The GCS COVID-19 Communications Industry Report tells the story of a profession demonstrating agility, innovation and resilience. I’m the lead researcher and author of the report.

I’ve had the unique position of recording the huge changes in how private and public sector organisations in the UK have communicated during the COVID-19 crisis. These stories have been recorded and published in a report published by the Government Communication Service (GCS) COVID-19 Advisory Panel.

The panel chaired by Alex Aiken, executive director, GCS consisted of senior representatives from professional marketing and communication membership organisations. It met weekly during the UK national lockdown and provided representation to the Government on behalf of industry.

In addition to the GCS COVID-19 Communications Industry Report the panel provided external advice, challenged and supported GCS on public awareness campaigns and wider communication strategy.

Characterising impact of COVID-19 on professional communications

COVID-19 has accelerated many of the changes already underway in media, public engagement and organisational communication such as the role of communications as a strategic management function and a more human approach to communications by CEOs and management teams. It has shown the strategic role of communications.

If the internal and external communication function inside an organisation didn’t report directly to management before the crisis - it almost certainly will now. 

Practitioners have shown compassion and care and have adopted a positive attitude to help their organisations and people navigate the crisis.

They’ve supported organisations making tough decisions on restructures, helping advise and shape the response and plans accordingly. They’ve demonstrated the agile, innovative and reflective nature of their practice.

The project identifies eight distinct areas of opportunity for professional communications:

1. The shift to the virtual communication team

The crisis accelerated shifts that were already underway to support remote working within organisations. The health and wellbeing for homeworkers who were away from the office and physically isolated from colleagues was a priority for organisations. Hybrid models combining home and office working are likely to provide organisations and their employees with flexibility in the future.

2. Communication as a strategic management and leadership function

Communication has been a critical management priority for organisations throughout the crisis. Teams have supported leaders in listening, planning and engaging with internal and external stakeholders. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is likely to be a major issue on the corporate agenda for the next decade.

3. The communication hub

Organisations created cross-functional hub teams to lead the crisis communication effort, enabling them to respond quickly and effectively. Agile management techniques, originating from the software development industry were used to manage teams. Owned media platforms, typically websites, sat at the heart of an organisation’s communication effort.

4. Inside out communication

The COVID-19 crisis has had a humanising effect on internal communication within organisations. Organisations reported a significant increase in employee engagement during the crisis as virtual connections replaced physical. Some organisations, keen to ensure that they engaged all employees, took the unusual step of sharing internal messages via external channels.

5. The shift to digital media accelerates 

Audiences for mainstream media brands grew during lockdown as the ongoing shift to digital continues. Consumers turned to the internet to seek out new ways to keep connected, informed and entertained. Social media, messaging and video services saw significant growth in subscriptions and usage.

6. Multi-agency working and the power of networks

Informal partnerships and networks were established in the fight against COVID-19. Relationships maximised information gathering and amplified the reach of communication. The multi-agency approach, engaging a broad section of society, is a powerful legacy of the crisis.

7. Achieving best practice communication equality

Communication teams tackled communication equality by making content available in different formats and languages. Special campaigns were developed to reach groups that might otherwise not pay attention to the lockdown messaging. Activity during the COVID-19 crisis has helped establish best practice and set a new standard for communication equality.

8. Dealing with disinformation and misinformation

Disinformation was a critical issue during the COVID-19 crisis. The Government created a rapid response unit to work with social media platforms to tackle the issue. Tech companies removed harmful content and ensured that public health campaigns were promoted through reliable sources. Proactive campaigns sought to address disinformation through data, insight, content and channels.

Methodology

The GCS COVID-19 Communications Industry Report report is based on two sets of evidence: a literature review of more than 50 articles, case studies, opinion articles and research submitted to the project; and interviews with colleagues in senior communication roles. It also includes a series of essays from panel members about the future of practice.

The advisory panel consisted of leaders from across the UK communications industry including: The Government Communication Service (GCS), Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), Institute of Internal Communication (IoIC), Local Government Association Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).