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It is clear that until the pandemic is over, the world will experience constant change and heightened uncertainty. This should be good for PR, as demand for strategic communication will remain strong. In addition, there will be plenty of changes in how PR looks and functions once the pandemic subsides.

On Memorial Day, a video went viral of a white woman, Amy Cooper, calling the police in New York City’s Central Park on a black man, Christian Cooper (no relation) after he asked her to leash her dog in a leash-required area. The video sparked widespread outrage at Ms. Cooper’s racist report, with some lawmakers calling for false calls to law enforcement like Amy Cooper’s to be classified as hate crimes. Franklin Templeton, Cooper’s employer, enacted a rapid crisis response.

In a way, the pandemic brings the stigma of mental illness to the forefront, making Mental Health Month more important than ever before. The communications tactics for the month may have pivoted to meld with the ongoing COVID crisis. If anything, the message may be clearer than ever that mental health needs to be a priority. 

In the wake of events of the past few days, we’ve decided to slow or suspend many of our activities on this site so we can reflect on diversity and inclusion. As one of the authors of the essay, Angela Chitkara, said, “People are hurting. We need to take a good look at ourselves and ask what kind of society and organization do we want to be.”

We’ve all heard about the new normal, but what does it look like in the sector you represent? One way to find out is to use predictive landscapes that help communicators build possible behavioral models. Here’s an example using the travel industry.

Nearly everyone’s hurting from the pandemic, so when big brands ask for relief when the little guy isn’t able to, it could hurt brands’ reputations. Accordingly, brands need to be particularly aware of the court of public opinion when they seek financial relief. Careful messaging and other tactics can help soften reputation damage, PR pros say.

As we’ve all learned during crisis, outcomes for progress trend higher when we work together, rather than in silos or on individual endeavors. In honor of Memorial Day, PRNEWS talked with Team Rubicon, a veteran-led non-profit that serves communities by mobilizing veterans and civilians to help people prepare, respond and recover from disasters and humanitarian crises.

Some organizations have taken a risky approach, building digital or earned media campaigns that stand in for the usual awareness-building events—in-person rallies, press conferences or protests—now limited by bans on public gatherings. Two notable efforts of brand activism have stood out over the course of the pandemic; one local, one national: a mask-wearing campaign in Chicago, and political statements from longtime mercantile activist Patagonia.

The PRNEWS staff comes across many examples of brand advertising and communications every day. We have compiled a weekly assessment, with staff members providing their choices of the most notable, good or bad. We hope these brief examples will provide a learning experience about what works and what to avoid.

Social media use has increased significantly during the pandemic. Analyzing social posts during the early part of the lockdowns, three basic user groups emerge. It is likely their emotional states will change as the pandemic continues. Here’s how brands can spot these groups and prepare content for when they begin to change their behavior.