We’re now settling back into what is shaping up to be a defining year, not just for the world at large but in particular for the PR world. The Microsoft AI Tour gave us a glimpse of how the future of corporate might look, we’re entering into a new world of geopolitics and the way we consume and interact with news continues to evolve.

Synthesising this down to how the PR industry fits into this changing world prompts us to pontificate over how transparency and authenticity play a role in corporate communications, the utility of advanced AI and how crisis communications seems to be evolving into a new era of execution.

Let’s start with the buzzword of the moment: AI. As professional storytellers, PR practitioners have, for the past few years, balanced the tightrope between developing content that is genuine and authentic and embracing the efficiencies that generative AI brings in content creation. According to PR NewsWire’s recently published 2024 State of the Press Release Report, just over a quarter of PR practitioners (26 per cent) claim they use Generative AI to help draft press releases, with another 42 per cent reporting they don’t currently but am open to using the technology, leaving only 32 per cent not intending to use it in future.  

Given that ChatGPT only launched in November 2022, this represents a profoundly accelerated change in how an entire industry operates. Moreover, this has coincided with unprecedented shifts in consumer demands, employee expectations and the role of technology and automation. The PR industry must adapt, or risk being left behind.

Looking to data intelligence, the automation of information gathering and analysis is set to embed itself in how management decisions are made, enhancing efficiency and altering the official company messaging that will eventually be broadcast for the general public’s consumption.

This leads us deeper into the concepts of trust, transparency and authenticity. With social media continuing to play such a key role in our lives, consumers are becoming more and more sophisticated and subsequently hold brands to a higher standard. Authenticity is set to be a hot topic in 2025 and brands who fail to manage their corporate reputation to this end are likely to encounter the ire of the general public. Authenticity must form a key part of any corporate messaging and storytelling.

The scope of PR is also set to change in 2025, in line with the changing nature of news media and how the general public obtain their sources of news and information. Mass media and tier one outlets are jostling for position with more localised news outlets and the PR industry is poised to dive deeper into target audiences and target outlets that have a more niche engagement.

Finally, the industry as a whole must look at the changing nature of crisis communication. 2025 is set to be the intersection of low levels of trust in corporations and surging access to massive volumes of information. When a crisis does arise, corporations must make an assessment quickly and craft a message that is tailored to the specific stakeholders affected. Messages should be communicated with a strong underpinning of empathy, responsibility and trust. Stakeholders now expect real time updates via social media and senior spokespeople must be ready to engage with media at a moment’s notice.

To ensure success in 2025, the PR industry must position itself as technologically sophisticated, culturally savvy and authentic in its operations.

To learn more about how to cultivate your PR goals for a successful 2025, contact us at [email protected]