PRNews announced its annual Agency Elite Top 100 list, spotlighting the nation’s most innovative PR and communications firms of the year. Agencies are selected based on new products, services and expertise offered over the last year, looking for those most innovative and flexible in an increasingly fast-paced, ever-changing world.
Our favorite part of the application process? PRNews asks applicants to put on their “futurecast goggles” and predict the top trends they believe the industry will be talking about in the next five years.
Having made predictions for the last three years, we wanted to check our accuracy. So far, we’ve been 100% correct.
Predictions made in 2021
PREDICTION 1
Emerging technologies like AI will become a bigger player in digital marketing and communication strategies. We will see more brands harness the power of AI and drive personalization, therefore enhancing customer experience with more customized messages. AI will also allow for the automation of previous day-to-day tasks, such as press list building, reporting and content creation, meaning PR professionals can spend more time thinking through strategy. It will also allow PR professionals to better predict trends and media needs.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
AI dominated in 2023 and has become a part of the daily workflow for PR professionals everywhere. We’re now using generative AI tools to help with task automation, content optimization, research and brainstorming. We anticipate that AI will continue to develop new use cases, improve its accuracy and become more predictive.
PREDICTION 2
The local newsroom is not dead; it’s adapting. We will see more diverse representation in newsrooms nationwide as greater emphasis is placed on representing the community. We will also see local newsrooms adapt to how they deliver news, updating their website interface and experience, as well as diversifying their content. Inclusive representation and revamped formats, among other efforts and innovations, will help retain news readers, ultimately building greater trust in the media, reviving the newsroom, and thus increasing sales.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
Local news coverage has shifted greatly. Regional publications, like those under Gannett ownership, have continued to consolidate and go digital. Some found success with newsletters but the outlets that adapted to using platforms like TikTok as a way to disseminate information have maintained higher reach. Additionally, brand-new local publications have emerged on platforms like Substack, providing more niche citizen reporting and civic coverage. (Check out the podcast “Future of Local News” if this is a topic of interest.)
PREDICTION 3
Gen Z will have substantial buying power, making it critical to understand their unique spending habits and consumption behaviors as digital natives. TikTok and video content continue to influence Gen Z’s spending, as they prefer to make purchases on their mobile devices. Enhancing and streamlining in-app purchase experiences will be key for social media platforms and brands’ success. This generation is also more inclined to support brands with similar beliefs, placing greater importance on genuine corporate social responsibility and authentic values.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
TikTok has since rolled out its unique discovery engine, TikTok Shop, to enable brands and creators to showcase and sell products directly on the platform. This includes shoppable videos and LIVE streams. According to Shopify, over 67% of TikTok’s users now feel inspired to make a purchase while using the app.
Predictions made in 2022
PREDICTION 1
Gen Z and millennials will forgo local and national news outlets. These audiences will turn to new media, like the metaverse, preferring the sources that feel most credible, authentic and relatable. They will seek news from influencers and independent content creators, as trust grows with new media and weakens with traditional, mainstream outlets. As PR professionals, this will redefine the meaning of earned media as the buying power of Gen Z and millennials balloons.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
Gen Z is officially using TikTok as a search engine and a way to stay up-to-date on news events. Over 50% see news on social media daily. Creators like Kelsey Russell and Kyla Scanlon are sharing news directly with followers. They break down full articles and economic news on TikTok in ways that are more accessible to a generation that isn’t used to reading the daily paper.
PREDICTION 2
PR professionals will be looked to as futurists. Continued uncertainty brought on by world events combined with client expectations and limited journalist capacity will drive PR firms to see what’s coming next in the news cycle and advise expertly. Trends and forecasting will be a requirement for agency partners to predict and shape stories. Data-driven media will be a leading news share, and the responsibility for providing that data will rely primarily on PR professionals.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
Having a pulse on cultural and industry happenings remains a non-negotiable for PR teams. Sharing POVs on emerging trends is crucial to securing thought leadership opportunities as is leading with data findings. Additionally, CMOs have elevated the need to establish “insights units” where business, audience, industry and economic information is synthesized across departments to facilitate better decisions and more impactful stories.
PREDICTION 3
As the influencer marketing industry grows, a clear delineation between content creators and influencers is emerging. With new and more complex platforms, the demand for content creation and expertise will increase. Brands of all sizes will employ content creators for authentic, relatable visuals as doing so becomes more cost-effective than influencer fee-based campaigns. Traditional influencers will be leveraged for third-party credibility and as educational resources.
STATUS: ✅ TRUE
Differentiating between influencers and content creators earned headlines in 2023. Additionally, influencers have gained more recognition as professional content creators. Brands are increasingly realizing that influencers have unique creative talents and storytelling abilities. Instead of just using influencers as spokespeople, they’re now collaborating with them more deeply to co-create content that aligns with the influencer’s style and resonates with their audience. Additionally, obtaining usage rights to influencer-generated content (IGC) is rising in popularity. IGC is being repurposed in owned social channels, on websites and in advertising campaigns.
Predictions made in 2023
PREDICTION 1
There will be more social media subgroups and fewer industry giants as the internet continues to splinter. As consumers tire of over-saturation and brand advertising, they will break off into smaller sub-groups that allow them to share and digest specific interests. This could emerge through new niche platforms or the continued growth of private chats and communities. Gen Alpha will proliferate this shift as we enter an age of extreme media literacy, generational privacy concerns and demand for more authentic connections.
PREDICTION 2
Consumer trust will continue to wane in major news outlets. Individuals who are influential in their fields or perceived as influential in the public eye (i.e. social influencers) will be seen as subject matter experts whose words are taken as fact. Instead of a major news corporation building a following, individual journalists will have to grow their public approval and influence, campaigning for consumers to listen to their reports. These consumers will stop paying for online or print news subscriptions to NY Times or Wall Street Journal, and instead pay journalists directly via subscriptions to their online profiles or newsletters.
PREDICTION 3
Regulations will continue to emerge to protect both creators and consumers on social media as the influencer industry grows. Think: increased child protection laws and data privacy. Labor unions will form to standardize influencer compensation and add protections for creators. The FTC will enforce anticompetitive practices, disallowing exclusivity clauses in contracts.
