Public relations is a job that is constantly evolving and transforms as societies and people change.
The exercise of our profession has a purpose, namely, to create bonds of trust between people and organizations through dialogue. This purpose will involve, among other things, helping brands and companies to be more valuable and responsible than profitable.
This does not mean leaving business objectives behind, but today, more than ever, brands need to show closeness and concern for their audiences, who increasingly choose those that are committed to the community, social causes, the environment, working conditions of its collaborators and their health, among many other issues that today are key when evaluating the performance of companies.
In this sense, there is no doubt that the image of organizations has become an increasingly vulnerable asset before an increasingly informed and, therefore, more critical and demanding public that easily detects any false step and exposes it. supported by the immediacy and viralization offered by social networks. With this panorama, it is essential that companies develop a proactive and non-opportunistic attitude and communication, willing to listen and solve problems.
This point becomes fundamental if we take into account that, currently, the abundance of information implies that people make a different reading of the communication offered by brands. For this reason, so that they can be supported by social or ecological values, they must first demonstrate coherence between what they say and what they do. If that doesn’t permeate your entire culture, the engagement won’t be taken as authentic by consumer users who will see it as just another sales pitch.
The foregoing shows that today, more than ever, sensitivity, understanding and empathy are the characteristics that people value the most when it comes to connecting with brands or organizations, which is more than enough reason to build solid bonds of trust and commitment to the end. to achieve the consideration of the public and generate a connection with them, in the long term. That is where all the potential that public relations have to develop and implement communication strategies aimed at achieving those values comes into play.
This makes it clear that, despite the fact that our profession does not always have the place it deserves, it is undeniable that it is and will continue to be vital for any organization. The value of its results is not immediately reflected in money, but is more linked to benefits and long-term effects such as the care and protection of the company’s image, its communications and the relationships it builds with the press and its audiences. , which translates into a key attribute for today’s world: credibility.
In short, the challenge that PR faces today is not only adapting to permanent uncertainty or the rapid technological change that for many threatens to replace them, but also what we do and how we face those changes that will not stop. Because for brands and companies, we will continue to be a key asset when it comes to managing and implementing strategies that make it possible to reconcile the construction and consolidation of bonds of trust, relevance and commitment necessary for ethical and responsible organizations, with transparency, immediacy and the demands of a public that is constantly evolving.