By: Lucy Aziz, Senior PR & Communication Manager for GCC, at OPPO

What brands need to deliver more than anything is ‘care and compassion’

The year 2020 will go down in history for many things. It will be remembered for those of us in Marketing and Communications as a year when Public Relations shone. 

Lucy Aziz

In the midst of lockdowns and curfews, brands had to cut back on overt selling and focus more on making consumers feel safe and comfortable in the new environment. Marketing campaigns had to take on a tone of genuine sincerity and compassion without sounding opportunistic. This was a difficult task, and many brands had to rely on public relations to walk the thin line. 

In tough times, when spending is cautious, it is the brands with integrity that people react positively to. 2021 brings with it the opportunity for companies to demonstrate that they are doing good by their employees and society. And this is exactly what I heard at the OPPO Global PR Summit that was held in January this year, kickstarting a promising year for PR. Our belief for 2021, ‘Technology for mankind, kindness for the world’, may seem lofty at first, but our mission to achieve it touches a core – to create technology with heart and soul for every consumer. By integrating technological innovation with a human touch, we believe we will be taking care of our customers’ needs and delivering value.  

In the Middle East, this belief takes on an even deeper meaning where adoption of the latest technologies outpaces several other regions in the world. Working with heart and soul, we strive to bring the global essence of our brand to our local audiences. We call this glocalisation. To meet the fast pace of commercialisation of 5G in countries like the UAE, we have tailored our product offering to launch two 5G smartphones in 2020. In addition, our first launch of 2021 will be an ‘all-5G’ Reno5 series of smartphones, making 5G accessible to more and more people in the region. We aim to strike a chord with the large population of young millennials in the region by fuelling their passions. Another successful ‘glocal’ initiative is our partnership with the global football star, Mohamed Salah, who is a household name in this region, as our brand ambassador for the MEA region. 

From the toils of 2020, it is clear that what brands need to deliver more than anything is ‘care and compassion’. But how do brands communicate this? Adopting communications strategies that better relate to and resonate with consumers requires PR practitioners and communicators to be quicker, smarter and more effective if we are to stay ahead of the game. Here are our guiding principles for this year from a communications point of view: 

The power of purpose. Brands will need to clearly articulate and demonstrate the purpose of the organisation. The purpose is an extension of the company’s values and must address the challenges that consumers are facing today. 

Truthful, authentic acts. Communications programmes that are genuine will strike an emotional connection with communities and help to put a human face to a brand. Brands that are recognised will be remembered. 

Drive change. Communications does not end with the delivery of a message. Consumers today are alert, involved, and expect more. Brands that are seen to influence the environment and prompt action, will resonate with consumers. 

Increase the experiential. While the pandemic threw a damper on events and brand launches, brands still need to find ways for their customers to experience their products and services. Collaborations, video engagement, virtual platforms – the options are many and the competition is fierce. 

Engage. Engage. Engage. The adage ‘out of sight, out of mind’ was never more true today with consumers’ minds occupied with so many pressing concerns of health safety and the future. Continuous engagement is essential to keep your brand top-of-mind and be able to influence purchase decisions. 

Stat alert, stay responsive. We are living in a time of flux. Guidelines and rules are changing in response to the progress of the pandemic. Communications needs to adopt an efficient response mechanism to support the business in driving forward and maintaining pace.  

As we put our heart and soul into delivering the best of technology to our customers, we remain focused on meeting their needs for ultra-fast connectivity, trendy devices and the tools to express themselves on social media. We will work closely with our partner agencies to bring authentic stories to life in engaging ways.  

There is no doubt that 2021 will bring with it a host of new challenges, but I truly believe that this will be the year when PR will take centre stage. People need purpose and brands that can empathise and effectively communicate their care and compassion will flourish too.