On April 27, IABC/Toronto hosted a webinar with five communications experts to talk about how to be strategic and agile when approaching evolving trends, cultural shifts and ways of working.
Mandy Gibson, Vice President, IABC/Toronto, introduced the session, moderated by Colleen Ryan, Vice President and Communications Practice Group Lead with Sussex Strategy Group.
Panelists included:
- Lisa Gibson, Head of Communications, Microsoft Canada
- Sheri Morgan, Head of Communications, PepsiCo Foods Canada
- Roberto Sarjoo, Sr. Director of Marketing, Smooth Commerce
- Ryan White, Manager, Communications and Media Relations, Greater Toronto Airports Authority
How the pandemic impacted your organization and changed your role as a communicator
- Microsoft was well-positioned to work from home because of their pre-existing remote work environment. Their immediate response was to focus on employee well-being and ensure communication channels were set up to inform and engage employees quickly. Many in their customer ecosystem were not already set up for remote work. They had to spend time educating people on how to ramp up quickly.
- PepsiCo has a diverse workforce in offices, manufacturing units and truckers constantly on the move, transporting their products. They had to customize their communication for each internal audience segment. Externally, customers were looking for products, and they had to manage customer expectations.
- The hospitality industry was the hardest hit. Restaurants Canada had to communicate to 1.2 million Canadians in the industry when they did not know what was happening. It was 24/7 work because their communications had to change due to frequent changes in regulations.
- The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA)’s Pearson Airport served 50 million passengers pre-pandemic annually. Their traffic was down by 98% during the height of the pandemic. Travellers using the airport were often confused about the changing travel restrictions. Since restrictions were federally regulated, the team had to work closely with the federal government and airlines that faced pandemic impacts and then educate travellers.
Role of messaging and timing in communications
- Communicators needed to be ready with communications as soon as new information was available. Audiences didn’t always look for advice, but they looked for information about what was going on.
- Communications needed to be ramped with information on activities even if no decisions were being made. It was ok not to have an answer, but it made a difference to audiences that there was information to share.
- Communicators leveraged the power of social media to share information, but it also became the source of misinformation and disinformation.
Measurement of progress and success in communication plans
- Though Microsoft employees were ready for a remote work environment, their customers and clients were not. The cadence and customization of communication for each audience group in an easily digestible way was critical.
- Measuring communication was often determined by metrics like open rates, view rates, click rates, shares and comments. On a deeper level, the great resignation sparked a new metric such as retention rates, pulse survey results and when they received individual reach-outs.
- From a wellness perspective, organizations contacted their Employee Family Assistant Program (EFAP) partners to see how much was being used.
- Looking at what other companies are doing and share information among peers.
Communication strategies for small businesses who had limited time and resources to spend on communications programs
- Being ready with base communication techniques, assets, processes and procedures.
- Diligence in honing and repurposing the communication of key messages
- Increasing efficiency in prioritizing communications requests from different stakeholder groups and managing expectations in term of project delivery deadlines.
Return to work communications – what it looks like post-pandemic
- Remote work leveled the playing field for those who do not have a role that requires presence in the office. It became collaborative and inclusive.
- Employees working in smaller offices felt more aligned with employees in head offices, especially when national town halls were organized.
- Ensuring health and safety regulations are communicated and ensuring employees feel safe to return to work.
- Balancing inclusion for those who are present in the office and those working remotely.
The role of data in strategic planning
- There are various sources of data and considering all of them can lead to a rabbit hole. Look at the strategic plans to understand the purpose of the data, what you are looking to achieve and how you will achieve it.
- Data is at the heart of decision-making, but data-driven decision-making was not possible during the pandemic because the historical data was not previously available. The communication was often based on gut feelings that helped humanize it and resonate with audiences.
- There is a sense of normal, but there is still sensitivity involved.
- Be where your audience is and use that platform to connect with the audience.
Important skills for communications professionals in 2022
- Soft skills have been important and will continue to be important
- Strong writing skills who can write for different audiences
- Digital skills since the world are evolving fast in the tech space
- Growth mindset, lifelong and continuous learning to upskilling and staying relevant in the industry and the willingness to learn
- Agile and able to adapt to uncertainty while working calmly under pressure.