The year 2021 was a time full of challenges, undoubtedly influenced by the ongoing pandemic. Ewelina Puławska summarizes the past year in the public relations industry and at the Good One PR agency.
Important changes
Research by the EXACTO team confirms that the industry public relations is rebuilding stability despite the pandemic crisis. In 2020, we learned to work remotely and in hybrid modes. For many companies, even in our industry, this was a novelty. Surprised by the change forced by the pandemic, we tried to adapt efficiently to the new reality. Last year, this type of work became standard. A standard that was improved and accepted as the new norm.
At the same time, internal communication in companies improved, requiring a refreshed approach and the adoption of new tools in the current situation. Digital transformation helped with this and accelerated significantly in Polish companies. The pandemic assigned it the highest priority and taught us that to succeed one must be not only customer-focused but also open to change.
New phenomena/surprises
The influencer marketing market is developing at a surprisingly rapid pace. The number of campaigns conducted in cooperation with online creators and the quality of the offered services are increasing. At the same time, mega- and macro-influencers started losing brands’ interest in favor of micro- and nano-influencers. The priority remains authenticity, an engaged community, and proper matching.
In 2021, UOKiK examined influencers’ activities. The Office intends to regulate the sponsored content market – verifying if creators properly mark advertising materials and do not mislead their audiences. Currently, an explanatory proceeding is ongoing in this matter, and the first significant change is already visible – influencers more frequently and visibly label materials created in cooperation with brands. UOKiK will also check if influencers promote scams. Creators influence the behavior and mental health of their audiences, which is why it is so important that they use this influence for good. I consider this an important step toward market professionalization.
Disappointments
A definite disappointment of the past year was the communication related to COVID-19 vaccinations and the ineffective fight against fake news, which was particularly abundant on this topic. Educating the public should be a priority here. Unfortunately, considering how many people are vaccinated in Poland and how much these numbers differ from other European countries, I evaluate these communication efforts as the biggest disappointment of the past year.
In this context, it is also worth mentioning the very strong and engaged anti-vaccine movement, which can often be a challenge for those responsible for brand image.
Good One PR
The year 2021 marked the twelfth year of our agency operating in the market and the second in the new pandemic reality. We continued to combine remote work with creative meetings in the office, where, besides coffee conversations, we could exchange ideas and positive energy. Teamwork and understanding the client’s needs are key to us.
We are pleased with the tenders won last year, including for the Coccodrillo brands, the company Glosel (brands Bee.pl and TaniaKsiazka.pl), and HempKing, and even more so – another year of activities with our existing clients, such as Wurth Polska, Chocolate Story Chocolate Manufactory, Kontigo, Speedmail, Novakid, and BookEdit. We completed several project collaborations and for another consecutive year conducted pro bono activities for the Culture Without Barriers Foundation.
Our team has grown with additional excellent specialists. We ended 2020 with a team of 9 people; now there are 12. Equally important is the development within the agency itself. In 2021, the following people were promoted within the company: Ewelina Jaskuła and Ilona Rutkowska took on the role of Account Manager, Jakub Macyszyn became Account Executive, and Grzegorz Koper and Anna Bukowska became Junior Account Executives.
Industry Awards
In 2020, we made our debut in the biggest PR industry competition – Złote Spinacze (Golden Pins). Last year we participated again and submitted the sweet crowdfunding campaign Las Vegan’s. It was awarded the Golden Pin in the ‘food sector’ category and the Bronze Pin in ‘financial PR and investor relations’. Meanwhile, in the new industry competition PR Wings, we took 1st place in the ‘efficiency of the year’ category and received a distinction in ‘PR innovation of the year – next generation campaign’. This is a wonderful recognition of our work by an independent panel of public relations experts.
According to the Kantar Polska study, we remain one of the best-rated agencies, where clients particularly appreciate the overall service standard, cooperation with us, and media relations. We hope it stays that way!
