At a time when the speed of the news agenda is outpaced only by the changing political landscape, it can be hard to plan further than a few days ahead at a time. We have asked our partners within the Brands2Life Global Network to share their expert perspectives on communications in 2020.
Whether helping companies to rebuild trust with consumers, demonstrating ethical credentials, ensuring clear communications across all audience channels or embracing AI in-agency, each region has its own priorities and challenges. The below predictions highlight the specific nuances in each country, but Brands2Life Global can help to turn these challenges into opportunities.
UK – Brands will need to embed ethics into their communications more. It is quite likely that companies will try to outdo each other around who can be the most woke, diverse or inclusive. And the media will be even more cynical about green-washing without genuine weight behind it. The brands that display authentic and credible purpose will win out.
Fake news will continue to be a challenge. We’ll probably see a major story break and spread quickly through deep fakes, which means brands will need to be strong in their purpose and in their communications.
Lydia Howard, Practice Director, Brands2Life
China – The impact of global trade tensions is having a direct effect on our western clients in China; they see a growing sense of reticent and distrust which is starting to eclipse the years of solid relationship and brand building they have done in the region. Nationalism is replacing objectivity, tribalism is replacing independence and loyalty is replacing integrity. There has never been a greater need for constant and clear communication and, yet, perhaps since the opening up of China over 40 years ago, there hasn’t been a less receptive audience.
Jim James, Managing Director, EASTWEST Public Relations
France – With a risk hidden in every single post, companies will need intelligent monitoring platforms to capture the “noise” of their market - and analytical capabilities to turn that noise into information. Agencies proposing actionable AI-based methodologies will be the agencies of the future.
François Ramaget, founder and president, Gootenberg
USA – With 2020 being an election year in the US, we will see brand activism continue to increase. The politically charged environment will give savvy brands the opportunity to demonstrate their cultural relevance and tap into an electric media conversation to generate headlines.
Rene Musech, MD, Brands2Life US
Latin America – Throughout 2020, we expect to see a degree of validity through the media and communications landscape in Latin America. A number of major news publishers are contracting and the political climate in many countries is uncertain, with the arrival of new regimes or social protests. This political unrest is likely to have a negative effect on the balance of the major economies. However, on the bright side we are already seeing a marked increase in demands from edtech, travel tech and fintech companies, and a notable uplift in enquiries from China. Clients are also more responsive to using non-traditional channels to reach their audiences and we would expect to see a far more strategic use of influencer partnerships in the year to come.
Patrick O’Neill, Managing Partner, Sherlock Communications
South Africa – With the evolution in media and closing of more tech titles in South Africa, there is a remarkable shift in the kind of content being created and consumed. We’re seeing a big move from creating content for earned media to owned media channels and believe that this move will continue to grow in the new year.
Ronelle Bester, founder, Red Ribbon Communications
Germany – We are currently in a trust crisis: consumers are increasingly losing belief in some brands – and this has an impact on their profits. Companies lose around 2.5 trillion dollars a year due to the loss of consumer trust. This is why a good PR strategy for 2020 must also include confidence-building measures. A brand must establish itself as a thought leader in its industry or in other areas that matter to the consumer – such as sustainability. Spread the word through trusted voices in your media landscape – recognised experts traditionally enjoy a higher level of trust. One great example of this is how, with deforestation becoming a more important topic in the media and society, IKEA has used this opportunity to position itself as a leader in responsible forestry through its Global Forestry Manager. A brand must also offer additional value in the form of content that illustrates the company's expertise precisely and comprehensibly. By making a brand more relatable and trustworthy, PR can help boost a company's reputation next year.
Matthias Adel, founder, Adel & Link