Mumbai: Web 3.0 has indeed taken the internet world by storm. With Facebook heavily investing in metaverse to break barriers and converge online and offline environments, it is set to redefine the way we communicate and interact in the virtual world. Virtual, instead of being separate from the physical world, will penetrate into every aspect of our daily lives with the amalgam of physical and digital data. Web 3.0, also known as the spatial web, will blur the boundaries between digital and physical worlds and this sure will tremendously influence brands’ communication and public relations (PR) efforts in the future.

Starting with Web 1.0 till the advent of Web 3.0, the communication industry has evolved and adapted to changes. But what exactly would be the impact on the communication industry and how can the industry capitalise on new technologies to fine-tune its strategies? Let’s dive a little deeper and understand how communication strategies will shape up in the future and what PR companies can do to stay relevant and optimise their efforts in this era.

A rise in NFT-compatible PR campaigns

An NFT (non-fungible token) strategy is a must in the Web 3.0 era to help brands stay ahead of the competition. Powered by blockchain technology, PR companies can leverage NFTs to create new experiences for customers. NFTs facilitate immersive experiences. It is a unique digital asset that cannot be replicated and PR companies will need to shift their focus on launching NFT campaigns for brands to create exclusivity for customers. NFT campaigns can be a doorway for customers to access exclusive events, gain early access to content, or even discounts and special offers.

Focus on content that appeals to multiple personas

Web 3.0 takes hyper-personalisation to a whole new level. Going forward, PR and communication efforts by brands would be centered on creating content that appeals to multiple personas. There will be a shift towards bite-sized articles; but at the same time these will have enough depth to appeal to the preferences of multiple audiences. That means PR companies will now have to create content that is angled differently for different audiences to provide true value and establish thought leadership.

Customer experience will gain more prominence

While customer experiences have always been important, the advent of Web 3.0 has increased consumer expectations resulting in a greater focus on crafting memorable experiences. PR and communication experts must help brands adopt a more holistic approach towards metaverse. Audiences now expect virtual events that offer a more immersive experience and PR companies would need to conduct virtual events with the same efficiency as they would conduct real events. PR and communication strategies will evolve to become more nuanced, helping brands provide audiences with the ability to participate and even become selective with the content they want to engage.

Transparency and privacy will become more important than before

With concerns looming over data privacy and transparency of data usage, Web 3.0 will see brands channeling their efforts to reinforce user privacy. It also calls for a decentralised structure which means individuals have complete control over their data and can exchange value without getting any intermediaries involved. What does this mean for the PR industry? Well, brands can derive insights from user data with AI and PR companies would need to adjust their strategies to have a more targeted approach. As cookies are slowly being eliminated, PR companies can provide solutions to secure first-party consumer data for brands.

Blockchain will facilitate precise assessment of campaign results

Web 3.0 has led to the rise of encrypted identities which means fake traffic from bots can be easily weeded out. This is critical to measure the actual reach of content published. PR companies can capitalise on blockchain technology to measure the actual impact and calculate ROI. Since brands are relatively new to the benefits of blockchain, PR companies can help them leverage the technology to transfer information securely, protect copyrights and create a safe space which is important for companies in fiercely competitive markets. As blockchain technology will help verify the authenticity of content, PR companies will have to be extremely careful with their content creation process. At the same time, brands creating authentic content will gain better reach without the risk of getting lost amidst a clutter of fake stories.

Web 3.0 has huge implications for the communication industry. While it has already influenced our lives in big ways, we can expect it to further obliterate the boundaries between physical and virtual worlds and open endless possibilities for consumer-brand interactions. The longer it takes for brands and PR organisations to adapt themselves to spatial web technology, the sooner they will lose relevance in this dynamic landscape. Web 3.0 isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a new reality and is here to stay. PR companies adopting these technologies can help their clients achieve the first-mover advantage. 

(About the author - Anindita Gupta is Scenic Communication co-founder)