2022 Strong for Tech as WFH and Virtual Events Become Normalized

[Editor’s Note:As a supplement to predictions from PR pros in this edition, we asked a technology vendor, Ben Chodor, president of Notified, to offer tech-related prognostications.]

1. Stakeholder Engagement Expands; Bigger Audiences, New Platforms, More Data:In the last 12 months, shareholder engagement has gotten much more complex. Additionally, investors have seen the benefits of virtual road shows and investor days. Some now prefer to take meetings from the comfort of their home.

In 2022, Investor Relations will join the broader communication industry in its journey toward digital transformation. This means using non-traditional platforms to engage shareholders and finding new, immersive ways to tell a corporate story.

2. Data Siloes Finally Break Down:Over the last few years, communicators have improved their use of data and analytics – and 2022 is the year to break down silos to get a more complete picture of performance and ROI. Event planners, marketers, PR and IR professionals will start to utilize integrated datasets to better collaborate–and build plans that deliver against the bottom line.

3. We Begin Marketing in the Metaverse: From avatars, to gamification to AR/VR and real world/digital world cross-selling opportunities, 2022 will see communicators, particularly PR and events pros, begin exploring how to engage audiences in ‘always-active,’ real-time, immersive environments.