2025 PR Predictions: How To Stay Ahead in a Rapidly Changing World

by Nimesh Davé on Jan 13, 2025 2:15:21 PM

As we welcome 2025, the field of public relations stands at the cusp of continued transformation. At Notified, we remain committed to advancing the technology and expertise that empowers our clients to embrace these changes and achieve meaningful impact.

To set the stage for the year ahead, we engaged with some of the most insightful voices in PR - leaders who have not only observed the trends that defined 2024 but also envision the opportunities and challenges awaiting us in the months to come.

Their reflections offer invaluable perspectives, equipping us to navigate this ever-evolving landscape with clarity, agility and purpose.

Public Relations: 2024 In Review

What were the biggest trends that impacted communicators in 2024? How did it impact your day-to-day work?

“One significant trend that stood out in 2024 was the continued importance of purpose-driven communication. Consumers now prioritize authenticity, genuineness and approachability in brands, making it essential for companies to adopt a purpose-driven approach in their communications. I consistently ask my teams to consider ‘what's the why?’ to ensure our messaging, campaigns, and overall communication consistently highlight our brand values and convey the right sentiment.”

Carly Pennekamp

Director, Brand & Marketing Communications at Paycor

“In the B2B space, one of the unfortunate trends I saw across social media was the AI homogenization of creative/graphics – both at the corporate level and at the individual user level. As AI tools moved more mainstream, or perhaps more accurately, the adoption of such tools became more mainstream, AI-styled graphics made their way with greater frequency across social platforms, LinkedIn, especially. For marketers and corporate communicators, this style is almost immediately recognizable. I’ve been very conscientious to create brand and communications guidelines to ensure Octus is unique and differentiated in the market.”

Drake Manning

Senior Director, Corporate Marketing at Octus

“AI was the defining trend and disruptor for communications professionals in 2024, and it will continue to shape our industry moving forward. When ChatGPT launched in late 2022, there was quite a bit of concern and skepticism among communications professionals. Many questioned whether it should be used and the risks it posed to our industry. While those concerns were certainly valid (and eased, somewhat, in time), it became clear–very quickly–that AI was here to stay. Not only could it help enhance the quality of the work we produce, it could also eliminate persistent but long-accepted roadblocks that limit creativity, slow progress, or, worse, waste time. If 2023 was the year of AI experimentation, 2024 was the year of integration and acceleration.”

Brittany Bevacqua

Managing Director, NY at Gregory FCA

Top PR Predictions for 2025

What are your predictions as we head into the new year?

“In 2025, we are going to continue to see a lack of predictability and stability for a variety of industries as Trump comes into office. Regardless of where you are on the political spectrum, Trump has never been one to follow the rules or tradition. That means that it's hard to predict how new policies, regulations, markets or public opinion will be influenced while he's in office. Therefore, companies may be more cautious in making financial commitments and investments in public relations and marketing if they don't feel they have strong visibility on the horizon.

The news industry will also continue to be fragmented and biased. Over the past decade, but in the past 18 months, we've seen news outlets that were once considered objective and reliable sources become more and more focused on reporting through a particular lens and catering to a specific audience with unified beliefs. This has led to a silo effect - whereby individuals only believe and accept news from sources they 'agree' with that confirm their world view. This makes it harder for organizations to communicate the 'truth' to a public that increasingly won't accept information that doesn't confirm their previously held beliefs. It will require communicators to work harder to gain trust directly from their stakeholders, news outlets across the spectrum and individuals or organizations that have influence over their target audiences in traditional and non-traditional forms of media.

As social media continues to be a primary news source for large swaths of the population, we will also continue to grapple with misinformation and disinformation on the part of uninformed or intentionally bad actors. With the advent of AI and bots, combating these trends will be even more difficult. This is also an opportunity to focus on personal brand and corporate reputation. If an individual or corporation has a strong, positive reputation and track record, it will help heavily to influence the public. This is where PR people can help build and reinforce positive perceptions to help navigate crises or dissemination of misinformation in the future.”

Sandra Fathi

Founder & CEO at Grey Matter Advisory

“In 2025, I believe the rise of influencer marketing will continue across B2C and B2B, with brands increasingly recognizing the value of authentic and relatable voices in reaching their target audience. PR and marketing professionals will continue to prioritize building strong relationships with relevant influencers and leveraging their influence to amplify brand messaging effectively across networks.”