PR in 2022: Tread carefully but don’t tiptoe

All marketers are generally focused on creating reputational change, relationship building and revenue generation. But even the most seasoned marketer is aware that they’re operating in a treacherous environment right now.

Enabling individuals, departments and companies to succeed throughout a pandemic and now heart-breaking international conflict feels a bit like walking a marketing tightrope.

From my own perspective, I have a huge amount of empathy for what’s happening in the world. I don’t want to say the wrong thing or behave too overtly.

At the same time, it’s critical that my company maintains a level of demand generation to support revenue growth, recruitment and other factors.

As a communications agency, this dilemma doesn’t stop at the walls of Wildfire’s HQ. The advice and consultancy that the team provides to clients also needs to take world events into consideration.

Find the good

For me personally, intention is key. The challenges that the world continues to face in 2022 have accelerated the appetite for purpose-led narratives, creating swathes of businesses to rebrand.

Authenticity is more important than ever, with ESG being cited as ‘critical’ by the majority of participants in a recent ITSMA survey on the State of Marketing Profession in 2022.

Rather than being cynical of these trends and changes, I am all for it! Frankly, there is so much negative news, content and feeling in the world right now. Anything that individuals and brands can do to address that balance can only be a good thing.

Being and doing better 

Yes, as marketers, we all have a job to do, and services and products to sell – let’s not pretend otherwise. But now, the majority of us are focused on not just achieving our targets, but how we can achieve them by being and doing better.

The challenges businesses face the world over have led to a new era of marketing, one that is genuinely more aware and more caring.

Goodness knows what 2023 will bring, but one thing I do know is that, as a marketer, it’s our job to be as bold as possible and to prepare our teams and businesses as best we can.

We should not tiptoe. Let’s simply tread carefully, being sure-footed as we deliver marketing enablement across our businesses and support them to succeed whatever the world throws our way.