PR trends for 2019 + companies that are following suit

Nani Walker

Here are some of the biggest trends in public relations for the year 2019 and companies that are practicing them.

Taking a stance on issues that is organic to the company.

Although taking a stance on an issue will not guarantee success, an organization that speaks out on issues can be positively impacted by the audience’s support. Sprout Social created a survey known as “Championing Change in the Age of Social Media.” The study revealed almost two-thirds of consumers want companies to take a stand on social or political issues. Risk comes with the territory, but brand engagement can increase by companies speaking out on important topics. Especially on social media, where Sprout Social found that around 58 percent of consumers were receptive to these types of messages. The organization must stay true to itself in order to increase brand engagement. In the past, brands shied away from engaging with issues, but big companies like Starbucks and Nike have become more comfortable with supporting their customers values and beliefs. Brand loyalty was increased for both brands with customers who also believed in what the company’s message relayed.

Brand experience increasing consumer engagement.

The ability of a consumer to engage with a brand can grab the audience’s attention and increase brand loyalty. Virtual and augmented reality tools elevate a consumers marketing experience, a concept many companies are currently working to include in their campaigns. Consumer engagement directly leads to customer experience, and according to a report by CICSO, “70 percent of purchasing decisions will be based on the consumer experience.” Engaging and communicating customers can be done by direct contact or social media campaigns. Disney Parks has done a good job of brand experience and is continuing to expand with a Star Wars branch.

Humanizing your brand.

Many consumers have a natural distrust for brands, so humanizing a company can connect brands with consumers to overcome this distrust. Empathy can go a long way so consumers know that brands know what they feel and reach a bigger audience. Relating to people in a way that they understand can increase engagement and lead to brand loyalty. Forbes came out with an article that showcased multiple ways to effectively humanize your brand on social media. Brands need to be able to call themselves out on mistakes with personalized messages, not some template that they copy and pasted whenever customer tweets or emails them. Spotlight on the actual human employees and their stories can put a face to a name for the public to see behind the scenes. Using social media influencers can also help influence sales because of studies by Geometry Global that found that people trust social media influencers with product purchase.

Brands being transparent and authentic.

Fake news has become a growing problem causing a distrust of brands and media in general, especially in huge name-brands that exist worldwide. Consumers crave brands that are real and do not hide behind a screen. Brands being vulnerable and showcasing their processes makes the audience feel that they can trust the brand. Showing the public the behind the scenes processes can make a brand seem more sincere.

The companies that are following these trends have brought increased success.

1. Nike

Although Nike faced extreme backlash following their stance of Colin Kaepernick, they also brought in huge support. Time claims that “despite outrage, Nike sales increased 31 percent after Kaepernick ad.” The recent endorsement of the former NFL player made Nike a highly controversial brand, leaving many consumers angry enough to boycott the company. There are risks and benefits that come with taking a stand, since companies cannot please everybody but Nike proved that customer support can outweigh the backlash.

2. Marvel Entertainment

Marvel used social media campaigns to promote Deadpool, bringing in $135 million opening weekend. The “12 Days of Deadpool” campaign leading up to the trailer release brought in engagement with consumers. MoviePilot CEO Toni Bauckhage told CNBC, “I haven’t seen any movie like that that has such a big positive buzz on YouTube at this scale.”

3. Wendy’s

Wendy’s is very active on social media with customer complaints. Wendy’s takes the time to respond to customers in a way that is personable and leads consumers to believe that they care. Wendy’s presence on social media has also increased due to the sassy tweets they respond with to customers. Consumers seem to love the brand interaction, giving Wendy’s thousands of likes to some of their tweets.

4. McDonald’s

McDonald’s food has always been questioned for being real by customers. The myths have been passed down generations about the food being served. In McDonald’s Canada’s “Our food, your questions” campaign, they dived into the rumors that have brought negative response to their food. The campaign allowed concerned customers to publicly ask questions, leading to over 42,000 questions. These questions and video footage of their beef processing plant put these rumors to rest.