Back to school, back to work, back to normality…not quite. Human beings are creatures of habit and we are desperately craving some form of ‘regularity’. Ordinariness has never seemed so appealing. But what the last few weeks and months have already shown us, as society has opened up, is that it is going to take time.
New hybrid working models, reinvention of workspaces, dynamic comms requiring enhanced business agility and a pandemic that is still very present in our everyday lives means we need to accept an ever changing ‘new normal’. I am sure this is a phrase you have heard many times and possibly sighed out loud but I believe we should see this as a time of real opportunity for PR.
We have shown how invaluable effective PR and comms was during the pandemic and now, as businesses and brands proactively look to engage with audiences and stakeholders as they launch those long awaited campaigns and or halted comms plans, we need to be ready to help them succeed.
And do to this we must look after ourselves first and foremost. Every single one of us will have been impacted in some way by the past 18 months so accepting well-being support, strengthening our own mental health and supporting each other must be a priority. Embracing training, attending events to support our own learning and networking to form new partnerships - all those things that help us grow and be the best we can be - need to be back on the agenda.
The PRCA recognises the importance of its role in this journey. To provide the right support and guidance to help its members maximise the opportunity in front of them. This month alone offers up networking with some of the great PRs in the region at the upcoming Summer Party, invaluable thought leadership through Ethics Month as well as an opportunity to join the conversation as part of our Heard Mentality campaign.
I encourage you to maximise your membership by making the most of PRCA’s support, embrace the ever changing ‘new normal’ and the opportunity in front of us but, most importantly, look after each other and yourself.