PR TRENDS FOR 2016

“Brands and media companies continue to integrate, creating ever more meaningful audiences and content”

Lists are rapidly becoming as traditional a part of January as gym memberships and half-hearted alcohol avoidance (as you’d expect, I excel in that field). With that in mind, it was with some trepidation that we launched our ’16 for ’16’ list, a look at what really should matter in PR in 2016. The 16 recommendations followed a review of insights and blogposts from senior PRCA members, including our PR Council and board.

Move beyond traditional stereotypes: Think post-demographics, beyond the obsession with putting people into neat boxes.
Brands and the media move closer together: Brands and media companies continue to integrate, creating ever more meaningful audiences and content.
Embrace video: With the growth in engagement via smartphones comes an increased focus on real-time, short-form, visual communication.
The integration challenge deepens: The need to offer integration of paid, owned, shared and earned media means the winning consultancies will be the ones with the broadest portfolios. 5. Communications tools that work: The latest developments in tech promise the ability to run far more targeted campaigns.
Ad blockers: The advent of these advert killers provides just another reason why engaging content, and the ability to have conversations, will play a more important role in 2016.
Creativity at speed: Spot opportunities to respond to real-time events and use them intelligently on social media to resonate with a target audience in a matter of minutes.
Virtual reality: Mainstream virtual reality will bring an additional dimension to campaigns, taking news stories, ads, films or gaming to new immersive levels.
Create physical experiences: Going beyond experiential gimmickry, practical and semi- permanent physical presences will fascinate.
Relinquish control over content: Campaigns will have to live and breathe on third party channels, and we should say goodbye to clumsy calls to action or forced visits to external sites.
Social purpose: Knowing your brand’s true social purpose will be the only way to present a reliable positive image based on human truths.
Transparency in a crisis: 2016 will see more global firms respond to challenging business issues which threaten their corporate reputation with brave transparency.
Data and privacy: The expectation of increased cyber-attacks and data breaches, and the debate over personal privacy, will mean that this remains a huge issue in 2016.
Use the European debate: The EU referendum will be the most hotly-debated issue across business, media and society during 2016.
Environmentalism: Freak weather events and the Paris Climate Change Conference have put the environment back on the public and political agenda.
The Olympics and Paralympics: Prepare for samba-and-carnival themed campaigns from brands aiming to tie in with the Rio Games.

Francis Ingham is director general of the PRCA and chief executive of ICCO