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Tag: PR agencies

  • GUEST COLUMN: Spinning the Web 3.0 around communications and PR

    GUEST COLUMN: Spinning the Web 3.0 around communications and PR

    Mumbai: Web 3.0 has indeed taken the internet world by storm. With Facebook heavily investing in metaverse to break barriers and converge online and offline environments, it is set to redefine the way we communicate and interact in the virtual world. Virtual, instead of being separate from the physical world, will penetrate into every aspect of our daily lives with the amalgam of physical and digital data. Web 3.0, also known as the spatial web, will blur the boundaries between digital and physical worlds and this sure will tremendously influence brands’ communication and public relations (PR) efforts in the future.

    Starting with Web 1.0 till the advent of Web 3.0, the communication industry has evolved and adapted to changes. But what exactly would be the impact on the communication industry and how can the industry capitalise on new technologies to fine-tune its strategies? Let’s dive a little deeper and understand how communication strategies will shape up in the future and what PR companies can do to stay relevant and optimise their efforts in this era.

    A rise in NFT-compatible PR campaigns

    An NFT (non-fungible token) strategy is a must in the Web 3.0 era to help brands stay ahead of the competition. Powered by blockchain technology, PR companies can leverage NFTs to create new experiences for customers. NFTs facilitate immersive experiences. It is a unique digital asset that cannot be replicated and PR companies will need to shift their focus on launching NFT campaigns for brands to create exclusivity for customers. NFT campaigns can be a doorway for customers to access exclusive events, gain early access to content, or even discounts and special offers.

    Focus on content that appeals to multiple personas

    Web 3.0 takes hyper-personalisation to a whole new level. Going forward, PR and communication efforts by brands would be centered on creating content that appeals to multiple personas. There will be a shift towards bite-sized articles; but at the same time these will have enough depth to appeal to the preferences of multiple audiences. That means PR companies will now have to create content that is angled differently for different audiences to provide true value and establish thought leadership.

    Customer experience will gain more prominence

    While customer experiences have always been important, the advent of Web 3.0 has increased consumer expectations resulting in a greater focus on crafting memorable experiences. PR and communication experts must help brands adopt a more holistic approach towards metaverse. Audiences now expect virtual events that offer a more immersive experience and PR companies would need to conduct virtual events with the same efficiency as they would conduct real events. PR and communication strategies will evolve to become more nuanced, helping brands provide audiences with the ability to participate and even become selective with the content they want to engage.

    Transparency and privacy will become more important than before

    With concerns looming over data privacy and transparency of data usage, Web 3.0 will see brands channeling their efforts to reinforce user privacy. It also calls for a decentralised structure which means individuals have complete control over their data and can exchange value without getting any intermediaries involved. What does this mean for the PR industry? Well, brands can derive insights from user data with AI and PR companies would need to adjust their strategies to have a more targeted approach. As cookies are slowly being eliminated, PR companies can provide solutions to secure first-party consumer data for brands.

    Blockchain will facilitate precise assessment of campaign results

    Web 3.0 has led to the rise of encrypted identities which means fake traffic from bots can be easily weeded out. This is critical to measure the actual reach of content published. PR companies can capitalise on blockchain technology to measure the actual impact and calculate ROI. Since brands are relatively new to the benefits of blockchain, PR companies can help them leverage the technology to transfer information securely, protect copyrights and create a safe space which is important for companies in fiercely competitive markets. As blockchain technology will help verify the authenticity of content, PR companies will have to be extremely careful with their content creation process. At the same time, brands creating authentic content will gain better reach without the risk of getting lost amidst a clutter of fake stories.

    Web 3.0 has huge implications for the communication industry. While it has already influenced our lives in big ways, we can expect it to further obliterate the boundaries between physical and virtual worlds and open endless possibilities for consumer-brand interactions. The longer it takes for brands and PR organisations to adapt themselves to spatial web technology, the sooner they will lose relevance in this dynamic landscape. Web 3.0 isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a new reality and is here to stay. PR companies adopting these technologies can help their clients achieve the first-mover advantage. 

    (About the author – Anindita Gupta is Scenic Communication co-founder)

  • Ripe opportunity to utilize lockdown for adapting to changing realities

    Ripe opportunity to utilize lockdown for adapting to changing realities

    Collectively, we are facing possibly the biggest crisis and turning point in history. This is going to significantly impact the landscape of business, and most importantly the business of communication. Right now, being extra sensitive and showing empathy seems to be key in winning the game of communication. It’s not about individual perceptions anymore; the world is leaning towards a dominant emotion, and everyone is taking it upon themselves to be the harbinger of awareness and sensitivity.

    Moreover, uncertainty has become the norm of the times. The Covid2019 pandemic has turned many businesses upside down, and people are struggling to stay afloat. This is as true for marketing and PR agencies, as for any other company facing lost revenue in terms of clients, mounting debts owing to stuck payments, halt of potential business opportunities and much more.

    However, despite all of this, I believe that we will emerge out of this stronger and wiser. It’s true that many sectors are facing quite volatile times, but there are also many businesses that have managed to sail through these testing times by virtue of their product offerings.

    Moreover, at a time when most PR and marketing professionals have been forced to work from home, there is a huge ripe opportunity waiting for us to utilize this time to adapt to changing realities and prepare for a world post-Corona. How about we double down on our efforts and approach it with an innovative bent of mind. How many times have you wanted to test the effects of digital PR on your business, but couldn’t find enough time to try it out? How much effort have you previously put in training your staff to be more digitally-adaptable? The time is now.

    Even big brands are leveraging this time to become the epitome of corporate social responsibility. For instance, legacy adhesive brand Fevicol effectively created a conversation around social distancing as a precautionary measure during the outbreak in order to strengthen bonds in the times to come. From Amul to Bigbasket, all brands, big or small, are leaving no stone unturned to cash in on this great marketing opportunity, while also spreading awareness.

    The government has not been far behind either. Leaders are coming together to show they care about the welfare of their citizens. All governments are on a war footing, constantly updating their social media handles, informing people of the pandemic, and assisting them in every possible way.

    At a personal level, as the owner of a PR and communications firm, our processes have been streamlined to get the maximum in terms of productivity. Since all of us have been working from home for weeks now, it has given us the opportunity to assess and reassess our priorities and how we work. Right from quick Google calls in the mornings to jot down tasks, to allocating every resource across business functions, including business development, we are ready to fight this out. Instead of putting a halt on our digital efforts, we are continuing to go full throttle. Instead of de-boarding our current clients, we are working with them at reduced budgets, but are also simultaneously chalking out innovative strategies to get better ROI during these times. We believe that during a downturn like this, there is always less competition, which means it is easier and faster to get results if you remain in the game. We are trying our best to maintain the maximum mindshare so that we are in better shape to fight anything once we are past this crisis.

    The economy will slowly get back on its feet. We have hope too. We just need to keep working hard towards our goals.

    The author is CEO and founder of The Pivotals