Public relations as an industry sector somehow manages to get ever more interesting as each year goes by, and in 2022 it has gone from strength to strength. As has been the case for a decade or more now, PR has been gradually evolving into a more rounded entity, taking on more of an emphasis on digital, while still embracing print media and more traditional methods of getting the messages to the people who matter. Here are four examples of ways in which 2022 has proved to be something of a watershed year for PR.
1. Influencing the influencers
If anyone has told you that the day of the influencer is coming to an end, it’s probably best to ignore them. The one thing that has changed, however, is that influencers aren’t just restricted to the usual social media channels. We’ve been used to people becoming celebrities via TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and more, but nowadays these guys and girls, and many others, can do their influencing on the TV and radio, in blogs and vlogs, in the newspapers and magazines and even in the middle of a video game. The influencer’s influence hasn’t gone away, it’s simply moved around a bit.
2. More of a bespoke approach
Here at Rose Media Group, our founder Aneela Rose has been in PR for 25 years and our agency and during that time we’ve seen many trends come and go. One of the strongest at the moment is that of a more personalised approach to campaigns, based more on the individual conceptions of how the client views their pathways to success. Our in-depth knowledge of their products, their challenges and of course their customers enables us to streamline our specific strategies, in order to dovetail perfectly with their targets. The days of scattergun PR, so beloved of larger, less hands-on agencies, might just be coming to an end. Here at RMG, our approach has always been a personal one, and this confirms to us that our way is still the right way.
3. Real words for a real audience
More than ever before, consumers turn to the likes of Google to find what they need. From restaurant bookings and theme park tickets to holiday flights and coffee makers, we tend to go online long before we part with any money. In the past, it wasn’t overly difficult to impose a modicum of influence on search engines, but these days it’s far more problematic. But if there’s one thing Google loves more than just about anything else it’s input from real human beings. Content has always been king, and in 2022 it became more important than ever before. Given how Google feels about the likes of AI, bots and machine learning, it’s somehow reassuring to know that the power of the human voice is still something to behold.
4. More measurement equals more accountability
Thanks to the continuing importance of technology and how it impacts on the business world, PR agencies such as ours are more accountable than ever before. Clients can enjoy access to accurate, realistic and up-to-date figures on the performance of their PR specialists, and this is something everyone in the industry welcomes. Results can come from a number of sources, such as web traffic, social media engagement, lead sourcing, consumer surveys, media impressions and the like, and having access to them in real time enables the client a level of clarity – and a noticeable feeling of empowerment – that simply didn’t exist before. 2022 has been a year for PR trends, and we have a feeling 2023 will be as well.
Rose Media Group, founded in 2004 by Aneela Rose, is an influential B2B PR agency in West Sussex. We work for clients in a number of important industry sectors.
