As digital technology continues to evolve and the media morphs, the PR profession is also quickly transforming. PR leaders must be agile, informed and open-minded, especially as the PR and marketing functions blend into one communications powerhouse.
According to “The Future of the PR Industry: Research Report” that my company Brandpoint released, 96% of PR professionals surveyed have seen marketing and PR integrate further in 2024. The trends in this annual report can empower PR professionals to work better in integrated teams and use the most effective tactics to drive their initiatives.
From our survey, here are three trends that we expect will transform PR over the next three years.
AI will bring benefits and risks.
What a time this is to work in public relations, as we try to grasp the potential of generative artificial intelligence. What started as a curiosity became excitement and then anxiety for many — only now are we taking a collective breath and focusing on AI uses that will help us truly be better at our jobs. In our survey of PR professionals, nearly all respondents (98%) said they are using AI this year.
Artificial intelligence was nearly tied with corporate responsibility as the top PR trend that respondents expect to see grow over the next three years. The top uses of AI are all content-centric, such as creating media pitches and copy. Generative AI is also used to take a single piece of content and create different iterations for various audiences.
As Michele Ewing, APR, Fellow PRSA, wrote in the September 2023 issue of Strategies & Tactics, introducing artificial intelligence to public relations could bring many advantages. However, AI also raises ethical dilemmas such as factual errors, misinformation, biases, social consequences, and problems with transparency, privacy and data security.
Managing AI’s downsides could become a huge challenge for the PR profession. When using the technology, practitioners must diligently double-check all sources for truth, accuracy and copyright considerations. PRSA’s recently released “Tackling Misinformation: The Communications Industry Unites” guide is an excellent resource.
Already climbing, PR budgets will increase further.
In public relations, securing budgets is a priority, especially as the industry quickly evolves. The good news is that nearly all respondents to our survey (96%) say their organization’s annual PR budget is increasing in 2024. A similar share of PR professionals (97%) expects their budgets to continue to grow over the next three years.
Why is there such a strong belief that PR budgets will increase? After reports of strong economic growth in 2023, recession worries have lessened. The job market is healthy. In June, the U.S. Department of Labor jobs report showed that “employment activity remains solidly stable.”
Beyond staffing costs, PR budgets are going toward social media tools, content creation, media databases and media monitoring. Backed by bigger budgets, PR pros are trying to engage audiences with tactics previously thought of as marketing plays — further evidence that the two disciplines are merging. Some 97% of survey respondents said they’re highly likely to buy digital ads in the next three years.
Branded content will bring meaningful results.
As PR and marketing converge, fresh strategies and different metrics will be needed. Branded content appeals to both teams, so it isn’t surprising that 80% of respondents said they use the term when discussing their communications tactics and campaigns. Placing branded content in the media hits numerous goals. Branded content fuels the buying journey and is most strategic when used top to mid funnel. The survey results show the powerful influence of branded content media placements delivering meaningful results, with the top two outcomes being boosting brand awareness (55%) and driving targeted traffic (53%).
To supercharge communications efforts, consider branded content options that guarantee high-quality media placements — even better if there are options to engage readers and drive qualified traffic that can lead to tangible results, including measurable outcomes everyone can get excited about.
The future of PR is bright. Embracing these trends will help you succeed. To view the full report, visit Brandpoint.com.
David Olson is senior vice president at Brandpoint, a content-first digital marketing agency that has partnered with the PR industry for the past 25 years.
[Illustration credit: cherdchai]
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