Three PR priorities for 2025

I’ll be honest, sitting down to write my thoughts about what lies ahead in the world of PR feels somewhat of a challenge this year.

The world is changing so fast. We’re only a couple of weeks into the year and already we’ve seen news headlines that would have seemed unthinkable just a matter of years ago. Now, every week seems to bring a new twist or turn on the global stage.

The way people communicate has not just evolved over the last decade – it’s flipped entirely on its head and, in turn, it’s changed the world as we know it.

So, with so much uncertainty out there, how can organisations focus their PR efforts? Here are three key areas to consider.

Be authentic, know who you are and stick to it

In the era of disinformation, misinformation and malinformation, virtue signalling and division, it’s never been more important for organisations to know and understand who they are and what they stand for.

Several studies already show customers are more likely to purchase from a company that shares their values so, having a watertight Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) plan in place and ensuring policies for areas such as equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) accurately reflect the way your company operates is vital.

And, if you’re not delivering in certain areas, be honest about that – and work towards your goals to improve. Do not be tempted to twist the truth or try and mislead your audience and stakeholders.

The latest study from RepRisk, the world’s largest ESG data science company, found that greenwashing - the practice of making unsubstantiated, untrue, or misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a company's products and initiatives to attract customers and investors who prioritise sustainability – dipped slightly in 2024 but overall, has increased by 179% since 2018.

Equally, diversity washing – the practice in which companies try to appear inclusive or diversive without making genuine efforts or implementing significant change in their business models – carries significant risk.

Many companies promote their diversity commitments around awareness days or external communication but fail to reflect this value in their internal practices and culture. Why? Well, according to Kantar’s Brand Inclusion Index 2024, perceptions of diversity and inclusion influences buying decisions for almost eight in 10 people worldwide, cementing its importance when it comes to business growth.

The study also found three quarters of the people surveyed agreed with this statement: “It is important to me that the brands I buy from actively promote diversity and inclusion in their own business or society as a whole.”

This demonstrates the importance of promoting your work in this area – but only if it’s authentic. The impact of miscommunicating your company’s commitment to its values can be huge, causing real damage to your reputation.

Know your audience, ensure your company values are aligned and, most importantly, are something your organisation lives and breathes – not just a buzzword or a social post.

Prepare business continuity and crisis communication plans

Remember that saying, prepare for the worst and hope for the best? Moving into 2025 and faced with an array of geopolitical, social and environmental challenges, every organisation needs to take this age-old adage seriously and get planning.

From shifting global trade agreements to wars, weather disasters and more, there’s no telling what the next 12 months could hold, so make the time to look at your business continuity plan and put the required crisis plans in place.

And, importantly, test it.

Carrying out a crisis test within an organisation often highlights areas for improvement, so it’s a vital part of making sure your ready for whatever the world throws at you and your business.

Share the good news – the world needs it!

It’s not all doom and gloom. The wonderful thing about having a proactive PR strategy in place is that you can work with your team to identify the positive news stories that matter to you and your customers, and share them with the world.

Take a look at what you’ve got coming up over the next six to 12 months and get a plan in place that strategically communicates your business’s news stories with your stakeholders.

Alongside this, consider any areas that your company’s spokespeople could help shape industry debate and discussion.

With so much going on in the world, there’ll no doubt be a wealth of topics, from Artificial Intelligence to import and export, that you can put yourselves forward for as an industry thought leader, helping inform your audiences and raising your company’s profile, too.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash