PR and Communications predictions for 2024

With technology and media trends moving at a pace, 2024 will be another transformative year for PR, Communications and Marketing. 

AI has further entered the market, social media platforms continue to evolve, independent journalism is growing along with multi-media opportunities. Innovation will undoubtedly continue and so staying abreast of industry changes, audience perception, risks and opportunities will remain vital to communicating successfully. 

Here are some of Greig Box Turnbull’s top PR and Communications trends and considerations for 2024. 

Authenticity

Fake news and online misinformation, particularly on social media, is increasing at an alarming rate. Therefore, verified, trusted sources will further increase in value and should result in stronger engagement. It will also place a greater need on PR professionals to ensure any information sourced within content is verified and platforms they pitch to are premium. 

Transparency, authenticity and responsible communications will gain increased value in helping obtain public trust, as the sector continues to navigate AI developments. 

Quality Content

I believe brands will double-down on core messaging and a quality over quantity approach to content. 

High quality and unique content that informs, entertains and adds value is more important than ever. The rise of clickbait articles designed to boost short-term website traffic (vital for revenue) is putting audiences off. I hope we reach a point in 2024 where mainstream media return to delivering a better balance of quality for its readers. 

Equally the issue will further fuel the rise of niche media outlets that deliver high quality content for narrow audiences, for example podcasts. Quality content will see a further focus on the strategic message, mapping out stories and re-purposing content for different platforms for maximum value. 

AI

Chat GPT will continue to be a big talking point this year, after it burst onto the marketplace in late 2022. While some brands have embraced it, others have remained sceptical and we are now seeing some of its limitations. A lot of content now lacks the human touch, resulting in bland, or over the top copy that grates readers and lets down brands. 

The technology is powerful and need to be used carefully. I expect to see more copyright legal challenges by big media houses against Chat GPT this year and a continued shaky market. 

Micro influencers

With the mainstream media landscape continuing to shift quickly and a growing fatigue and scepticism of major influencers promoting products, goods and services via sponsored content there will be a continued shift towards micro influencers and platforms. 

Micro influencers enable brands to get very targeted with content and achieve strong results. This will require a mentality shift for some brands who favour vanity metrics on social media. Last year our team delivered strong results for a hotel client by engaging micro influencers who had an engaged, localised audiences to drive footfall. This proved more effective than engaging with big name national influencers who were not based in the area. 

Multi-media

PR is no longer a profession that relies wholly on placing content in third-party media. Successful PR agencies have pivoted and now provide clients with multi-media services in which content is re-purposed to enhance engagement and brand awareness. 

This trend will accelerate this year, as brands embrace more ways to engage their audiences. At Fortitude we constantly seek new ways to support our clients and this has included collaborating with influencers, podcasters and YouTubers and producing video content. The exodus from X will likely continue this year, partly due to brand association concerns regarding its owner, but also because it now has one of the lowest ROIs among social media platforms.

I envisage the need for a multi-media approach to delivery accelerating in 2024, with a strong emphasis on premium media platforms, video and audio. Staying on top of trends and assessing which ones are worthy for clients will be key to successfully keeping ahead of the game.