear up questions about when, why and whether to post to social in an unforeseen digital environment, we asked seven communicators to offer their takes.

As news fatigue sets in, communicators are left with an uphill battle. The situation changes daily, with deaths and infections ever-increasing and new policies and information about how individuals can stay safe being updated constantly. People still need information, the challenge for PR is to make sure they get it.

Brands catering to families and especially children need to remember to tweak their normal methods of communication, particularly for a time of crisis.

You’ve created your coronavirus messaging plan and advised executives to communicate authentically, transparently and from the heart. Your job is far from over, though. Perhaps the most important thing a communicator can do at this time is to be available and make plans for the day when the coronavirus ebbs.

While social media influencers and celebrities have had some cringeworthy moments in recent weeks, brand entities as a whole seem to be starting to find their footing, putting out more nuanced messaging and recalibrating their responses when they don’t land as intended. Here’s a look at a health care organization and two name-brands that made waves on social around COVID in recent days.

This is a time when the public likely won’t mind over-communication as people clamor to learn everything they can to protect themselves and their families. And while every organization has its preferred method of distributing information to its audience, some are turning to podcasts for more comprehensive discussions around necessary information.

The pandemic has thrown many of us into a frenzy. Now is the time for PR leaders to proceed with calm and rely on principles and tactics that have served you well throughout the years. Moving forward, creativity, transparency and management skills will be in demand.

As PRNEWS catalogs the good works and clever messaging out there, we wanted to highlight some of the groups that have a track record of giving back.