What’s Hot in PR for 2020?

From targeted advertising to social media taking on traditional media, the Tenties brought with it a slew of new changes, challenges and advantages to the world of PR. But now we’re in a shiny new decade, what will the trends be for 2020? Here are our predictions:

Digital media will continue to rise above traditional media

This one’s kind of obvious since it’s been happening for a while already. But this ongoing trend isn’t to be overlooked. From flashy digital video advertisements to engaging podcasts, the internet is playing a bigger role in delivering the right information to the right people at the right time. And there’s no sign of it slowing down.

Many PR pros are investing more in this avenue than traditional forms of media, and it’s not hard to see why. Audiences and buyers can be specifically targeted, far more quickly and for considerably less money. What’s more, it allows brands to connect with their audiences in ways that magazines, television, and radio simply can’t – unless of course these strategies are being used to complement them. And if you do that successfully in 2020, you’re on to a good thing.

Tech-targeted PR action

With the continuing prominence of digital media, expect to see some shiny new data-driven technology to go alongside it. And not just for 2020, but for the decade ahead too. Web traffic and social media monitoring already point to these future developments, ultimately paving the way for much more advanced targeted PR action.

How will this work? In a word, data. With more accurate data and the tools to analyse it (think in-house social media monitoring tools and forecasting tools), PR pros will be able to formulate and execute much more effective campaigns, manage budgets better, and be able to track the real-time results and impact of those campaigns. In short, it’ll be a game changer.

Social responsibility

From tackling climate change to reassessing our behaviour, today’s world is becoming more and more invested in being better human beings. Major movements like LGBT Pride, Black Lives Matter and #MeToo ruled the Tenties. These days any company remaining silent on social issues risks being publicly flogged, or at worst, boycotted.

Back in the day, most companies didn’t have to give much thought to social responsibility. But with the rise of social media, the demands of shareholders and consumers alike make this a vital part of marketing – and consequently PR too. So for 2020, expect to see a lot more companies taking a positive stance on the issues everyone’s talking about.

PR is going to get nichey

With consumer voices more audible than ever before, a simple marketing oversight can turn a potential goldmine into a potential pitfall. Consequently, brands looking to safeguard their image against such blunders are now seeking out specialist PR firms to take the reins. And it makes a hell of a lot of sense.

If a PR firm is going to conjure up a foolproof strategy, they need to know their client, their client’s industry and their client’s audience like the back of their hand. So expect to see plenty more PR companies being employed that specialise in a particular niche like entrepreneurs or London businesses.

Pitching up

A PR pro really earns their stripes with a good ol’ pitch. But the traditional written pitches that used to impress the media are at risk of becoming a thing of the past. In 2020, more PR firms will present their clients to the media with more engaging methods: think top-notch imagery, short digital videos, or even unusual press releases.