A new term for professional communicators

The next four months are likely to be as chaotic as the last eight. Here are some of the issues that need to be front of mind as we head towards 2021.

• Communication teams, both internal and external, have never been so valued by organisations

• Strategic communications will focus on vaccinating products and services, continuing to market, and planning what comes next

• Return to the office is likely to see a hybrid home and office approach depending on the size of the organisation

• The job market will continue to be volatile but there’s opportunity for talent, investment hires and new agencies

• Plan for local lockdowns as schools and universities return 

• Continue to plan for both a deal and a no deal Brexit. The outcome of trade talks won’t be known until mid-December 

• Show up and demonstrate leadership - brave organisations will continue to be defined by the crisis

Schools are back in the UK this week. It’ll be the first time since March that many communication practitioners have been able to work without the competing demands of childcare or home schooling.

Practitioners continue to work harder than ever. The upside is that the value of our work has never been more appreciated by the organisations that we serve.

Helping organisations operate alongside the virus

We’ve become the front line of an organisation’s communication response to the COVID-19 crisis. We’ve worked with executive teams to engage employees.

The remainder of the year will focus on helping organisations learn to live with the virus.

Externally that means continuing to engage the public around social distancing measures and the need for protective equipment.

It also means helping organisations continue to market and develop COVID-19 proof products and services.

Internally it will focus on the balance of home and office working. The future will almost certainly be a balance of the two.

The future of workplaces and spaces

Offices never closed for public sector colleagues.

Agencies and in-house organisations in smaller organisations started to return to the office before the summer.

Large organisations are likely to attempt a return to the office in the autumn or continue to work from home for the foreseeable future.

Working patterns are in the midst of a period of huge innovation. New working patterns and workflow will emerge as colleagues return to the office.

Jobs in marketing and communications

The job market will experience further volatility.

Organisations exposed to the virus are set to undergo further waves of cuts as the furlough scheme comes to an end.

It’s an issue that is most acute in market most affected by the virus. This includes the culture, events, hospitality, and sports.

Organisations are also using COVID-19 as opportunity to reappraise the skills and talent that they need.

It’s a good time to hire.

The recruitment market is buoyant because of talent displaced by reorganisation and individuals disaffected by their organisation’s response to the crisis.

The has already given rise to a series of new agencies and models.

Planning for further lockdowns and Brexit

Schools and universities returning present a risk of localised breakouts. Public sector colleagues are already alert to the potential need for further localised lockdowns.

Then there’s Brexit.

Organisations still need to plan for a deal and no deal scenarios. It’s likely we won’t know how trade negotiations will conclude until late December.

Any organisation that trades in Europe needs to make its voice heard either directly or via industry associations and plan for both outcomes.

Planning for 2021

This is a moment for organisations to be brave and show leadership.

COVID-19 has paid a reputational dividend to organisations that have shown up and played a role within their communities.

Environment, society and governance (ESG) is top of the corporate agenda as organisations plan for 2021.