A CIPR report tells the story of how public relations has been successfully used during the COVID-19 pandemic through a series of 21 case studies. It’s an uplifting record of the profession’s work.

A series of case studies published by the CIPR showcases how the public relations profession stepped up in the response to COVID-19. The Communicating in a Crisis report records how public relations was successfully deployed during in the pandemic.

Practitioners helped build audiences for research projects, spearheaded hackathons, led the NHS communication response, underpinned support for NHS workers, vaccine uptake, community engagement, and business support.

“Practitioners worked to lift the voices of medics and scientists against the ever-present flood of misinformation so that both politicians and the public can make decisions based on the reality of the virus and its effects,” said Alastair McCapra, CEO, CIPR.

“Practitioners have used their expertise to reach communities who have historical reasons not to trust medics, and to give them the information they need to choose to vaccinate and minimise their infection risk.”

Case studies include examples of how PR has been used to fight misinformation, unite remotely working colleagues, support the vaccine rollout, and support businesses adapt to a new economic environment. The report includes over 60 tips for organisations on how to strategically use public relations when preparing for and responding to a crisis.

COVID-19 NHS response

The Royal Free London was one of the first hospitals in the country to admit patients with COVID-19. Its communications team, in common with teams at NHS Trusts throughout the UK, played an essential role in highlighting the work of frontline staff and in telling the story of the NHS during COVID-19. This included participation in BBC and Sky documentaries about the crisis.

The NHS communications network in the North East and North Cumbria recognised that communication teams were grappling with communicating practical information to the public. A joined-up approach prevented duplication of effort and competition for media coverage and ensured a strong, consistent message across the region. Bringing the teams together during the pandemic was recognised as an important way to create greater resilience and provide a support network for staff.

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust cared for more than 1,000 COVID-19 patients and established two large vaccination centres. To support its work the communications team had to manage the dual roles of providing accurate, up-to-date information to staff and volunteers, whilst also making sure patients, and the wider public, were informed and reassured about their hospital’s response to the pandemic.

Research and vaccine development

The ZOE COVID Symptom Study app was launched at the outset of the pandemic in the UK. Built by a team of developers from health science start-up ZOE, it aimed to provide scientists at King’s College London with real-time data. A joint PR campaign drove usage of the app with two million users signed up within a fortnight of launch.

Oxford University researchers played a leading role in the global fight against COVID-19. Its public affairs team was tasked with positioning Oxford as a global centre of expertise in health research and make it the go-to information source for media and policymakers. The campaign contributed to raise £187 million for research projects.

When the pandemic struck AstraZeneca responded quickly, mobilising its R&D efforts with the aims of identifying treatments for COVID-19. While half their employees stayed at their posts in the labs and manufacturing, the other half joined the millions working from home. A bold internal communications programme empowered everyone in the workforce recognising their contribution to the vaccine effort, driving productivity, and boosting morale.

Support for NHS workers

Agency, Talker Tailor Trouble Maker supported the launch of a new charity initiative by LEON founder John Vincent, actors Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory, and comedian Matt Lucas, all of whom had friends working on the frontline. The initial aim was to reach a £1m fundraising target to help feed NHS staff at least one hot meal a day. The £1m target was exceeded within two weeks. FeedNHS delivered 40,000 hot meals per day to NHS staff across 101 hospitals nationwide.

JustPark, an app which allows users to list their unused parking space for others to book, had access to 45,000 parking locations across the UK and so was in the perfect position to help. A celebrity engagement programme by agency Ready 10 led to more than 13,000 spaces being listed on JustPark for free. Free parking was offered at 450 hospitals, with 2,600 staff booking a space.

Vaccine uptake 

#takethevaccine was an independent video campaign by Media Hive using trusted people from ethnic minority communities to tackle vaccine hesitancy and misinformation with the aim of increasing vaccine rates in Black and Asian communities. Celebrities from minority ethnic backgrounds created powerful video messages. In the immediate aftermath of #takethevaccine, the total number of all people taking their first dose of the vaccine more than doubled, and the rate for those who are Black, Asian or minority ethnic rose at an even faster rate.

College Green Group worked with YouGov to survey Britons attitudes to vaccines. They found both widespread distrust of the vaccine and that some people were being drawn to the fake information proliferating online. These insights helped to refine the focus of the campaign welcoming conversations with those who are vaccine hesitant rather than criticising or vilifying them.

Community engagement

When the reality of lockdown became clear, the Scouts devised #TheGreatIndoors with the aim of helping young people keep learning and exploring throughout lockdown. At the heart of the campaign was a digital hub. This free, accessible resource launched on the day schools closed and was packed with activities for parents to try with their children. 80% of Scout groups continued to meet and volunteers delivered over 1.2 million hours of Zoom calls.

Adopt-a-Grandparent aimed to reduce loneliness through building new, supportive friendships whilst helping the public learn about care homes. It was initially devised as a local initiative, creating face-to-face meetings between CHD Living residents and volunteers. However, the boom in video calling could be used to create virtual visits and, with the technology removing geographical restrictions, could bring visitors from across the world into care homes. More than 82,000 volunteers signed up from across the world, with ages ranging from one to 85.

Business support

The COVID-19 business support schemes helped save millions of jobs. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) supported employers to pay wages; the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS), helped the self-employed stay afloat; and Eat Out to Help Out (EOTHO) boosted hospitality revenues. These high-profile campaigns saw the HMRC communications team working alongside those tasked with delivery to implement the new schemes successfully and quickly. More than 11 million jobs were supported, and 2.2 million grants paid.

In August 2020, Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) launched The Big Conversation: Helping Britain Recover, to support Britain’s economic recovery from the impact of COVID-19. It gathered more than 900 people, including industry leaders, local politicians, and experts in virtual sessions across the UK to discuss the impact of the pandemic and the support required to move forward. Insights from these sessions were then taken to 12 virtual, regional roundtables where they were discussed by over 140 politicians, policy specialists, trade bodies, charities, and local experts.