5G – the race is on, are you ready?

Sitting in China, there is no a day that goes by that we don’t talk about what 5G will bring – “revolutionary speed”, “sensory overload”, “data explosion” are familiar terms that we hear every day. Yet as of today, applications using 5G is still limited given the infrastructure has just been implemented in China, but imagination runs wild with all the possible future implications and applications, and we all know how much PR loves to talk about the future and trends.

While we are not 5G technical experts, we are aware of the possible implications that this technology will bring to the field of marketing communications. What’s most important, we believe that for communicators to succeed in the 5G world, one has to have the following mind-set:

Improve technology literacy

Technology is everywhere. Period. Whether you represent a shampoo brand or a dog food company, everything touches technology. Look at our own industry – we saw word processors replacing typewriters, emails replacing faxes. More recently, we are creating content for various mobile platforms, and even using VR/AR telling stories, not to say we are now embracing data/analytics to measure return on investment. As PR professionals are at the forefront of educating audiences about new trends and their impact to society and consumers, we need to be more technology-savvy and be a bridge between technical language and every-day language. So improving technology literacy is a must for every PR professional in the days to come, because the service we provide, will have technology embedded.

Embrace creativity and imagination

In the 4G era, “new species” such as the sharing economy and mobile payment have emerged. It is hard to say how much inspiration can be born in the new fields cultivated by 5G. In the 5G era, innovation via creativity and imagination will continue. Therefore, for PR professionals, we need to really open up our imagination to fully realize the potential of 5G.

For the public relations industry, creativity is the process of using association, intuition, transplantation and other creative thinking methods to build solve a problem while carrying the message. We should blend our artistic sense, fashion and lifestyle sense, common sense with technology and applications to open new worlds to problem solving. “They sky is the limit” will be the motto in the 5G era.

Have a global view-point

Information will spread faster in the 5G era, there is no doubt. While having a local view-point is good for immediate consumer engagement, having a global-view-point is essential because the reach of information will be even faster and wider in the 5G era. A press conference held in China today can be broadcasted cheaply across the world in real-time using just a simple handheld device. Therefore messages need to be both local and global, cultural nuances need to be considered, brand’s reputation need to be considered at a global level. Crisis will come from all corners of the world and PR professionals need to be ready!

True Integration will be the norm

There will be even less clear border between b2b or b2c communication, or digital versus traditional, or online versus offline. 5G is about integration, where 1+1>2. Practices that limit cross-pollination of ideas and creativity will be something of the past. The way we service clients cannot be defined by industry or geography – instead, we should look at the type of problems the client has and bring experts together to SOLVE that particular problem.