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As we enter our 20th year in business, it is hard sometimes not to get nostalgic about our roots as a PR firm. Although we’ve added many other services to our offering during the past two decades, I believe our expertise in PR is what allows us to expand our scope in social media, marketing/communications, crisis comm, event planning, strategic planning and more. Our ability to identify target audience interest, develop key messages that resonate, as well as build our clients as thought leaders transcends all of our service lines. To this end, I would like to share our approach to meeting the top five trends in PR today, as outlined in a fantastic article recently authored by TJ Kiely and shared by Meltwater.
Trend 1: Measure!
Outlining metrics from program onset has always been key, but in our early days, it was much tougher to measure. Today, with Google analytics, a variety of social media software offerings and tools such as Meltwater, getting the data is much easier. However, still key to success is making sure you measure delivery of key messages, not simply placement or impressions.
Trend 2: Beyond Lip Services with DEI
Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been a growing theme for the last few years, not simply as an HR objective but in terms of brand reputation. However, recent reports note that the majority of companies are simply going through the motions and are falling short of creating a truly diversified, equitable work environment. This results in a potential crisis communications standpoint, and a call to action for PR professionals to work broadly throughout their organization not simply to create talking points, but to design programs that go beyond talking points.
Trend 3: Influencers Hold Court
During the last few years, influencer marking has been central to PR programs and this trend is expected to continue. To fully capitalize on the opportunity, PR teams must have a good understanding of the influencer’s audience, reach and content. Creating your own influencers through thought leadership activities also should be considered. Can you create an influencer for your brand?
Trend 4: Don’t Spam Me!
While marketing automation rules in many programs in effectiveness, one thing has not changed in the field of PR – the importance of the personal pitch. From our very first days, the AOE team has been adamant that relationships are built with the editorial community and pitches are customized and personal. Today, this approach still proves beneficial in building rapport and creating trust with editors.
Trend 5: Authenticity is More Important than Ever
The use of AI technologies coupled with the pandemic have resulted in consumers being wary of who to trust. In fact, consumers are now more vocal than ever to expect brands to be transparent and go beyond “marketing speak. As consumers continue to strengthen their voice, brands need to respond by being authentic in all aspects of their business and their communication. Consumers continue to be less forgiving and more demanding. Brands need to be prepared to address this “new normal” by remaining authentic at every turn.
Final Thoughts
Although the landscape of PR has changed greatly in the last two decades we have provided this offering to the industries we serve, our core values related to how we approach PR still ring true today. The AOE team, comprised of many well respected journalists, delivers value by carefully targeting strategic audiences, identifying key messages and creating thought leadership. PR is still an important part of the marketing mix. Please contact us today for a free brainstorming session on how to start or revamp your PR program!