2022 has ended with various buzzwords that symbolise wide-ranging implications for the creative world. As the PR and communications industry turns a new chapter, several trends will likely impact businesses and communications professionals in the next 12 months.
Social responsibilities will be at the forefront
An in-depth survey revealed that highlighting corporate diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), social responsibility (CSR) and environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives and impacts will be among the top communication trends to expect in 2023.
Consumers will continue to call for more authenticity and efforts in brands’ social responsibility practices and corporate ethics. It’s imperative that businesses, regardless of their scales, identify an appropriate cause to advocate and give back to society – as long as the execution is authentic and sincere.
Owned media becomes more critical for online presence
Any communications, PR or marketing professional worth their salt will be familiar with the paid, earned, shared, owned (PESO) model.
For an exhaustive PR campaign, owned media is as indispensable as its earned and paid counterparts. Owned media refer to a company’s blogs, newsletters, or periodic reports rather than social media posts (these would fall under shared media)
2023 will require communication pros to strike a balance between different media rather than relying heavily on one of them as audiences are becoming increasingly fragmented. Better leverage of owned media will enable organisations to drive organic engagement by noting relevant trends or keywords and creatively expressing their values.
It’s high time to bid goodbye to mass pitching
Journalists receive hundreds of pitches but open only a few of them. Future PR pros are under greater pressure to craft emails that “click” with their niche targets and complement their coverage instead of trying their luck with mass pitching.
This will contribute to maintaining the symbiotic relationship between PR pros and the media to ensure optimal earned coverage rates for the former’s clients.
Influencer marketing will continue to do wonders for businesses
Associating your brand with KOLs with relevant follower bases has been proven effective in building credibility, and this is even more important in a B2B context than B2C. A study suggested that partnering with influencers increases ROI eleven times higher than traditional advertising.
Though more time-consuming than a B2C partnership, getting your brand exposed to the desired audiences in the business world through the right influencers with high levels of engagement and trust will be among the main methods of connecting with prospective clients in 2023.
Measuring the efficiency of PR will evolve
ROI on PR initiatives have long been infamous for being challenging to quantify. Metrics such as webpage views, ad reach, or interaction rates are not enough to demonstrate the real impact of the work and paint the big efficiency picture.
Different analytics tools make it easier for brands to learn the impacts of their PR efforts on consumer perception, decision-making process or loyalty. Digital PR metrics can also be integrated into a more extensive marketing campaign for in-depth insights into how well communication efforts amplify brands.
The advent of Web3 requires more people-oriented communications
The arrival of a more decentralised and immersive next-gen internet means the PR industry will be more people-centric than previously.
PR pros must be more transparent in collecting consumers’ online data. Community-building platforms such as Discord utilise immersive IT innovations to engage with the media and other stakeholders, leveraging novel approaches to digital events.
Keeping yourself abreast of the latest trends and developments will help you gain a competitive edge in uncertain times. If you want to future-proof your brand by riding the upcoming communication trends, contact us for a consultation through email or www.midas-pr.com.