Authenticity and trust vital
The ever-changing public relations landscape demands that PR agencies adapt to the emerging trends leading the industry. In recent times, this has seen PR agencies having to alter operational structures, embrace new media forms and implement fresh techniques in tune with the evolving profession.
Today, the media landscape is more expansive than ever before. Consumers receive news differently to how they used to. They use alternative platforms applicable to them — social media and news sites — to source information. Consequently, some companies struggle to effectively deliver brand messages to their target audience. Brands, along with public relations professionals, have had to embrace one of the biggest emerging trends in the public relations industry: authenticity.
Authentic brands provide service offerings that deliver on their promises; they do what they say and they follow through on commitments. Authentic brands are also transparent. They openly share truthful information with consumers, even if it might be detrimental to the brand in the short run. Most importantly, they are up front with issues, maintain a willingness to communicate about these issues and are trustworthy.
In the communications industry, authenticity can no longer be considered as an afterthought. It is something that needs to be placed at the core of everything public relations professionals do. With the rise of authenticity, the role of storytelling has also taken on new significance.
Communicators tell authentic stories that are relevant, come from within, add value or even entertain and most importantly, the stories must resonate with an audience and drive engagement. In my opinion, one of the most powerful drivers of change used in the communications industry is an authentic story that evokes emotion and touches on the human element. Businesses need to understand that people relate to human qualities rather than products.
We are now more connected than ever, so understanding how to leverage technologies across a variety of new platforms and channels effectively to drive authentic and open communication is crucial for public relations professionals. In light of this, PR agencies have become highly integrated by recruiting the right mix of skilled professionals to provide a blended offering that uses multimedia to capture and create authentic content, iconic imagery, videos, etcetera.
Brands can no longer “sweep bad news under the carpet”. The truth will emerge and the public will quickly form and share an opinion. Consumers are far more sceptical than before — and if they suspect something is not true or unauthentic, they are more inclined to investigate.
So, what happens when trust in a brand breaks down? Without trust, the brand’s foundations crack, the infrastructure breaks down. Without trust, relationships fall apart, communication breaks down and sales ultimately suffer.
A lack of trust can cause long-term reputational damage, which is likely to have an effect on a company’s bottom line. Consumers purchase from companies they consider to be authentic and seek advice from people or brands they trust to make purchasing decisions. A lack of trust crushes capital. Consumers are unlikely to purchase from untrustworthy brands that do not follow through on commitments.
More than ever, a brand needs to plan for effective crisis management so that news doesn’t break in Tweets and crises move at the pace of their audience.
It is vital that the company’s reputation is kept intact and consumer trust is maintained or if lost, quickly regained. When an audience trusts a brand that communicates in the right manner when in a crisis, they are likely to forgive it.
Effective public relations deeply connects a brand to its audience and builds trust, which ultimately improves business outcomes.