Knowing how to read the public’s movements is essential to building a good reputation
One of the principles of New Economy is that companies need to always be up to date, collecting information about what is happening around them (and in the world) to prepare and follow the new movements of their audience.
In the area of Public Relations (PR), the scenario is no different. With an eye on the data, professionals understand the best way to communicate with different profiles of people and how to get the message across accurately to build a good reputation.
“In the New Economy, PR actions are based on data. At iFood, we created tools to search for information, understand the narratives in the media and what influencers are saying. This way, we can translate what this means for the business and convey our message correctly to the most interested public”, explains Manuela Cherobim, Public Relations Manager at iFood.
After all, New Economy PR collects and evaluates information to create a quantitative communication strategy: it is the data-driven PR, that is, Public Relations guided by data in decision making.
Challenges of the New Economy
The first challenge is understanding who the company is talking to. “Today, audiences are diverse and stay in their bubbles. The question is how we can transmit our messages to each bubble”, says Manuela. “To do this, we learned to speak the language of our delivery partners, society, the restaurant and the market.”
Another differentiator of data-driven PR is tracking metrics to understand the effectiveness of communication strategies, not only with the press and influencers, but also with restaurants, delivery drivers and society.
“With data-based studies, we create the best narratives so that each audience understands what we do”, says Manuela. “In the New Economy, communication is not just the press. We work with influencers and opinion leaders from our ecosystem, such as logistics professionals, delivery drivers, colleges.”
Reputation economy
Collecting information also allows the PR area to make an accurate reading of the situation. “We work with data in a disruptive way: we read the news, analyze the material and semiotics and then discover which themes are important for society. This way, we are able to see trends and ride the buzz from the press and influencers to get our message across”, says Manuela.
This look around is important because, in the New Economy, communication is not done from the inside out or in a one-way street. “If there are hot topics outside the company, it may not be the best time to release an important announcement. If we have different themes and the temperature outside is hot and the temperature inside is hot, one of the two will have to cool down in order to be protagonists of our theme with the press and influencers.”
In the New Economy, PR works reputation in a different way. “PR professionals are the guardians of the brand’s reputation,” says Manuela. “We are always concerned about the social impact that our communication generates. Before, it was one-handed. Now, everyone has a voice: delivery people, restaurants, consumers, the press. They are what fuel the reputation economy.”
Manuela adds that there is no successful formula for PR in the New Economy, but rather a Mentality to learn by testing. “We are always experimenting with new forms of communication, different formats, and so we get things right, wrong, and see what the public is engaging with,” he says. “There is still no culture of communication in the New Economy in Brazil. And that’s what we’re doing at iFood.”
