Part 2: Expert Predictions For PR in 2024

In the public relations realm, 2024 promises many strategic shifts and industry dynamics. Tolu Akinbamiyorin, Managing Director of LSF PR Africa Operations, emphasises this transformation as LSF PR began expanding its roots into the UK market after a decade-long venture in Africa.

Akinbamiyorin remarked, “The move signifies our organisation’s growth and our preparedness to leverage cultural nuances, offering a distinctive perspective with impactful communication strategies across African, UK, and EU markets.” Such expansion indicates a pivotal juncture in PR dynamics, bridging continental gaps and bringing forward the opportunity for collaborations across diverse stakeholders.
 

Our Experts

 
Cathy White, Founder and CEO, CEW Communications
Harry Webster, Managing Partner, Champion Communications
Jo Wilmot, PR Director, The Think Tank
Petra Smith, Founder, Squirrels&Bears
Claire Ayles, Co-founder, Eleven Hundred Agency
Donna Lyndsay, Sustainability Tech Lead, Ordnance Survey
Rachel Murray, PR Consultant, Fourth Day Public Relations
Joanne Hogue, Co-Founder and Partner, Smart Connections PR
 

Cathy White, Founder and CEO, CEW Communications

“In 2024, PR will, without a doubt, continue to incorporate AI in the practice. There is a massive opportunity for AI to help automate many PR processes and to play a role in helping to create content. We’ve seen it already, but I expect we’ll see more firms take AI and its benefits more seriously next year – with more designated ‘AI Heads’ for firms looking to stand out to the best clients. While AI should not be creating content that ends up published, a digital sidekick to bounce ideas and speed up drafting and ideation will save huge amounts of time.

“Automating much of the administrative and management burden of running an account will mean PRs can focus on the ultimate goal – getting the best results for clients. Pair this with the ability to use no-code solutions to build in-house applications, and PR agencies will increasingly start to run as tech companies with experts on hand to lead the best strategy and have the professional relationships and network to support it.”
 

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Harry Webster, Managing Partner, Champion Communications

“As we set our sights on 2024, the PR industry will need to anticipate and adapt to emerging trends and technologies. First and foremost, the PR landscape in 2024 will be shaped by the continued rise of digital media and technology. With the increasing dominance of social media platforms and the growing influence of online influencers, PR professionals must harness the power of these channels to effectively reach and engage their target audiences.

“Secondly, the role of data in PR will become even more critical. As technology continues to advance, we will have access to a wealth of data and analytics, enabling them to accurately measure the impact of their campaigns. This data-driven approach will empower the PR industry to make informed decisions and tailor their strategies to achieve maximum results.

“Additionally, there will be an increasing demand for personalised and authentic content. In 2024, PR professionals will need to focus on establishing meaningful and genuine connections with their target audiences.

“This will require a deep understanding of end users’ preferences and values, as well as the ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with their target demographics.

“The integration of AI and automation will revolutionise the PR industry even further. AI-powered tools will streamline processes such as media monitoring and sentiment analysis, allowing agencies and in-house teams to work more efficiently and effectively. Automation will also free up time for PR professionals to concentrate on strategic thinking and building relationships.

“Lastly, crisis management and reputation protection will remain paramount in 2024. With the rise of viral social media trends and the potential for online backlash, as an industry, we must be proactive in managing and mitigating crises. Building and maintaining a strong brand reputation will be essential for organisations to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.”

Jo Wilmot, PR Director, The Think Tank

Sparkle is not just for Christmas

“Things are looking pretty dire across the globe and there’s a general lack of optimism. People are feeling flat, which is why we should expect an uptick in playful campaigns. Just like how The Wizard of Oz was created in the 1930s as a distraction from the harsh realities of the time, we can anticipate a similar need for (metaphorical) glitter today.

“Last summer’s fascination with pink off the back of the Barbie film launch is a case in point. Now bringing this into the realm of B2B and corporate comms is an interesting one. Brands that can cultivate a combination of fun, empathy, along with pragmatism are poised to gain a significant advantage.”

Petra Smith, Founder, Squirrels&Bears

“With the overwhelming volume of AI generated content, authenticity and value will be even more important to stand out. Many brands and entrepreneurs forget about the value that journalists are looking for.

“The truth is, journalists don’t care about pitches, they care about their readers. And they have no interest in helping brands to promote their business to their readers unless they trigger interest and bring value to them, unless it’s paid advertising.

“To stand out in journalists’ busy inboxes, brands will need to position themselves as storytellers, sharing the story where the readers are the heroes of their story, not them – and creating emotional reactions that makes the reader feel that ‘this is me’, ‘I wish this was me’ or ‘I’m glad it’s not me’.

