Getting Comms Right

The issues that mattered in PR and reputation management a couple of years ago are, in some cases, now very different. As we move into the new year, what are the trends that will shape what we do when it comes to comms?

1. Be the real deal The authenticity that matters in all our interactions is ever more important in PR. The spread of fake news and misinformation means consumers and potential buyers are becoming more suspicious and critical of the information they see. Companies need to have an authentic voice, and their genuine belief in what they stand for must shine through.

2. Get personal Our experiences over the past few years mean that it’s easy to forget that people do business with people. Getting to an event, taking to a stage, or hosting a roundtable or press conference is a great way to get your message out there in a way that has depth and allows potential business customers to see for themselves what it might be like to work with you.

3. Have a heart The desire to feel the humanity in our business interactions is becoming more important. PR in 2025 should use a light touch, with the same humour and empathetic approach that we value in our personal relationships. B2B customers will have the same higher expectations of a personalised and personal approach as they do with consumer brands.

4. Think ahead If you want to be a thought leader – think something. The expansion of social media channels means there is now a plethora of opportunities to brag, so it’s important to balance self-promotion with content that adds value to the consumers of your PR. Share insight, spark discussion, and show - don’t tell - what you know.

5. Be small minded Influencer campaigns will need to become more sophisticated and targeted with the continuing rise of micro-influencers. In niche areas of the travel and travel retail business, a limited number of reactions from the right people might be more useful than attracting the attention of influencers with a more mass-market following.

6. Keep it simple It’s debatable whether or not today’s consumer has a smaller attention span. But it’s definitely true that there are more messages competing for their attention via a constantly growing number of channels. No one has the time to wade through complicated arguments, and short, simple messages will cut through the clutter.

7. Sharpen up on crisis News that could hit traditional media channels in an hour will now rip through social media in seconds. To quote a senior airline executive at a US aviation conference last year, ‘a lie is halfway round the world before the truth has the chance to put its pants on’, so make sure your plans for a communications crisis are watertight.

8. Dig data Companies have more information about their customers and how they behave than ever before. But many companies underappreciate the potential of this data, and numbers are meaningless unless the story they tell can be translated. Intelligent and imaginative analysis of data can be a fabulous source of news stories, as well as a useful tool for shaping the messages that need to be conveyed.

9. Measure twice – cut once The wealth of measurement tools means that the success of PR campaigns is easier to calculate. For this to be meaningful, it’s important that KPI’s are clearly defined at the beginning of the campaign and not left as afterthoughts at the end.

10. Don’t take your reputation for granted In an industry that often comes in for criticism and at a time when reputations are more fragile than ever, PR is essential to business success. Don’t neglect it.

If you want some pointers on how to plan your comms in 2025, do get in touch to arrange a complimentary 30-minute reputation review.