Happy holidays! As 2024 draws to a close, Members of PR Club’s content team wanted to share how social media, issues response, metrics and reporting, as well as media relations have experienced significant shifts this year. Moreover, how we can expect these trends to shape a new era of public relations in 2025.
SOCIAL MEDIA, AUTHENTICITY & THE EVOLUTION OF PLATFORMS
“Over the last year, the social media landscape has evolved with new trends heavily influencing business strategies,” says PR Club Board of Directors Member Britney Mazareas. “A greater demand for brand authenticity is reshaping how companies leverage the power of social media. Influencer marketing is a perfect example. With brands looking to establish trust with their audiences, there has been a shift from highly curated, polished content to more genuine, relatable posts. More companies are exploring partnerships with “micro” and “nano” influencers, prioritizing quality engagement and strong relationships over follower counts and audience reach. With some clients deprioritizing or eliminating specific channels from their social strategy entirely based on how the platforms are changing, it will be interesting to see what the future holds. For example, with the greater demand for video content, TikTok has become a popular way for brands to engage in humor and trends. There are also entirely new platforms to explore.”
ISSUES RESPONSE & CRISIS: NOT JUST A SINGLE MOMENT IN TIME
“This year, the U.S. experienced a high-stakes presidential election, while a wide range of sociopolitical issues and global crises continued and significantly influenced newsroom operations,” says Abbey Clark, PR Club Board of Directors Member and Content Lead. “These factors collectively shaped how communications strategies were developed and executed. The truth is, PR professionals must now navigate a complex landscape where transparency, authenticity, and accountability are paramount. Being a human first is my number one piece of advice to any communications professional navigating issues response or crises in 2025. One thing is for certain: we can expect rigorous fact checking and consumer concerns over disinformation and misinformation to continue into the new year. This shift is reflective of a broader ‘always on’ trend where PR and communications are seen not just as tools for marketing products and services, but as essential pillars for shaping brand values and fostering trust.”
DEMURE & MINDFUL MEDIA RELATIONS
“2024 was the year of Brat Summer followed by a swift change to all things ‘demure,’” says Kaitlynn Cooney, PR Club President. “Being ‘demure’ is characterized by a focus on authenticity and simplicity. This theme is emerging across industries and reflects broader cultural trends like minimalism, mindfulness, and sustainability. As PR professionals, we could all benefit from a little more ‘demure’ in our lives, especially when it comes to media relations. As newsrooms across the nation shrink and consolidate, PR Pros need to learn how to engage with media more mindfully, less aggressively, and more genuinely. Reporters are now juggling multiple hats at once, covering new beats, and receiving an onslaught of media pitches from PR folk. It’s simply too much to keep up with. The rise of meaningful earned media placements prioritize value and long-term relationship-building over quantity. PR Pros should know what to pitch, when to pitch, and where to pitch. Not every press release is deserving of a broad media list pitching effort. Calling newsrooms daily or tweeting at reporters to cover your story? Not demure. Having targeted pitching efforts and learning how to take no for an answer? Very demure, very mindful. PR Pros should focus on quality over quantity and truly try to get to know the reporters they are pitching. Read their work, know their beat, be respectful of their time and their deadlines. Reporters are not the enemy. By being demure, PR professionals can learn how to navigate shifting resources and get the best results for their clients.”
METRICS & REPORTING: EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS ARE KING
“Gone are the days of relying solely on outdated traditional methods that assign arbitrary dollar values to media coverage,” says Paulino Cardoso, PR Club Board of Directors Member. “This year, emotional resonance emerged as the true measure of success, helping brands connect more deeply, and creating an enduring impact. The driving force behind this evolution? The rise of AI-powered tools and metrics that go beyond surface-level data. These innovations uncover how campaigns make people feel and why those emotions matter for long-term growth. Brands are no longer chasing short-term visibility; they’re looking to build emotional connections that inspire loyalty, trust, and action. Sentiment analysis revolutionized by real-time feedback, the evolution of share of voice to see how a brand is emotionally received, advanced social listening tools, emotional impact surveys, biometric tools, analysis of customer effort scores (CES) and behavioral data, a renewed focus on audience psychology and perceived authenticity, as well as tools to recall studies and implicit association tests – we can expect all of these metrics to inform how PR professionals gauge campaign success in 2025 and beyond. Brands that thrive will be those that continue to understand, measure, and nurture the emotional bonds they create with their audiences. Audiences are demanding more than polished ads or clever taglines – they want brands that reflect their values, speak to their emotions, and build genuine, lasting connections. Emotional resonance isn’t just a trend; it’s the future of PR and marketing.”