PR TRENDS FOR 2018

With shifting media landscapes and innovative social media tools the way we approach media is changing and PR consultants will see some major industry changes this year.

1. PRESS RELEASES CONTINUE TO LOSE ITS VALUE

Press releases become less and less relevant. While brands may be publishing for more news announcements than ever their impact and popularity amongst target audiences continue to lessen every year.

2. THE SUPPORT FROM SPECIALITY FIRMS WILL BE REQUIRED MORE THAN EVER

PR discipline is challenging by default as it requires a lot of multitasking. Trying to juggle crisis management, copywriting, media relations, event management and client management activities is a challenge.  Clients of PR firms will have bigger expectations of what they can deliver therefore in some cases it is efficient to either hire more specialists or to work with third party suppliers. In house marketers will definitely need to work with an agency to delegate at least some of their marketing campaign scope.

3. PR CONSULTANTS WILL NEED TO UNDERSTAND CLIENT’S BUSINESS OBJECTIVES AND PUSH BACK

PR professionals need to identify real business struggles of their clients that require addressing. Market intelligence, political factors, changing audiences, competition and a lot of other factors can influence the outcome of PR campaign and choosing irrelevant approach will only cause damage. PR consultants need to push back when necessary and advise their clients against campaigns or activities that won’t drive any ROI even if it means dropping the project.

4. PR CONSULTANTS TO EMBRACE INNOVATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI is already affecting what content brands want to show their consumers on social media feeds. The news we are getting are becoming tailored to us, digital marketing campaigns are much more targeted. PR experts need to embrace Artificial Intelligence based platforms and incorporate them into their clients’ digital campaigns in order to see measurable results.