As we approach 2025 (which is hard to believe!), we face an earned media landscape that bears little resemblance to the one we knew just a few years ago and absolutely nothing like it was when I started my career, which (as much as I hate to admit it) was a loooooong time ago.
The days of reaching broad audiences through a handful of major media outlets have given way to an intricate web of platforms, channels, and communities.
I spend some of my days talking to university professors as they implement the PESO Model© into their coursework. One thing I hear over and over again is that students think about earned media entirely differently than we do.
In fact, Burghardt Tenderich and I just had a conversation about how his students typically don’t think about traditional media first when talking about earned media. They first think about earned influencer coverage on TikTok, YouTube, podcasts, and newsletters.
It’s a brave new world, my friends!
This transformation presents both challenges and opportunities for those willing to adapt their strategies and embrace new approaches to audience engagement.
If you don’t understand how to navigate this evolving landscape, you had better use the first few months of the year to get on it. Yes, it’s lots harder to get media attention today. Great! There are plenty of other opportunities for you to earn third-party credibility.
The New Earned Media Reality
USC Annenberg just released its Relevance Report, which highlights how audiences consume content across an expanding array of platforms, including niche social networks, specialized streaming services, and personalized news aggregators.
This fragmentation has created what Axios aptly terms “media bubbles,” with at least 12 distinct information ecosystems that rarely intersect.
It extends beyond simple platform diversity like we’ve experienced with social media. Each ecosystem has developed its own norms, language, and expectations for content and engagement. What works in one bubble might not just fail in another—it could actively harm your credibility.
Communications professionals must now function as cultural translators, so we must adapt our messages and approaches to each distinct environment while maintaining consistency through the core narrative.
No problem, right?
If that’s not challenging enough, we must also consider the demographic divisions between these media bubbles.
There are a few things to think about:
- The rise of non-traditional media
- Trust and credibility (or how we can maintain it in post-truth America)
- The user-generated content revolution
- Visual storytelling.
Don’t worry. I’m going to work through each of them. Let’s start with this trend that PR students don’t consider traditional media first in their earned media efforts.
The Rise of Non-Traditional Platforms
This is because the younger generations increasingly favor platforms like TikTok, Discord, and emerging metaverse spaces. As easy as it would be to post the same messages on each channel, that won’t end well for anyone.
Each represents fundamentally different ways of communicating and engaging with audiences. The shift goes beyond social media to encompass entirely new digital interaction and community-building forms, so we must adapt our strategies accordingly.
Traditional earned media must evolve to include what might be termed “platform relations.” This means understanding and respecting each space’s unique culture and content preferences. Success requires moving beyond simple platform presence to genuine community participation. As we’re earned credibility in all the places, we also need to become fluent in the language and norms of each platform where our audiences gather.
The metaverse presents particularly interesting challenges and opportunities. As virtual and augmented reality spaces become more prevalent, organizations must consider how to maintain presence and engagement in these immersive environments. This might include virtual news conferences, augmented reality product demonstrations, or persistent virtual brand spaces with which audiences can visit and interact.
Trust and Credibility
As we figure out the messaging for each channel—and how to reach people where they are with massive personalization at scale—we also have to fight the post-truth world in which we live.
The proliferation of misinformation and declining trust in traditional institutions have created a complex environment. This means we need to build trust through consistent, transparent communication across multiple channels, backed by verifiable facts and authentic engagement.
To boot, the rise of artificial intelligence has further complicated the trust landscape. As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, audiences increasingly seek verification of authenticity. Organizations must combat misinformation about their brands and clearly distinguish their authentic communications from AI-generated content.
This trust deficit presents an opportunity for organizations willing to invest in authentic communication and community building. By combining strong earned media coverage with active social engagement, transparent owned content, and paid media at scale (cough, PESO Model©, cough), organizations can position themselves as reliable sources of information in their industries.
Success requires a long-term commitment to building and maintaining credibility through consistent, honest communication.
The UGC Revolution
One of the most effective ways to do this is to create opportunities for user-generated content. It has moved from a supplementary tactic to a central component of our work today.
Audiences increasingly trust and engage with content from peers and authentic voices over polished corporate messaging. This shift requires us to rethink our roles—from content creators to content facilitators and community builders.
The rise of micro- and nano-influencers has particularly transformed how organizations approach audience engagement. These smaller-scale influencers often maintain highly engaged, niche audiences that trust their recommendations and insights. Their authenticity and specific expertise can provide more value than broader reach influencers with larger but less engaged followings.
