This article aims to show to what extent and in which areas the COVID-19 pandemic changed the services available on the public relations (PR) market. In particular, the paper focuses on crisis management and digital PR. The article was based on data obtained from 242 PR specialists. The research was carried out using the CAWI technique in the period April-May 2020, during the largest lockdown restrictions that were recorded in Poland in connection with the coronavirus pandemic. The collected data enabled the verification of a hypotheses stating that during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland, the role of those two PR task spheres was strengthened.
AbstractCare for the external and internal environment of the company, ethics and human resources, as well as the organizational culture, is a crucial element for the importance and competitive advantage of the company. It was especially noticeable during the SARS‐COV‐2 pandemic. Companies began to grapple with difficulties, which contributed to an increased interest in crisis management competencies. The pandemic has permanently changed the functioning of society and the image of many industries, including public relations. The analysis of changes in the demand of companies for CSR‐related activities after the pandemic becomes a valuable element of the direction of innovative research. Recognizing the interest, these aspects of the company were verified. The article uses data obtained in the course of the implementation of three independent research projects realized in Poland. The first study concerned crisis management from the perspective of a public relations agencies. The structures of the offer of public relations services (including CSR strategies) were examined. The responses of some public relations specialists regarding CSR and activities in this area after the COVID‐19 pandemic were extracted from the second research project. The last, third project involved specialists employed in PR agencies. The research area covered changes in the demand of companies for CSR‐related activities after the pandemic and the desired areas of training and personal development, with particular emphasis on CSR. The common denominator of all three projects is CSR campaigns and the way they are implemented by PR specialists.
