Edelman’s recent survey of 250 senior communication leaders across the US and other regions evaluates the corporate communication function amid COVID-19.
Corporate communication across organisations pivoted to listening and engaging stakeholders, customers, employees, suppliers, and the national government to manage the crisis. Topics like environment, diversity, mental health made their way to the public discourse, necessitating a brand response.
More communication executives guided the management function, as 46% of senior communicators reported to the CEO during COVID-19. According to over three-quarters of the respondents, this changed the public relations perception as a strategic business driver in 2020.
Communication leaders acted as change agents in the pandemic and prioritised being the value creators. As a result, communicators evolved to manage employee engagement, steer the brand narrative, and gain expertise in new areas like risk, management, and more.