Success in 2025 involves identifying and empowering authentic voices within your community. This means developing sophisticated systems for identifying potential advocates, providing them with resources and support, and measuring the effectiveness of their contributions.
Organizations must balance maintaining brand consistency with allowing genuine, unscripted engagement from their community members.
Visual Storytelling
As if that’s not enough, we also have virtual storytelling to consider, which isn’t exactly new, but has cemented a place in strategic comms plans.
The shift toward visual and short-form content continues to accelerate, with audiences showing strong preferences for quick, engaging visual narratives over traditional long-form content.
This doesn’t mean abandoning substantive communication. Instead, it requires breaking complex messages into digestible, visually appealing segments (perhaps something I should consider with this article!).
This visual emphasis has profound implications for how organizations structure their communications teams and resources. Traditional writing skills remain important but must be complemented by visual storytelling capabilities. Teams need video production, graphic design, and interactive content creation expertise. More importantly, they need a strategic understanding of which visual formats will be most effective for different messages and audiences.
Phew! That’s a lot. And guess what?! There’s more.
Measurement and Analytics
As organizations demand more precise data on communication effectiveness, measurement has become increasingly sophisticated. Simple metrics like impressions and reach have given way to more nuanced engagement, sentiment, and business results. This evolution requires new data analysis and interpretation skills, which I know isn’t easy since it often takes a left brain to do it, and so many of us are right-brained.
But that’s OK! If it’s not for you, you can find a colleague who can do it with you and even use AI. The new PESO Model GPT we created can help you get the basics down. This is important because you MUST demonstrate how your efforts drive specific business outcomes, from lead generation to revenue influence.
This requires implementing comprehensive measurement frameworks that track immediate and long-term results across all channels. The challenge lies in collecting data and deriving meaningful insights that can inform strategy and demonstrate value to stakeholders. Use your colleagues. Use the PESO Model GPT. You can do it!
Platform Evolution and Emerging Technologies
The rapid evolution we’re experiencing shows no signs of slowing. New technologies, from advanced AR/VR systems to emerging artificial intelligence applications, continue to reshape how audiences consume and interact with content.
The rise of voice-based interfaces and search continues to influence how content is discovered and consumed. It’s hard enough to keep up without having to reconsider our work every five minutes. But this is just stuff to think about and prepare for. It’s coming, but it’s not fully here yet. At least not in the way we must implement right this second.
Strategic Earned Media Implications
Success in this evolving landscape requires several key adaptations. These are the things to think about during your holiday break, so you’re ready for next year.
Are you ready?
- Integration becomes essential. The lines between owned, paid, shared, and earned media continue to blur, making an integrated approach crucial. Organizations must coordinate efforts across all channels to create consistent, reinforcing messages that reach audiences wherever they engage. This integration extends beyond message consistency to data sharing, audience insights, and resource allocation. The PESO Model Certification© helps you do this at scale.
- Agility becomes non-negotiable. The rapid evolution of platforms and audience preferences requires communications teams to adapt their strategies and tactics quickly. This means developing systems for rapid testing and iteration of new approaches while maintaining strategic consistency. Organizations must build flexible frameworks that allow for quick tactical adjustments while ensuring alignment with long-term objectives.
- Community building takes center stage. As traditional media influence declines, direct community relationships become increasingly valuable. Organizations must invest in building and nurturing communities across multiple platforms. This requires dedicated resources for community management and engagement and sophisticated strategies for encouraging and managing user-generated content.
- Authentication matters more than ever. Establishing authenticity and credibility becomes crucial with rising concerns about misinformation and AI-generated content. Organizations need robust systems for verifying information and maintaining transparency in their communications. This includes clear protocols for content verification and processes for quickly addressing misinformation.
Earned Media: Looking Ahead
The earned media landscape of 2025 presents both challenges and opportunities—and you know I love both! Success requires embracing complexity while maintaining focus on fundamental principles of authentic, valuable communication.
If you can get your boss or your client to invest in understanding and adapting to these changes while maintaining a commitment to building genuine relationships with their audiences, they will be well-positioned to thrive in this evolving environment.
The key lies not in chasing every new platform or trend but developing flexible, integrated approaches that can evolve alongside the changing media landscape. By focusing on authentic engagement, valuable content, and measurable results, communications professionals can navigate these changes while delivering meaningful results for their organizations.
As we move toward 2025 and beyond, the most successful organizations will maintain adaptability while staying true to their core communication principles. They will invest in technology and human capabilities, understanding that while tools and platforms may change, the fundamental need for authentic, meaningful communication remains constant.
And your job is to help them get there. No pressure!
