By guest contributor Sandra Stahl

Communications is always a critical element for businesses and organizations during times of change and uncertainty. 2025 is certainly one of those years. Companies in virtually every sector are at a crossroads of shifting audience opinions, technological innovation and an ever-evolving landscape of what is influential. Here’s how PR is at the centre.

We ‘see’ people

PR is about building strong and enduring relationships. It follows, then, that a foundational element of PR is true, deep and grounded recognition of a company’s stakeholders, both external, like customers, and internal, their employees. In PR, we work hard to learn and understand what these audiences are feeling, thinking, loving or feeling frustrated about. In a year when six in 10 respondents to the Edelman Trust Barometer 2025 report a moderate to high sense of grievance, communications is crucial. PR practitioners are trained to listen and really ‘see’ people so that the information we develop for our companies, organizations and their executives to share is resonant. We know feeling ‘seen’ increases connection and the motivation to engage, which is what our work is all about.

Trust, authenticity and transparency are at a premium

Trust is in the spotlight. The Head of Global Campaigns at a multinational healthcare company recently told me that we’re operating in a ‘no trust environment,’ and ‘the level of cynicism is off the charts.’ Her feeling is borne out in surveys as well – people say they are increasingly scrutinizing what they see, what they read and what they believe, which impacts how they behave towards companies. Here’s one example from the 2025 Accenture Life Trends study of nearly 25,000 people across 22 markets: 62% now prioritize trust when choosing to engage with a brand — up from 56% last year. PR bridges the gap between businesses and their audiences, and enables companies, their leaders, their words and their actions to showcase their genuine values. Authenticity may feel like a buzzword these days, but it is the foundation of a trusted relationship. PR practitioners know this and help ensure transparency and integrity are at the heart of our work.

Finding the human/technology balance in AI-powered communications strategies 

There’s no question AI is exciting. It will facilitate tremendous efficiencies and, among other benefits, drive the content discovery process. But a lot depends on the information AI tools are ‘fed’, especially given the crisis of misinformation and disinformation. PR practitioners are essential in developing, training, overseeing, and interpreting the outputs of AI. We’re responsible for providing vital capabilities like creativity, critical thinking and ethical decision-making. As an industry, PR has always been forward-thinking. We’re early adopters. We love new platforms. AI will certainly change some elements of the way we work; it will make us smarter and faster. But at the core, we never forget that relationships are forged between people, and communications always need to be human. PR will be at the centre of driving the necessary balance between humanity and technology.

Brevity

The expression about how people have shorter attention spans than goldfish may have gained a lot of traction, but the truth is there is no evidence to support it.  Still, research does suggest the average attention span may be decreasing, requiring information to be communicated fast and memorably. PR practitioners, with our facility with words, understanding of the role and power of optics, and embracing new platforms, are ideally suited to tackle this.

What’s next for influencers 

In my agency, we partner with influencers all the time for our clients, and I have personally taught the Brand Influence class in the master’s degree Branding + Integrated Communications class at The City College of New York for a decade. During this time, we’ve seen influencer marketing grow to a global value of $21.billion in 2023, according to Statistica.com.  What’s next in influencer communications? Regional influencers – individuals with smaller but super-engaged audiences. Micro- and nano-influencers that are local to the audiences you want to engage with offer an authenticity that can’t be found with global celebrities with huge platforms and is what people need right now while they grapple with trust issues, change and uncertainty.

PR for business is the art and science of engaging people at scale to believe something and then act upon that.  With that as the definition, there are no boundaries to what we can do in our industry in 2025 and many years after. I always like to keep in mind what Bill Gates once said, as reported in Forbes: “ If I was down to my last dollar, I’d spend it on public relations.” A ringing endorsement if I’ve ever heard one for what we do.

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The Smart PR Book explains how modern-day PR is both science and art, strategy and execution, fact and finely-tuned intuition. This includes mastering the fundamentals, but also embracing new technology and platforms. Readers will find insights, stories, interviews and brand examples, as well as activities and exercises that bring the skills to life.

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