This week marked a milestone in the communications industry that, frankly, few of us saw coming.
While many other European countries put guidelines in place slightly earlier, it has now been six months since the UK Government asked people to work from home where possible, and we went into ‘lockdown’, with all of its societal and commercial consequences.
It was also a week when, in the UK, people received the news that social restrictions aimed at preventing the further spread of COVID-19 may be in place for a further six months.
Both give cause for some sombre yet optimistic reflection. But as organisations and their communications teams look ahead to what those next six months will bring, many are also considering what has been achieved – and learned – in the past six.
Some of our clients, and people we talk to, are wanting to take stock of what has been learned about what and how they’ve communicated since March. The consensus is that while it has been an undeniably tough and uncertain period, we have seen many examples of improved practices, heightened awareness of the value of reputation and increased ingenuity. Many are wanting to embrace that for the long-term, and perhaps shed some less effective behaviours.