“There will be an even bigger emphasis on the social influence of those behind each pitch as naturally journalists will be looking at the biggest impact of the coverage. Social media following and personal branding will grow in importance and will be a differentiator between successful and unsuccessful pitches.

“Generic advice and uneventful stories won’t cut through the noise anymore, as journalists will quickly be able to establish the credibility and the influence of brands and individuals pitching.”

Claire Ayles, Co-founder, Eleven Hundred Agency

“As the dust settles on 2023, companies that cut back on PR due to economic uncertainty are starting to feel the bite. While cost-cutting measures in the face of market volatility may have seemed like the sensible choice, going quiet on PR can come at a steep price.

“Research from Analytic Partners shows that companies that doubled their marketing and PR spending compared to a competitor gained 15% market share on average. In 2024, expect to see a resurgence of investment in PR to drive brand recognition and trust, and attract and retain customers.

“PR is about building your brand and your business. As we enter 2024, companies embracing this shift will be the ones to keep an eye on.”
 

Donna Lyndsay, Sustainability Tech Lead, Ordnance Survey

“Validation and verification processes are going to grow in significance for companies as they wrangle new regulations and disclosures that affect their corporate reporting. These regulations are increasing focus on sustainable practice, emissions, environmental impact and climate risk. We need to have trusted monitoring, reporting and verification systems in place, which must be objective and transparent.

“Confidence must be restored in the accuracy of claims made in the voluntary carbon credits market. We can achieve this now by combining monitoring capabilities from space (Earth Observation), air and ground data collection. OS VeriEarth®, which was launched last year, combines satellite and ground-based data with location intelligence to create and visualise a baseline of a habitat in a target location.

“We may also see greater citizen engagement as technology enables companies to understand individual values through digital fingerprinting and AI capabilities, in turn leading to a greater need to protect individuals’ data from being harvested.

“AI will enable mass efficiency savings in the processing of data to enable patterns to be identified faster for predictive and preventative measures, such as to ensure appropriate use of land and the reductions of harms.

“An example of this will be the impending mandatory requirements for Biodiversity Net Gain in England. But the quality of data used to inform the AI will be critical to ensure that the insights created by AI models can be checked or validated and the provenance of training data, specifically ground truth data is known, otherwise we run a real risk of bias and skewed results leading to poor outcomes.

“Encouraged by the successes of last year’s COP28 we will see greater global corporate collaboration in the move forward to drive systematic change and to help the markets become a protective force.

“There will be significant battle lines drawn from those who resist the transition to those who see great opportunity and the need to change. The winners will be responsible for our planet’s future.”
 

Rachel Murray, PR Consultant, Fourth Day Public Relations

“Building trust is going to be a strong focus for PR campaigns in 2024. With more and more content created by generative AI (GenAI) and people increasingly getting their news from social platforms, the risk of disinformation is at an all-time high. Brands will continue to focus on authenticity – a somewhat cringey buzzword for 2023 but an important factor in proving the credibility of an organisation and the value of its offering.

“This will be really important for businesses demonstrating their ESG credentials. Greenwashing is being called out and values must be embedded into business models with real outcomes.

“Going back to the topic of GenAI, we will begin to see some crystallisation in its use by PR people in 2024. Rather than fear it, the industry will begin to embrace its ability to take care of non value-add tasks.

“I can see it being used increasingly to summarise large amounts of information (although the need for fact checking and verifying sources will remain) and to create frameworks for formulaic documents such as contracts.

“I wonder whether we may also start to see a renewed focus on creativity in the use of language, as people seek to differentiate their work from that of a computer. I hope that happens.”

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Joanne Hogue, Co-Founder and Partner, Smart Connections PR

“For the past couple of years, PR predictions have focused on the importance of social media engagement and ensuring clients are part of those conversations being said about them and their competition. Of course, social media is still a PR priority, but I think it’s the personalisation of a brand’s outreach and how its messaging reflects what is happening at the company that is more important than ever.

“That’s what PR practitioners have to get right. Connecting with the media, developing relationships and really creating personalised and high-level messages is simply an imperative in securing coverage.

“Additionally, we continue to see that the use of video content is a must have to gain maximum attention and effectively tell corporate stories. It is also important to share that content through as many social media channels as possible to gain the attention of different audiences (business connections on LinkedIn, older audiences on Facebook, tech on X, younger users on Tik Tok and Instagram).

“What’s interesting is that I have found that social media has become an effective way to contact reporters, too. It’s an alternative way to build those relationships outside of email and it I think it will become a priority for PR practitioners to look to social media for connecting with journalists on the coming year.

“Finally, thought leadership, especially in a competitive environment such as tech, will continue to be an essential component of every PR campaign in 2024.

“Helping clients think of themselves as thought leaders – not just product evangelists – and building thought leadership campaigns to showcase their expertise in core areas, will amplify any PR campaign.”

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