2021 brought many changes, and for professional communicators a lot has shifted. For example, there is now:
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Growing interest and investment in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) storytelling
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More focus on communicating with purpose from diverse and inclusive perspectives
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A growing rate of digital innovation i.e. the metaverse
Based on these changes, here are the top three things I foresee increasing which will affect the public relations industry in 2022. Keep reading to learn more.
1. Pressure on Social Media Platforms to Provide Safe Environments
The conversation related to privacy on social media will grow and will change the data that is available for social listening tools, impacting how brands reach their key audiences.
With companies having started to decrease or discontinue their advertising on social media networks, and with UNESCO’s new recommendation on the ethics of artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality and augmented reality experiences will become more common ways to reach and engage the public.
2. Need for Authenticity
The fake news phenomena will continue to fuel the need for authenticity.
With real-time engagement with brands across various forums, there will be a higher number of data sources for PR professionals to access so they don’t miss conversations about their brand or client. As a result, the need for human curation will continue. AI and machine learning will automate the descriptive aspect of insights while human curation will be critical for prescriptive insights.
3. Business KPI and Reporting Alignment
Communications leaders will align their KPIs to their CEOs or client’s CEO. The outcomes driven by PR teams will be visible at the highest levels.
Streamlining the tools that in-house teams and their agencies use for media monitoring, press release distribution, and PR measurement and reporting—including ongoing alerts—will no longer be optional. Hiring a team of experts to prepare daily executive media briefs and monthly media analysis reports so that both brand and agency teams can focus on messaging, media relations, and campaigns will be more common. PR measurement data and insights will be of greater strategic use.
Through over 15 years of working for companies that build products to support PR professionals, I’ve seen significant changes in PR technology capabilities. There is growing importance regarding the use of technology to support the PR workflow. My crystal ball says PR and communications teams will continue to be the brand storytellers, but the focus will be more heavily on communicating with purpose.
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