<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa12367fcdbc3190e43044_651d3d584336f03440d6e04f_63930bb35e55824c7a3082a2_Event%252520Headers%252520-%252520August%252520and%252520September.png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Growth</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Round-up: 4 PR Trends to Shape your 2023 Marketing Strategy</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>9 December 2022</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>6 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">With a forecasted global revenue of <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/645836/public-relations-pr-revenue/" target="_blank"><strong>$129 billion by 2025</strong></a>, the PR industry continues to evolve from just another marketing tool to a foundational structure of all marketing strategies, <strong>with an aim to connect businesses with the outside world, increase brand visibility, and maximise online presence</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In our latest workshop, 'PR in 2023 – What to Expect and Where to Start', our panel of experts shared the <strong>impact of changing consumer behaviour in the PR world, practical guidance for building a modernised PR strategy in the new year, and the game-changing trends they're expecting to see in 2023</strong>.</p> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">01</span>Key Challenges facing PR professionals in 2023 with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-halls-01/" target="_blank">Alex Halls</a>, Account Director at <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/hatchgroupuk/" target="_blank">Hatch Group</a></h2> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <div style="padding-bottom:56.33802816901409%" data-rt-type="video" data-rt-align="fullwidth" data-rt-max-width="" data-rt-max-height="56.33802816901409%" data-rt-dimensions="426:240" data-page-url="https://vimeo.com/779643818"><div><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/779643818" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe></div></div> </div> <figcaption>Workshop: PR in 2023 – What to Expect and Where to Start, featuring Alex Halls, Account Director at Hatch Group.</figcaption> </figure> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">02</span>4 PR Trends to Shape your 2023 Marketing Strategy</h2> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Trend #1 - The rise – and risk – of demonstrating your brand purpose in the right way with PR</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">With more choice than ever before and <strong>consumers becoming increasingly skeptical of the brands they purchase from</strong>, the need for businesses to demonstrate brand values in alignment with their audience continues to grow – which is where PR comes in.</p> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>An effective PR strategy can help control your brand message, showcase your values and communicate the story behind your business</strong>, which builds a trusting and transparent relationship between brand and consumer.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Today, with advances in technology and increasing data analytical services, there has been a huge shift to ensure <strong>PR campaigns are reaching the right audiences, and meeting intended KPI's</strong> such as brand awareness and visibility - ultimately leading to a tangible ROI.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"From a consumer perspective, they are becoming much more savvy in terms of scrutinising what a business' purpose is and how much they're living up to it. Therefore, PR efforts must avoid falling under the category of greenwashing or other spurious claims."<cite>Rob Skinner · Founder &amp; MD, Skout PR</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">Alongside this, <strong>consumers are becoming aware of when they're being "PR-ed".</strong> So, it's crucial to focus a bit more on the nuts and bolts of PR efforts, from a marketer's perspective, rather than a consumers perspective."</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Trend #2 - The importance of a data-driven PR strategy</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">It should come as no surprise that data has become a vital part of a modernised PR strategy as of most marketing strategies. Data can be utilised in a variety of ways to determine the effectiveness of current PR efforts or measure brand performance in terms of reputation and online presence.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Measuring data <strong>at every stage of your PR campaign</strong> can help evaluate limitations in your plan and act upon those.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"You must consider whether your PR campaigns are going to speak to the targeted audience in the right way. Therefore, conducting research to identify how you're currently resonating with your audience, your business values and brand purpose. Then <strong>utilising this data within the creative planning stage to achieve a purpose-led PR strategy</strong>, in terms of areas to focus on and where to dial down on. It's about treating your stakeholders and your audiences like intelligent people and using the data to work out what's resonating with them. <strong>You can use social listening to help you do that, extracting data on what sort of things they're interested in</strong>."<cite>Abigail Outhwaite · Associate Director, PR Agency One</cite></blockquote> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img alt="'I think digital PR and traditional PR coming together is a part of that.' - Sam Cobden" src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa12357fcdbc3190e43036_6393127da548c062c209cc39_Webinar%2520-%2520Quotes%2520-%2520Sam.png" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto"></div> <figcaption>Sam Cobden, Digital PR Executive at Dark Horse, on the integration of digital and traditional PR.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Trend #3 - Integration of Digital Strategies into PR</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">With influencer marketing becoming a growing force in PR trends over the past several years, our experts predict a strong integration of PR and digital performance activities in 2023. From the use of micro-influencers on TikTok to celebrities with millions of followers on Instagram, <strong>such digital activities can result in unprecedented media coverage and brand visibility for businesses</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In a recent survey, <a href="https://blog.linkody.com/marketing/public-relations-tools" target="_blank"><strong>88% of PR specialists</strong></a> believe that digital storytelling is the highest value skill in successful PR campaigns, reiterating the crossover between traditional and digital PR in recent times.