6 PR strategies to help your brand through the COVID-19 pandemic

PR strategies that worked for brands two months ago might not be effective today. The key to surviving and thriving through the crisis is flexibility and a willingness to adapt to new ways of doing business.

In the decade from 2009 to 2019, the role of PR pros shifted from press release distribution and mass pitching to a more refined and targeted approach, focused on storytelling and thought leadership. So, how’s storytelling and thought leadership faring in the current environment? Better than ever.

While it’s hard to predict what changes will come over the next few months, here are six strategies that can help you recalibrate your PR plans right now and survive—or even thrive.

1. Thought leadership

Consider how you (or your client) might add value to people in your industry during this time, and orient your PR strategy around those key points.

The caveat here is to only position yourself as an expert on something you’re actually an expert on. Resist the urge to take advantage of the global crisis just to score some publicity. People can spot the difference between someone who’s just looking for media attention, and someone who truly has expert insights to share.