Marketing and PR Predictions for 2025

The AI Reckoning Is Coming

"The deluge of AI tools has created a frenzy over implementing them in our businesses, but the risks are also becoming more prevalent. I expect lawmakers to double down on regulating this technology and the few, truly useful tools will rise to the top \u2013 begging the question: is there enough AI for all of us to still be authentic and unique marketers and communicators?"
~ Stacey Miller | Vice President Communications | Auto Care Association

Gamification of AI Lawsuits

"AI agents will enable citizen groups to file lawsuits en masse creating huge PR headaches and complex legal entanglements. Eventually, regulations will sort this out but watch for the gamification of lawsuits in the near future."
~ Mark Schaefer | Executive Director | Schaefer Marketing Solutions

Here Comes a Podcast Bandwagon

"This past election cycle really showed us how big podcasts have become \u2013 it was basically the year of the podcast. I wouldn\u2019t be surprised if we see more brands, companies, and thought leaders jumping on board, whether that\u2019s through podcast ads, starting their own shows, or making guest appearances part of their marketing game plan."
~ Britt Klontz | Founder, Digital PR Consultant | Vada Communications

Transparency as a Competitive Advantage

"Truth and transparency will be the ultimate competitive advantage. While truth has forever been a core component of communications, brands that prioritize truth and transparency in 2025 will rise to the top. Consumers will continue having less tolerance for brands that BS them. All the money and time spent on strategic plans and crisis comms is wasted if leaders don\u2019t see the value in showing customers or clients respect through honesty."
~ Nikki Little | Senior VP | Franco

AI Agents Get Good Enough

"Picture this. It\u2019s 9 a.m. on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.

You turn on your computer.

Overnight, your PR AI agent has been hard at work.

It has scanned thousands of the prior day\u2019s news articles, blog posts, podcasts, and videos for relevant keywords and evaluated each of them for contextual relevance.

For the pieces it found to be relevant, the PR AI agent has dug up reporters\u2019 emails and then drafted pitches (referencing your prior work with those reporters when appropriate).

And now, sipping your coffee, you spend a few minutes looking through the articles and pitch drafts one by one, tweaking them here and there (and btw every tweaked pitch makes the next pitch better), and then you send them all off.

It\u2019s now 9:21 a.m.

Then an email lands in your inbox. It\u2019s from a recent college grad interested in a PR job.

You think to yourself \u2013 The PR AI agent is so productive I may not need to hire junior staff.

And then you think even deeper \u2013 The PR AI agent is so productive, future clients may not need to hire me.

You go for a walk, reflecting on life\u2019s mixed blessings."
~ Josh Inglis | Founder and Principal | Propllr

Earned Media Can't Go It Alone Anymore

"There\u2019s going to be much more demand for precision and predictability in PR campaigns. Teams will need to show the data analysis behind their strategies before they launch.

Pure earned media might not be enough anymore. We\u2019re shifting towards mixed paid-earned approaches, and there\u2019s a good reason for that \u2013 they\u2019re more effective.

This will affect how we analyze and report on campaigns. PR metrics are going to be much more closely tied to the company\u2019s bottom line. Things like cost per lead, and customer lifetime value are entering PR reports."
~ Aleksandra Kubicka | PR Evangelist | Prowly

Staff Cuts Coming to Corp Comm Thanks to AI

"PRs to dedicate more time to work their in-house audiences. As AI gains traction in many professions, PRs are at danger of losing their footing.

Over the last 6 months, I have noticed that many discussions on tech adoption centered on AI, and in particular, leadership\u2019s wish to reduce costs. Read: cut the headcount of department.

I often argue that efficiency of the current team \u2013 [which is] doing more with the same team and gaining big in what a comms department can achieve in 12 months \u2013 is the way to look at this development [even though] it is not what the C-suite have in mind when investing in AI-driven CommTech.

My prediction is therefore that we will see job cuts in comms departts and the need for PRs to showcase their value internally more than ever before."
~ Bart Verhulst | Co-founder | Presspage

Human Expertise Maybe Expiring

"Given the never-ending pressure to produce more content (because \u2018more content\u2019 is exactly what every enterprise needs right now; the indexed web \u2018only\u2019 contains about 2.25 billion pages with total data volume growing by about half-a-zettabyte per day in 2025), with less resources (budget, people, etc.), the temptation to rely increasing on AI-created content will become overwhelming.

Anyone who spends any time with it can\u2019t help but to have noticed that the writing quality of AI has gotten remarkably better over just the past year. And in a recent AI course I attended, the presenter shared a prompt that, with a bit of thought and tweaking, can produce a guide or ebook on virtually any topic in less than an hour.

I\u2019ve not actually tried it yet, but\u2026it\u2019s tempting. For the moment, authenticity, unique point of view, and human expertise will remain more highly valued than synthetic, generic, AI-produced content. But for how much longer?"
~ Tom Pick | Digital Marketing Consultant | Webbiquity LLC

Focus on Executing the Basics of Media Relations

"With media outlets shrinking and doing more with less, I think there will be a movement to \u2018back to basics.\u2019 Leveraging relationships to garner results. Those firms that have those solid relationships will thrive and those trying to make those relationships will have some work on their hands.

In addition, the pay to play/sponsored content movement will continue to grow. PR industry should not be afraid to embrace the P2P movement. Sponsored content will have a place in the PR industry moving forward."
~ Jason Brown | Principal | PublicCity PR

Hyper Targeted Media Relations Is Essential

"In 2025, hyper targeting wins out over big media lists.

CNN, Los Angeles Times, WAPO and others, cut staff. Writers have to cover more beats. They are extraordinarily busy: A Reddit thread disclosed that journalists file two to six stories daily.

To break through the noise, be selective and use more care when pitching. In 2025, the trend for success will be to hyper-target one reporter who is a stunning fit for a much higher chance of quality coverage. You can\u2019t do this intelligently when pitching 500 media outlets.

Hyper personalize as well."
~ Michelle McIntyre | President | Michelle McIntyre Communications LLC