What's Next for PR?

Organizations are navigating unprecedented change, from AI to geopolitics to shifting stakeholder expectations, and they need advisors and counselors and PR professionals who understand both business strategy and communications and bring those together, right? Technology's gonna change how we work, but our greatest value's gonna be to continue to help leaders make better decisions, um, and communicate more, with more clarity and to, to lead through change.

AI enabled.

I actually think you're gonna see very similar to, like, White House press secretaries, more heads of communications at organizations truly being the face of those organizations.

People matter a whole lot for the future.

It's gotta be tech-fed, but human-led.

And our Gen Z-ers, over 55% identify as neurodivergent.

So if we don't understand how to not just accept that, but actually operationalize that and unlock their superpowers so that our clients and our businesses benefit from these young people who think differently, then we haven't done our jobs today to future-proof our business for tomorrow.

Right now, we're in the process of figuring out how, where we fit in the AI landscape, and how we can use our connection with earned media to help drive generative engine optimization.

Um, I think that's gonna be a big theme over the next year, or couple of years, and I think that's really where the industry's headed.

When I talk to CMOs, what they ask for is clarity, simplicity.

They ask for cohesion across their mix, and I think that's an opportunity.

I think, you know, it's not about building multiple agencies that can deliver that service mix, it's about building one organization that can deliver across that service mix with the right specialists in the pocket.

I think it is direct to the reporter, and I say that because there are now influencer or creator journalists.

We need to invest our, our own and our clients' sponsorship money and event attendance money and award entry money and all that other stuff on, you know, the awards events and sponsored editorial content and things like that, that the, uh, publications that we rely on for a living, um, uh, provide.

Because if we don't, um, you know, the, the ad-supported media world is not gonna exist in the, um, in the form that it has over the course of the past, um, 20 years.

I hope it's the both/and of looking at, first of all, what is it that really sets us apart in terms of human judgment that's gonna remain and be very necessary, which we're talking about a lot, but then also, where is it, as technology evolve, that can make us faster, smarter, quicker to strategy, deeper.

Um, those things together, what's really human, and then what is the upside of the new technology, will supercharge us going forward.

I think the future is faster, it's smarter, it's more personalized communications, especially with AI helping us analyze trends and tailor messaging more efficiently.

Um, I also think it will just really be a, a focus on balancing technology and authenticity.