EIMEAR HURLEY

Head of PR Carr Communications

ACTIVITY The majority of our clients weren’t impacted severely by the pandemic in an economic sense, and so to a large extent our work with them continued as normal. Most clients continued to implement their communications plans throughout 2020 at pretty close to normal levels, but with a greater emphasis on the use of digital and social media.

Our innovation has been in finding better, more focused messaging that is cognizant of the impact of the pandemic on people’s attitudes and behaviours, and choosing the right channels through which to reach them.

REMOTE WORKING We were already in the process of looking at a more hybrid way of working for our team, so we had all of the structures in place to quickly allow us to continue working and conducting our business virtually. A hybrid work approach is a longterm plan for our business.

EVENTS One really positive impact of moving to virtual events is that many clients are experiencing higher attendance for online events than they would have with live events. I think virtual events are here to stay.

LOBBYING As the market leader in advising the state regulatory sector, communicating and advising on the impacts of regulatory change has been a huge part of our work in the past year. Managing the transition in the coming year, when the pandemic is over, will be a particular challenge.

OUTLOOK We are engaged in strategic planning sessions with clients looking forward three to five years. These are fascinating discussions, as we are looking at changes in consumer patterns and population behaviour; changes in how technology can be used to engage with clients in different sectors; and changes in how organisations will themselves manage future HR and internal communications issues.

Once there is a clear understanding of when business might start to return to normal on even a phased basis, clients will return to making firm investments in their communications plans.