Remember a few months ago when the biggest worry for many businesses was the B word? We were planning ahead, looking to the budget, keeping an eye on our new government and wondering about the possible impact of Brexit. And then suddenly we were extras in a Steven Soderbergh movie, and Covid-19 challenged everything we thought we knew about running a business.

For the last few weeks,  as HR Directors and HR business owners know from direct experience,  many businesses have been fire-fighting: making provision for team members working from home; analysing the various forms of government help and evaluating how best it can be applied in our individual organisations; projecting the immediate and the longer-term financial impacts. Simultaneously, we’ve had new plates to spin at home: how best to look out for vulnerable relatives and friends; learning what two metres looks like; adjusting to one-way systems in supermarkets; unexpectedly being tasked with amusing and educating children—all day, every day.

The world is different. But not unrecognisably so. The future we thought we were heading for is different too. But it is more likely to be one with fully stocked pasta shelves than Hunger Games. So, when we get back to normal, or become accustomed to a close-as-we-can-get-to-normal interim period, you and your business need to be fit-for-purpose. And you will need to make sure your customers know it.

The time for PR moving up the list of priorities will vary from business to business. For some, it is vital to maintain profiles right now, for others it is wiser to let the dust settle. But whatever the timing, whatever the budget, sooner or later, you are going to want to get out the message that you are ready to provide services and/or products and to hire new staff.

Should Boards of Directors, and owners of HR businesses be finding time to think about and plan this now? Absolutely. Here’s why:

People are listening
Inevitably, sales of newspapers and magazines are down, as people cannot physically purchase them easily. Sadly, some publications, such as City AM, have temporarily suspended their print editions. Print media is suffering.

However, as many people have a lot more time on their hands, radio audiences have gone up considerably. According to Radio Today: Global says that there has been a significant increase in connected radio listening, with daily reach up 15% and hours up 9%, between 9-17 March. LBC displayed the most notable growth, with its daily reach growing 43% and listening hours increasing 17%.

Online publications have also seen their readership increase dramatically, with the Mailonline editor claiming a 50% increase in visitors to its homepage.

Journalists are listening
Inevitably, businesses have not been focusing on PR in recent weeks and, frankly, most of the press has been focused on the ‘here and now’ of the virus. However, journalists are well set up for working from home—many already did, pre-Covid-19—so they are looking for relevant content ideas going forward. With fewer press releases coming in, they are more receptive than usual to those they do receive. Provided, as always, those releases are right for them.

If, a few months ago, you felt that you were a small fish in a big pond when contacting media outlets, these days , if you are in touch with journalists, you may still be a small fish, but your pond is far emptier. You are more of a catch.

Like nothing we’ve seen before
The world being caught in the grip of Covid-19 is extraordinary, but we have been through economic uncertainty before (for example, the 2008 financial crisis) and in these circumstances, similar patterns are found. Amongst the most notable is that businesses that can and do invest in PR at the time of a crisis almost always fare better in the longer term. Analysis of crises also reveals the same three phases.

THE THREE CRISIS PHASES
Here is what you should be doing at each point of the current crisis and why.

Phase 1: crisis is happening
Unless you are at the frontline of the news, there is not a vast amount you can do here, other than offering advice and consolation. Make your contribution relevant and sensitive.

If you are a health company with proper insight into what is happening, offer advice on how to keep well in the circumstances. If you are an accountant, offer practical advice on how people should protect their finances. If you can offer advice on how people can maintain their mental health at a time like this, do so. If you have insight into entertaining and/or educating bored children, now is the time to get it out there. Also, if you have a product that is particularly relevant do make sure people know about it. If you can offer an effective delivery method that others can’t, make sure the people that can benefit from it are aware of it.

To be clear, this is not about profiteering. The majority of people are stuck at home and, if your product or service can benefit them, let them know it is there. If you can afford it, help them out by offering as much of a discount as you can. This is the right time to be helping others as much as possible. Your efforts will be remembered.

Phase 2: the end is in sight
At this stage, the end of lockdown and the crisis is close. From a PR perspective this time is critical.

Planning and activity are on the increase. Businesses are starting to re-open, and those that remain closed are about to put their recovery strategies into action. People are feeling more positive. They are thinking about the next few months and what they will be doing. In other words, the pond is getting busier.

If you have been visible (for the right reasons) during phase 1, then you will be in a much stronger position; you will have the profile of a bigger fish. You need to maintain and grow your position, which means keeping up your PR efforts with as much helpful advice-based content as possible.

If you have been quiet during phase 1, then it is important to start making yourself visible again. Useful, relevant advice is the best way forward, so you will have been wise to have spent some time during phase 1 thinking about what people will want and need during phase 2 and working out how best you can provide that. Also focus on positive stories about your business: how you survived and your plans for the future are worth considering. There will be an appetite for good news.

Phase 3: the recovery phase
People are going back to work, they have money in their pocket again, and the kids are back at school. While things are not quite how they used to be (some things may never be the same again), people can live lives that feel familiar and normal: eating out; visiting places as a family; getting a haircut. People are customers again.

And this will see businesses resuming spending their marketing budgets. For those business profiles that disappeared, budgets will have to work far harder to gain traction. But for those that managed to be present throughout the previous stages, they will have acquired big fish status.

Now is the time for Boards of Directors and HR business owners to encourage a focus on PR to maintain business profiles. This will mean that when we get back to normal, or a close-as-we-can-get-to-normal interim period, the business is fit-for-purpose and in touch with customers and other stakeholders