Don't Be Distant

“Facing the pandemic, is not what happened matters, it is how we respond.”

―Napz Cherub Pellazo

Millions of searches regarding COVID-19 are now flooding the internet. The worldwide pandemic is obviously a major concern of the public. In the previous post, it is mentioned that public relations is, “convincing the public to pay attention to a certain subject, individual, company, or product by any means necessary.” Currently, worldwide that subject is the Corona Virus, with “breaking news” happening almost every other day.

Globally, there is an average of 102,465 flights a day. Hundreds of thousands of flights are now canceled putting both airlines but also companies that market tourists to plummet. New York Times just recently wrote about the virus’s effect on the travel industry. The article reads, “The toll that the virus is taking on the $688 billion online travel industry is shared by airlines and big hotel chains.” This dramatic downfall in business due to health concerns has everything to do with public relations. Travel companies are looking to their PR teams for a solution to the losses their businesses have endured.

"As a company, sit tight, just like every other industry during this worldwide crisis. This too shall soon pass."

Public relations teams have a difficult job right now. They must understand the industry and market specifically. They look at the facts of the world right now and specifically adjust to the demand in the market. But what if a pandemic like COVID-19 abruptly takes away all demand to travel? Travel companies already have plenty of supply, therefore, PR teams need to find a way to get demand. Honestly, there is no good solution to get people to travel. As a company, sit tight, just like every other industry during this worldwide crisis. This too shall soon pass.

Many companies like Walmart, Target, and other ‘essential’ businesses can still survive and even thrive from moments like this but Bloomberg says “travel agents, operators, and hoteliers are bracing for at least months, if not a full year, of economic disruption from the outbreak, with long-term effects that may ripple well into 2021.” This has not only big corporations and small business owners worried, but many economists are worried about what the future may hold for the remainder of 2020 into 2021. Now all these frightening facts are not the whole story. People will still need to travel and the demand for tourism will go back up. It will take time and that is why PR teams need to look to the future.

This is the important thing to grasp: PR teams are essential to any business big and small. Entrepreneur says, “Whether you are a Fortune 500 company or a startup working out the basement, every business has a story to tell. When a company is ready to create and tell its story, it is essential to have a top-notch PR team.” There are so many benefits from having educated and innovative PR teams but let’s look at a couple of examples of well-played campaigns.

Although you cannot do business with your customers right now, this is a crucial time to stay connected. Though The World Health Organization has highly encouraged social-distancing, you do not have to be distant from your customers and you should not be. Use your PR team to show them that you are still there and that you still care.