The next industrial revolution is almost here and by all accounts, it’s going to be a game-changer. 5G is the next generation of mobile broadband that’ll dramatically increase download and upload speeds as well as decreasing latency. Whilst the rollout has been gradually happening over the past couple of years, the next few years will be critical as the availability of 5G increases. According to a recent report by Research and Markets (2019), Asia-Pacific is on track to become the largest adopter of 5G by 2025.

5G has the potential to allow anything and everything to be connected and accessible via the internet – think your fridge registering that you have run out of milk and can place an online shopping order without you having to lift a finger.

It may sound simple however the arrival of 5G and it’s increase bandwidth, will open up doors for businesses and consumers across all sectors. The speed of connection is estimated to be 100 times faster than 4G, data will be processed and mined quicker than we ever imagined. Whilst this brings its own problems in terms of security and privacy, data mining allows businesses to better understand their audience and therefore tailor and personalise their content to consumers better than ever.

Not only does 5G enable businesses to access more information, reversely, it enables consumers to find out more about the businesses they are considering engaging or supporting. But what does this mean for reputation management? This increased accessibility opens up a number of risks to clients if they have a controversial past online. If your client has ever posted or commented on something potentially damaging, 5G enables the consumer to delve into the deepest depths of their past. It is predicted there will be an algorithm developed that does the searching for consumers and provides a credibility score for brands.

Our suggestion? If you know there is damaging material on one platform, even if it currently takes hours to find, delete it. If the material has potentially spread across multiple platforms, then it may be better to delete your profile across all and start afresh. PR professionals must get comfortable with asking clients the tough questions and be prepared for what dirt may be dug up and brought into the forefront.

5G does bring positives for the industry and clients too. 5G will enable PR professionals to understand payment habits, social commentary and the collective subconscious of the target audience, meaning our relations and targeting can be more personalised. The threat of fake news will also lessen due to the accessibility of information and ease of credibility checking. With the influx of information available for consumers, brands will need to ensure their messages don’t get lost in the crowd by using creative, interactive and engaging content. The role of influencers is also likely to be key as consumers look for meaningful content that resonates with them, so it is worth building up those relationships ahead of the increase. Now is the time to ensure your clients are building a solid foundation of ethical searchable content that aligns with their brand narrative.

Overall, 5G opens up a range of possibilities for clients as well as some potential risks. There is no stopping what has been described as the next industrial revolution, so we may as well embrace it and utilise the extensive opportunities it provides.