Reshaping in COVID19 Times
The spread of COVID-19 demands global cooperation and support. In an attempt to give a response to the outbreak, starting this month, FIBEP is providing all FIBEP members with best-practice examples and learnings from members located in the most affected areas.
FIBEP Vice President Romina Gersuni from pressrelations and FIBEP President María Laura Garcia from Global News Group conducted a series of video interviews that are being shared as a member exclusive benefit, available on the COVID 19 Project page of the FIBEP’s website.
FIBEP members in seven different countries opened their doors to us; CISION (France), mimesi (Italy), Opoint (Norway), pressclipping (Spain), pressrelations (Germany), Universal Information Services (USA) and XINLIAN (China).
We thank our members for sharing their experience and knowledge!
Within our interview series, a broad topic spectrum was covered, from working structures and communication to operational sustainability, positioning and competition, going all the way through service demand, access to media, fake news and even more.
From the office to home office
With almost no time to prepare all teams had to swift into fully digital working structures. And more often than not, there were no contingency plans in place. Only in a few cases small stress test where executed in advance.
The challenge was not only to organise working structures but to support employees, while simultaneously rescheduling their whole lives.
Clearly the priority in all cases was to reach a smooth transition, while keeping everyone safe and services up and running.
Digital communication, out of the meeting room into the living room
Children, dogs, and no suits. This somewhat odd combination is to be expected if you are on a team and even client meeting these days. With teams and clients being at home, often, a more relaxed and open communication is available.
A great example of things that normally would not happen while at the office can be found on our first interview with Fady El- Murr, Managing Partner and one of pressrelations founders. Watch the video till the end, it is worth it.
Operational sustainability, positioning and competition
In uncertain times, the expression “time is money” is very precise, time will shape the outcomes for our businesses and markets.
At this point financial support is available to some extent for several of our European members, provided by their governments, but this is not the reality for all other regions.
Besides, aspects such as business structures, digital business orientation, connectivity and equipment does or did play a role for many.
Access to media and fake news
This pandemic opened the doors to the term “infodemic”. The WHO explains that infodemics are an excessive amount of information about a problem, which makes it difficult to identify a solution.
Now that traditional media outlets are weakened by the crisis, a call for action is being made, for media Intelligence organisations to define their role #trustinmedia #fakenews.
Service demand and emerging sectors
Dealing with client’s asking for their services to be reduced, put on holed or even cancelled is a reality for all of us.
And this is an aspect that keeps some of our members awake at night. Therefore identifying emerging champions in time might give a north for strategic planning and decisions making.
Would you like to learn more?
Watch our full video interviews that are released weekly to get tips and ideas coming from our members for our members. And do let us know how can FIBEP help you to cope better with this situation.
By Romina Gersuni, FIBEP Vice President