6 Key Things we Learnt from Eurocom’s Worldwide COVID-19 Survey
Napier is a proud member of Eurocom Worldwide, the global PR network for B2B and technology. The Eurocom network gives us access to some of the best B2B and technology expertise across the globe, as well as insight into the latest updates or trends from the global PR industry.
Most recently, Eurocom launched a survey working with medium-sized enterprises in the B2B and Technology industry to gain insights into COVID-19 and its impact on Brand PR and Marketing Communications.
Here are the six key things we learnt from the survey’s results:
Communication practices have had to change
Close to 80% of respondents noted that they have either partially or completely had to rethink their communications practices and corporate messaging during the global health crisis, with some even needing to rethink and change their target markets.
This is not surprising given the varying restrictions imposed across different countries around the world affecting not only travel but the general events industry, such as exhibitions where key announcements are often made.
Offline events should not be ruled out for the future
The pandemic has created a trend for online events. From virtual exhibitions and stands to press conferences via meeting platforms, such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams, it is clear that what was once considered only as offline events can now take place online and have been proven to be successful in this new format. However, despite this triumph of digital prowess, a total of 56% respondents believe that either offline events will continue to play an important role in their communications strategy or that we will experience a comeback of offline events after the crisis. One survey participant highlighted how the “COVID-19 crisis has shown the potential but also the limits of a 100% digital approach, in-person events and networking will continue to have a role in B2B”.
The adoption of new digital tools has been accelerated
It’s not only offline events embracing the digital age during the pandemic. Companies themselves are also recognising the full potential of digital for communications; the implementation of new digital tools and demand for digital campaigns has increased significantly. Out of all survey respondents, 37% stated that the digital transformation is being accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, over 40% of respondents claimed that the virus is the reason behind the major shift towards digital and content marketing practices with the capabilities of social media further increasing communications with customers and stakeholders.
Our content development has changed
We are close to the end of 2020 and as the global health crisis continues, COVID-19 remains the hot topic on everyone’s mind and is infiltrating all areas of content. The survey showed that 26% of respondents assumed that scientific thought-leadership based approaches transmit credibility and will play a key role in gaining customers going forwards, while 71% of respondents deliberately pitched COVID-19 topics. One participant in the survey commented, “The COVID-19 theme can be an opportunity to stress CSR or brand essence content that shows how the company’s solutions contribute to society and/or to global mega trends”.
Internal communications are vital
Government guidelines on working practices during the pandemic have varied from country to country and key messaging has changed from company to company, but regardless of the set-up, internal communications have been vital. Over 50% of respondents asserted that they have adapted internal communications and messaging to focus on the global health crisis, with one-third of participants either in the process of or due to add dedicated crisis communications procedures to their internal communications practices. Additionally, close to 80% stressed the importance of having motivated employees to enhance the company’s brand and products, which can be challenging to maintain during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The value of PR and MarComs agencies
Lastly, the survey demonstrated the value of PR and MarComs agencies as they take the lead through the crisis. The survey reported that 45% of respondents declared the crucial role their PR and marketing communications agencies have played in strategically leading them confidently through the crisis or providing expert-level support, advice and creativity to ensure PR and marketing activities were able to progress, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
To read the full results from the survey, please click here.
The Life of an Account Manager at Napier
Callie, Account Manager, is the second team member to take part in our ‘Life at Napier’ series.
Read the blog below to discover what Callie gets up to on a day-to-day basis, and what encouraged her to join Napier in the first place.
Why did you join Napier?
I recently joined Napier as a Junior Account Manager. I previously worked for a PR agency in London and was looking to relocate and leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind. I found the role at Napier and haven’t looked back!
I wanted to find a role that would support my professional development and have a clear structure in place to help provide me with opportunities to grow and excel in a career in PR, and Napier has just that.
There’s a system in place for each employee to manage their time, which also allows for reasonable flexibility around appointments (we all know how challenging it can be to get a doctor’s appointment in the first place, let alone trying to fit it outside of the 9am-5pm life!); we are able to discover what is profitable; and who is at capacity with workload and needs help. There’s also a good system to shout about achievements and to highlight any challenges you may be facing to the management team. These systems were massive selling points to me as it shows Napier cares about each individual employee, celebrating their successes and helping when there are challenges, and developing their skillset to help the business grow too.
Tell us a bit about your role. Is it challenging, interesting? Explain a few of the key tasks which are your responsibility.
Having previously worked in mostly the consumer industry, I was unsure of how to adapt to a role in B2B tech. With knowledge of PR, an interest in technology and a very supportive Napier team, I’ve found it easy to adapt! The Junior Account Manager role utilises my existing skills and has given me a snippet of what is possible in just a short few months with Napier – I’m working across multiple accounts and managing a few projects - and I’m looking forward to a rewarding career here. My favourite part of the job is the satisfaction of delivering a client campaign that meets and sometimes even exceeds the clients’ expectations. Of course, working with a great team helps things too.
What is a typical day like?
As a Junior Account Manager, my day to day activities are usually similar but the focus is constantly changing. I get into the office around 8.30am and often have a chat with colleagues while I get myself set up and ready for the day. I check my emails and make a note of action items that will need to be developed and highlight which ones need to be actioned immediately. These tasks can range from briefing a writer for a press release or article to producing a client project, often involving research and ideas, to setting up calls or meetings with clients, with many other interesting items in between.
I then start to action the immediate items and if there is nothing that is clearly marked as a priority, I focus on my task list and pick out what will need to be done first. This is based on work colleagues may need from me or something that I know will have a domino effect so need to keep progressing quickly.
Some days, my time is broken up with set meetings, like internal planning meetings or weekly client calls. Other days, things pop up that need to be dealt with or a non-routine meeting is set that I need to attend. Due to this and the different task loads, there are no two days the same which I think is a very exciting part of working at Napier. In fact, within my first week I was out at a two-day meeting with a client. At first, I was a bit apprehensive as to how things would develop with me being a new person on the account. However, it was a very successful meeting with lots of new ideas discussed, which we are implementing now, and ultimately, the client was very happy!
For some people, it’s so easy to become bored in an office role and that is never the case at Napier. You can be out at meetings with clients or editors, travelling internationally for various events or working on a really interesting campaign that challenges you, but you know that the hard work will be worth it and it’s really rewarding once you start to see the results.