What are the top PR trends of 2024 and beyond, and why should businesses care? In the dynamic landscape of public relations (PR), staying ahead of the curve is essential for professionals striving to effectively engage with audiences and shape brand narratives. As we stride into 2024, PR continues to evolve rapidly, fueled by technological advancements, shifting consumer behaviours, and emerging communication platforms.
In this article, we delve into the top PR trends that are poised to dominate the industry this year, offering insights and strategies to empower PR practitioners in navigating this ever-changing terrain. From the fusion of AI and human creativity to the amplification of purpose-driven storytelling, these trends encapsulate the transformative forces reshaping the way organisations connect with their audiences in the digital age.
AI content generation
AI had to be number one in our list of top PR trends in 2024. The buzz surrounding AI remains undiminished, exerting a profound influence on the landscape in 2024. Amid widespread recognition of AI’s disruptive potential, there’s a discernible undercurrent of caution regarding its potential implications for content quality.
AI-generated content is a type of content that is created by utilising AI technology. This means that machines are responsible for generating the content, rather than humans. AI-generated content can take many forms, including articles, social media posts, and even videos. They operate by employing algorithms and machine learning to sift through extensive datasets and information. These datasets encompass a wide array of sources, spanning from news articles to social media updates to customer input. Subsequently, the AI system leverages this data to recognise patterns and produce content tailored to a particular audience, ensuring relevance and precision.
A benefit of utilising AI content generation is that it allows businesses to save time and resources when producing content. This is prevalent, especially in simple social media content where it is often repeated. AI-generated content also allows businesses to manage crises effectively. By enlisting the assistance of AI, businesses can quickly generate and distribute targeted messages without the need for a team of writers.
AI content creation tools are also great for brainstorming, generating ideas, drafting new story angles, and helping specialists get over writer’s block. AI tools can streamline the process of collecting and analysing the data, before drafting up ideas that may assist the writers in drafting quality content. By streamlining processes and eliminating repetitive tasks, AI content enhances operational efficiency, leading to improved productivity and cost reduction. Thus, AI remains in the top PR trends in 2024 and beyond.
Data-driven public relations
In a crowded news landscape, journalists seek fresh stories to tell. Among the topics that catch their attention are data-based narratives. Building storylines from data sourced by research or surveys will enable PR teams to pitch original news. According to a survey done by Cision in 2022, it was discovered that 50 per cent of 3,800 journalists receive over 50 pitches a week via email, phone, and social media. Therefore, it is almost impossible to break through the noise, especially if you’re new to pitching. Winning the attention of a journalist is key to getting your story out there.
Data-driven PR is a straightforward yet formidable approach and thus deserves a mention in the list of top PR trends. It entails utilising data collected from avenues such as market research or surveys to inform your PR or marketing tactics. Consequently, data guides your decision-making process, frequently leading to heightened performance in campaigns. Businesses utilising data-driven PR will be able to create quality stories that will resonate with journalists and their readers.
Data-driven PR is an important one of the top PR trends, and it can help you amplify your reach. It can also help you understand exactly what both your audience and journalists are seeking. Data not only shows you what success looks like; it gives you the tools to make your story successful. Incorporating reliable and quantifiable data into your communications, acts as evidence of previous success, instilling confidence in consumers of the brand.
Purpose-driven communication
Companies are no longer solely judged based on their product and services. Values, social commentaries, and societal contributions help shape public perception, defining the brand according to its contributions to society. In an era characterised by an increasing number of global, social, and humanitarian challenges, what brands communicate holds significant importance. Manoeuvring through these challenges necessitates companies and their executives to carefully weigh the reasons and outcomes of taking a public position on issues that elicit strong emotions and opinions. Thus, purpose-driven communication is among the top PR trends this year and beyond.
In recent times, the shifting nature of consumers’ mindsets has led consumers’ preferences to be heavily influenced by the values of the brands. Historically, when forced to make a trade-off between affordability and sustainability, consumers prioritised the price of the products and services rather than the value that they bring to society. However, based on a recent study of global consumers by the IBM Institue for Business Value (IBV), 51 per cent of respondents said that environmental sustainability is more important to them in comparison to 12 months ago, with 77 per cent of consumers sharing a desire to make more sustainable choices at home.
Therefore, these purpose-driven consumers, who choose products and brands based on their alignment of values with them now represent the largest segment of consumers at 44 per cent. Despite the consumers’ willingness to purchase a premium for more sustainable products, they still voice their discontent if the actions of the purchased brand are not aligned with their intent. Their steadfast commitment to sustainability leads them to judge brands not only based on their actions towards sustainability but also on the brands’ commitment to solving the sustainability issue presented.
Rising importance of digital PR
Digital public relations is a strategy used to increase awareness and visibility of your brand through online channels and is emerging as one of the top PR trends this year. Digital PR is similar to traditional PR but it offers the opportunity to reach more people in a measurable and targeted way. Digital PR serves as a potent tactic enabling companies to communicate directly with their desired audience regardless of time or location. Engagement and information sharing help facilitate the initiation of conversations that refine your messaging and accelerate the dissemination of news and updates.
Digital PR utilises social media platforms and online channels to disseminate information to its readers. The significance of social media platforms is proving to be imperative in driving companies’ PR brand stories toward the general public, ensuring the narrative of the brand resonates with the consumers. The fierce rivalry between competitors on online channels has sparked a tug-of-war to win over the SEOs and Google algorithms to come out on top with increased visibility as compared to other competitors.
What do these top PR trends tell us?
In summary, the PR environment in 2024 reflects significant changes and inventive approaches tailored to thrive in a world growing more intricate and interconnected. Embracing the shifts and adjusting to evolving consumer and stakeholder demands enables PR practitioners to steer their organisations toward future success. This entails fostering deeper connections, fostering meaningful interactions, and crafting narratives that capture attention and resonate within an ever-evolving global economy.
If you feel we’ve missed out on any trends in our list of top PR trends, drop us a comment and let us know. As the PR industry evolves rapidly, these PR trends are likely to change as well, as we see the market move.
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