The Decade that Was
As we move beyond the new year and into a new decade, it would be a mistake not to reflect on the decade we’re leaving behind.
The 2000s brought with them significant technological advancements, changes in the collective consciousness of our society, and alternative ways to do business. All of these advancements also had a significant impact on the public relations industry.
Here are four significant ways PR evolved over the last 10 years.
The Explosion of Social Media
When we look back on the 2010’s, social media dominates the headlines.
Not only did social networks change the way we engage with our societies and the world around us, but they also changed the way businesses operated. From the 24/7 news cycle to the massive increase of unreliable news sources, or “fake news,” businesses were forced to become much more mindful of their brand and public persona.
Enter: Today’s new PR agency. As businesses’ need for more consistent branding and public outreach grew, so too did the necessity of PR agencies. PR firms are no longer just about media relations; they develop content, have creative directors, create ads and offer services far beyond the PR agency of way back when.
In other words, as PR crisis increased, so too did the need for a professional and effective PR response.
Digital Marketing
Digital marketing is a field that barely existed 25 years ago. Yet, at the end of 2018, global spend on digital marketing neared $100 billion.
The demand for companies to be showcased properly across the digital landscape increased dramatically in the last decade. Marketing and PR, while certainly not the same, do share common threads at the core of what they do.
As digital marketing became more complex, businesses realized they were missing out on opportunities by not marketing properly. PR firms quickly seized the opportunity, as many agencies began to develop digital marketing services that either supplemented their PR offerings, or as separate services all together.
Data Driven Decisions
It has become common place over the last decade for PR firms to track the results of their campaigns.
Data is no longer a supplement in the decision making process for these companies, but rather the driving force behind campaign decisions. Being able to measure the value of advertisements, track engagements across social media, and measure website traffic, has become key to what PR companies do.
By being able to track and measure results, PR companies have become more effective and integral to marketing operations.
Here’s to the Future
Much has changed since 2010, and the past decade has almost definitely led to a significant evolution in the way public relations companies do business.
The only constant in our world is change, and we can’t wait to see what changes are in store for the PR industry in the upcoming decade.