The changes that the COVID-19 crisis has brought about are pointing the way toward the future of communications, Stagwell Group vice chair Ray Day tells Doug Simon on the latest “PR’s Top Pros Talk” video interview.

The biggest of those changes is how the pandemic has accelerated the move toward digital communications. “Everyone’s been disrupted and everyone now has to learn to not just survive, but thrive in the digital era,” Day says.

He adds that an organization’s success will depend on its being able to incorporate a digital mindset into every aspect of its operation. “You can’t just take digital tools and put them on top of an analog way of working and expect magic to happen. You have to change the workflow, you have to change the process within the company.”

The emergence of such digital tools as Artificial Intelligence makes assuming that digital mindset even more important. While Day acknowledges that AI may make some people uncomfortable, he stresses that learning how to take advantage of the technology is essential. “AI is a tool to help us all get better,” he says. “AI is going to change all of our lives, all of our jobs, but that’s really where you think of digital transformation.”

Day alsop talks about his move to the agency side of the fence after having spent 30 years heading up communications for IBM and Ford. “Communicators have never had a bigger seat at the table,” he tells Simon. “Our role, our importance to a company and organization has never been bigger.”

All of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series can be seen here.

Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected]

D S Simon Media helps clients get their stories on television through satellite media tours and by producing and distributing content to the media. The company also produces live social media events.