It has been one of the surest ways for a Communications professional to reach the C Suite: Show the kind of business acumen and crisis management skills that puts CEOs, CFOs, and boardrooms at ease.

However, 2020 has demanded something different. We’ll call it “Societal Acumen” – the ability to discern what today’s societal currents mean for businesses and their stakeholders. Communications professionals have never needed it more.

As B2B buyers become increasingly mistrustful of traditional advertising, they are relying on research and gathering relevant information before reaching out to a vendor. At the same time, information overload has buyers relying on peers, experts and industry influencers more than ever. So how can technology and B2B brands leverage this shift in the landscape to their advantage? 

As COVID-19 remains as the single biggest issue across the globe, with its impact growing and far-reaching to all corners of the world, Zeno Group initiated an online seminar to discuss its influence on people, business and social behavior. The role of communications was also discussed – how it has evolved as an important element to business and lives than ever before.

In a first of its kind global study, The 2020 Zeno Strength of Purpose study draws a direct correlation between brand purpose and bottom line impact. Consumers are four to six times more likely to purchase from, trust, protect and champion companies they believe have a strong Purpose.

“Christ…!”. This was Prime Minister Johnson’s reported reaction to being informed over the weekend that 3.5 million jobs were at risk in the hospitality sector if Britain failed to reopen for the summer. In this moment, Johnson probably recognised a stark reality – the number of unemployed people within the hospitality sector could be double the entire economy’s unemployment figure for 2017. In the face of this kind of extreme economic strain, the media and public have intensified their scrutiny of the government’s plans to get people back to work and revive the economy.

As we cross the 50-day mark since COVID-19, it has become abundantly clear that tracking public sentiment towards the pandemic is far from simple. Sketched on a chart, it looks like an unpredictable roller-coaster, and yet - could there be some value in understanding the measure a little better?