With a tough year behind us, the PR industry is ready to game plan for a brighter, more profitable, and more successful 2025. But we’re also dealing with a lot of uncertainty, from the changing role and media types to what AI means for what we do (even as its actual impact appears to be limited).
As the annual PR predictions fly, here’s a new set to consider—including that traditional media will continue to be a brand-building powerhouse.
- 2025 will be a seller’s market for PR firms.
- Trade media will earn unexpected bang for business’ bucks.
- Regional media will still love press releases and op-eds.
- Corporations will give fewer “hot takes” and engage in strategic newsjacking.
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Most PR predictions will be wrong.
2025 Will Be a Seller’s Market for PR Firms
Communications budgets have been tight for the past three years, thanks to high inflation, business recession fears, and election-year uncertainty about which directions policies would take from 2025-2028. This has affected both agency and in-house teams.
However, there are three reasons to expect significant increases in communications spending in 2025.
First, the broader economy is going to expand. “Corporate B2B spending is flat year-over-year,” said economist Mike Feuz. “However, profitability and cash on hand are up. Combine that with further inflationary easing, lower interest rates, and increased consumer spending in the next six months, and the second half of 2025 will be exceptionally strong.”
General business confidence and cash are also likely to be boosted further by the incoming administration’s low-tax and deregulation priorities.
The second reason a wide sector of PR firms will do well in 2025 is that the federal government and virtually all states are entering new legislative cycles.
“If historical norms are any indication, lobbyists may spend upwards of $4 billion on lobbying the new administration and Congress in 2025,” said my colleague Kelly Ferguson, a former Washington, D.C. lobbyist who now leads our public affairs practice. “Meanwhile, battles will rage in each state house on contentious issues like abortion, AI, and everything in between. And then there are the decisions made at the federal level that affect states, such as less industry regulation or the potential elimination of the Department of Education.”
The third and potentially most validating reason PR will likely see an expansion in 2025 is an increased appreciation by corporate executives for the communications function. This isn’t just about getting the CEO out there more; a study earlier this year showed that Chief Communications Officers are being given more strategic oversight of functions that have traditionally been siloed from comms considerations.
“Expanding the scope of the communication means that the CCO now plays a key role in executive decision-making. In turn, comms teams must shift from tactical output to strategic outcomes, focusing on enterprise-wide priorities and insights with a team of subject matter experts and elevated expertise,” said Trish Nicolas, the Vice President of Corporate Communications at Verint. “This is a more expensive approach to communications, but as more companies understand the value the approach brings, more dollars will be invested in these new teams.”
In short: from the C-Suite on down, the teams that create, coordinate, and execute messaging will likely be given more budget to develop and implement holistic approaches to corporate communications.
Trade Media Will Earn Unexpected Bang for Business Bucks
The growth of influencer marketing, podcasts, and long-form text platforms like Substack and LinkedIn has convinced many communications professionals that traditional media has gone the way of the dodo.
But this market shift doesn’t mean it’s time to dance on traditional media’s grave. It means that new opportunities have opened across the globe for early-stage and mid-stage businesses that want to build a foundational PR footprint.
The fact is that news cycles start with the news. Influencers shape people’s thoughts, but their content starts in the outlets that let people know what’s happening. Getting traditional press puts brands ahead of the influencers, conveys credibility, and can lead to attention from the oft-sought influencer crowd.
Influencers also have a finite number of slots for guests and topics based on the nature of their platforms. On the other hand, trade outlets and business journals have a lot of space to fill so they can remain relevant. This means gatekeepers can’t afford to pass on as many pitches as when they were the ultimate arbiters of what gets coverage.
An additional benefit for growing brands is that there is often higher-value SEO from quality placements in traditional outlets. Podcasters often don’t post all the details on guests or provide the same backlinks to websites that help build digital footprints.
Regional Media Will Still Love News Releases and Op-Eds
Another underappreciated opportunity will be local, regional, and trade media. While many newspapers are closing, local and regional online outlets are opening weekly. These outlets have zero interest in national voices saying big things; their vested interest is helping their local communities understand what’s happening and why they should care.
Businesses, nonprofits, and individuals looking to bolster brand credibility and sales should rely heavily on traditional tools like news releases, op-eds, and interviews to drive credibility with geographic audiences. Think about the local book author, the large business that opened a new location, or the local bank offering a new service.
Yes, you’ll have to deal with sponsored opportunities and paywalls. That’s how online outlets are staying in business. But while everyone else fights to get in front of the micro-influencer on X, BlueSky, or Instagram, you’ll get coverage in outlets consumers trust…and the competition is ignoring.
Corporations Will Let Everyone Else Go for “Hot Takes”
One of the most powerful tools of PR is newsjacking. Unfortunately, this has too often resulted in “hot takes” masquerading as thought leadership. These are the reactions to some events, usually offered half-cocked with less than half of the information. Hot takes often result in the spread of false information, the delivery of unfair attacks against people and brands, and the issuance of retractions hours or days later.
I endorse “value takes,” which are thoughtful responses to trends and breaking news based on relevant data and/or experience designed to constructively shape how people move forward with those trends and news events.
My fourth prediction is that corporations, particularly those with a mature C-suite communications integration, will prioritize value takes and strategic newsjacking opportunities instead of jumping onto as many bandwagons as in the past. With narrower target audiences than ever, they’ll let everyone else give hot takes because saying the wrong thing simply isn’t worth the risks to brand credibility or the potential to empower the competition.
The evidence is not incontrovertible. But it’s a rational conclusion based upon the evidence at hand, such as:
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Corporations continue to back out of controversial political and cultural debates. Few corporate leaders took open stances on the 2024 election, and companies are bowing out of DEI and ESG while promising to prioritize the principles related to those issues.
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Third-party voices—paid or unpaid—have much more leeway and are often willing to say what corporations won’t. Corporations can still influence cultural and political debates through those whose brands rely on hot takes, controversial opinions, etc., without risking their brand trust.
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Brands are narrowing their messaging to penetrate target audiences deeply and keep stakeholders engaged through owned media like newsletters and podcasts. Narrow messages have a lot of space for value takes and very little for hot takes.
Again, that doesn’t mean corporations won’t insert themselves into the news cycle. It just means they will be more careful to avoid creating unnecessary controversies.
“Newsjacking is not a PR strategy, and you don’t want to invite yourself to the wrong party,” said RealPage Senior Vice President of Communications & Creative Jennifer Bowcock. “But when you ground yourself in proactive storytelling tailored to your target audiences, you can choose wisely and cleverly how to insert yourself into the story through something as simple as a meme or as complex as a whole media campaign.”
Most PR Predictions Will Be Wrong
The likely most accurate prediction for 2025? Most PR predictions will be bland (“AI will affect the PR industry”), wrong (“news releases are dead”), or self-interested (“digital marketing is the be-all-end-all, buy my service”).
However, even the most precise prediction around national trends may not matter to the local PR practitioner whose community relies on mom-and-pop businesses. AI grew in 2024…but the wider tech market slowed down. And while inflation was “lower,” it still created higher prices that were painful enough to drive voters to back Trump.
There’s a lot of truth in what a few smart people say based on experience, data, and the ability to sift through the noise. Pay attention to those people. Ignore everyone else and rely on the data to help you provide the greatest value for your niche.