</p> <aside class="gn-quote gn-reveal"><q>I think digital PR and traditional PR coming together is a part of that. It's something that business owners should consider, rather than seeing them as separate, but to bring them together and to develop KPIs around that joint venture.</q><cite>Sam Cobden · Digital PR Executive, Dark Horse</cite></aside> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Specifically in B2B and due to the aftermath of the pandemic, <strong>other forms of marketing have become more expensive, like Pay-Per-Click or less accessible, like trade shows</strong>. Therefore, businesses are now focusing on direct market activity and brand awareness, which means driving SEO and inbound lead generation."<cite>Ashley Carr · Managing Director, Neo PR</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal">Trend #4 - Balancing PR Reactivity with Brand Authenticity</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Alex</strong> highlights the importance of balancing reactive Digital PR activity with authenticity, "the most important thing is collaboration and making sure that the message is consistent across the board. On social media you have complete control of your brand voice, so you can be consistent and <strong>take risks if you choose but do this in way that is authentic, or it can go wrong</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">For example, Weight Watchers once humorously commented on a Kanye West story, and it went viral but the responses after that highlighted that this was something they had never done before as they didn't really know how to deal with it."</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Furthermore, <strong>Alex</strong> highlights the importance of utilising elements such as social media or influencer marketing within PR Strategy's in an authentic way, "for example build proper authentic brand ambassadors so you can build longer term relationships."</p> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">03</span>Making the Most of PR in 2023: Where to Start with your Strategy</h2> <h3 class="gn-reveal">A Strong Foundation for PR</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Ashley</strong> shares 3 key tips for a strong PR campaign:</p> <aside class="gn-callout gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-callout__label">What this means for you</div> <h4>A Strong Foundation for PR</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Have a firm grasp on the region you're going to start your PR efforts in.</strong> 'You're there to stay.'</li> <li><strong>Have a well thought leadership campaign that's relevant to the targeted audience.</strong></li> <li><strong>Have a spokesperson who is media trained and available.</strong></li> </ul> </aside> <h3 class="gn-reveal">A PR Strategy that works for you</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">In today's age, a <strong>PR professional must wear several hats and require a diverse skillset</strong>, including knowledge of SEO, influencer marketing, social media campaigns, link building and trending topics.</p> <div class="gn-stats gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">33<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of PR professionals using social media tools daily.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">90<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of surveyed in-house marketers struggling to create quality content for Digital PR.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">60<em>%+</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of online companies outsourced their digital PR efforts in 2022.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">30<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">growth of PR agencies.</span></div> </div> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Sam</strong> says, "once you really understand your space, and you've taken the time to build a lean digital PR process. It comes to the conversation of - <strong>how much time does that take? And can you tap into that specialisation with working with an agency?</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal">Then, it's a case of looking at the budget requirements there, and making the best decision on bringing in and investing in an agency.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">So, I don't think PR is inaccessible, I think it can be scaled to the needs of your business and then the conversation can be had - <strong>is this worth bringing in-house or should we reach out to an agency?</strong></p> <p class="gn-reveal"><em>If you're investing in PR Strategy in the new year, make sure you're getting the most from your time. The GO Network offer cost-free agency recommendations, pitch management, and more,</em> <a href="https://www.thegonetwork.com/get-in-touch" target="_blank"><strong><em>get in touch</em></strong></a> <em>to get started.</em></p> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/pr-in-2023-what-to-expect-and-where-to-start" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">PR in 2023 - What to Expect and Where to Start</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Agency PR leaders share what&#39;s changing in comms, influencer, and brand partnerships , plus practical steps to build a measurable PR strateg</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/round-up-abm---what-it-is-why-it-matters-and-how-to-approach" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Round-up: ABM – What it Is, Why it Matters and How to Approach</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">B2B agencies share expert frameworks on the three ABM models, who they suit, and the practical steps to build account-based marketing into y</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/round-up-101-ish-ways-to-get-more-from-your-ppc-strategy-in-2023" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Round-up: 101(ish) Ways to Get More from your PPC Strategy in 2023</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Eleven expert tactics to cut cost-per-click, lift click-through rates, and use paid search insights to strengthen your full agency marketing</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/organic-social-2023-trends-and-opportunities-for-your-growth-strategy" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Organic Social 2023 - Trends and Opportunities for your Growth Strategy</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Agency experts break down platform algorithm shifts, TikTok&#39;s explosive rise, and the risks and opportunities shaping organic social strateg</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside>