As 2021 winds to an in depth, we thought it will be fascinating to look again on the matters we lined and what resonated essentially the most with our viewers—you!

1. Are we prepared for in-person occasions and conferences?
This text was written only a few months after the primary COVID-19 vaccine was administered in America, when many people have been feeling extra optimistic than in 2020.

We cited statistics from a number of research on enterprise journey, digital conferences, and normal shopper journey. These main indicators proved true and continued to enhance for the remainder of the yr — that’s, till only in the near past because the Omicron variant threatens to set us again.

NOTE: We reported updates on the state of the journey and tourism trade in April, with a forecasted outlook primarily based on initially excessive vaccine uptake charges; Could, which centered totally on airways, resorts and cruises; and once more in September, with the addition of world journey. These updates have been all very talked-about (particularly with journey public relations and advertising and marketing professionals) and collectively garnered hundreds of views.

2. Code-switching within the office and the significance of constructing resilience.

In honor of Black Historical past Month, The Plank Heart and PRSSA hosted an enlightening variety, fairness and inclusion webinar centered on office challenges of code-switching, masking and assimilation.

Visitor speaker Brandi Boatner mentioned code-switching and the Black expertise within the US and the way it manifests within the office. She defined that the results of utilizing code-switching as a ‘coping technique’ is commonly exhaustion, burnout, emotional stress, and the shortcoming to be absolutely productive.

Visitor speaker Dr. Nilanjana Bardhan identified that whereas code-switching is common in our society, it’s particularly prevalent within the PR occupation, the place the trade is sort of 90% white. In addition they supplied useful ideas for individuals who don’t have to code-switch.

3. Influencer tendencies for 2021 that PR professionals ought to know.
Influencer advertising and marketing has been on the rise for a number of years, however all of the previous (unofficial) tips are altering. Mega- and macro-influencers began to lose traction to micro- and nano-influencers. The influencer advertising and marketing trade is about to be value greater than $13 billion in 2021.

So, in case you thought the rise of influencers was only a fad, assume once more! We shared our high 5 influencer tendencies again in January (2021), and on reflection, most have proved true. With 63 % of customers trusting influencers’ opinions over what manufacturers say about themselves, the trade isn’t slowing down anytime quickly.

We additionally did a follow-up piece on the ever-changing influencer trade with new tendencies, together with the rise of the 50-plus influencer and the dearth of variety in influencer advertising and marketing and content material creators.

4. Celebrating influential girls in PR throughout Ladies’s Historical past Month. The Museum of PR hosted a webinar on PR girls who modified historical past by making use of the craft of public relations in civil rights, girls’s rights, and financial equality for ladies.

The audio system didn’t draw back from one of many largest points within the communications and public relations trade — that ladies make up between 60 and 80 % of the PR workforce, but solely 20 % occupy senior management positions. The dearth of variety in management was additionally reviewed.

5. Media pitching greatest practices. In the event you realized media relations ‘again within the day,’ you might be undoubtedly comfortable to know that the fundamentals haven’t modified a lot — past the (hopefully) not used tactic of “spray and pray.” We really helpful 5 inquiries to ask your self earlier than pitching a narrative.

We additionally mentioned the truth that, like PR professionals, journalists are doing extra with much less. They’re masking extra topics, reporting on extra tales — and in lots of circumstances additionally creating weblog posts, opinion items and podcasts, they usually’re doing it with shorter deadlines.

6. Navigating COVID-19 vaccine communications efficiently.
The Institute for Public Relations (IPR) reviewed greater than 100 analysis research to develop a Communicator’s Information to COVID-19 Vaccines, which outlines the analysis, theories, and fashions together with 17 recommended-driven findings for corporations and organizations to make use of when speaking concerning the COVID-19 vaccine.

As a result of we all know your time is effective, we summarized the important thing findings from the 44-page information for you.

7. COVID-19 taught us the significance of digital transformation.
Whereas digital transformation was not rather more than one other line merchandise in budgets and agendas, the pandemic catapulted it to a high precedence and drove a dramatically accelerated timeline.

Digital applied sciences, particularly those who decreased face-to-face interactions, skyrocketed, and plenty of corporations have been unprepared for these shifts in each operation and communication. The period of COVID-19 has taught us that we have to be each customer-centric and agile for future success.

8. PR job search suggestions in the course of the pandemic and recommendation for PR graduates’ job search have been each extremely learn articles. As was the newer story we wrote on how the Nice Resignation is impacting the PR trade.

Since I contemplate myself a psychological well being advocate and ally, I might be remiss if I didn’t point out that psychological well being (particularly stress, burnout, nervousness, melancholy) and total worker wellbeing was and continues to be a extremely mentioned topic in lots of sectors, together with journalism and the PR and communications trade. You’ll discover these phrases peppered all through a excessive variety of our tales on the finish of 2020 and all through 2021. I think we’ll be speaking about these similar issues within the coming yr.

Whereas we didn’t embody a few of our newest posts (like whether or not AI is changing people in PR measurement), this record appears to well-reflect the largest matters (outdoors of politics) PR and communications professionals have been discussing in 2021.

We hope you loved this overview of the yr’s high posts and maybe discovered one thing that advantages you now.

Now we flip to you, pricey reader. What would you prefer to see us cowl in 2022? Drop us a word within the feedback beneath or, in case you want, give us a shout-out on Twitter at @BurrellesUS.