I’m Angus, and as I look back at 2024, it’s time to review where we nailed our forecasts and where our predictions fell short. When we began the year, we laid out key trends we anticipated would reshape the PR and communications landscape. Here’s an honest assessment and data and sources to back it up.
AI-Driven Communications
What We Got Right:
- We correctly predicted the widespread integration of AI-powered tools into PR workflows. According to the CIPR State of the Profession Survey 2024, more than 70% of PR teams integrated generative AI into content creation.
- Automated sentiment analysis saw steady growth, with a PRWeek report indicating a 25% rise in real-time media monitoring and message refinement usage.
What We Got Wrong:
- We overestimated the pace at which smaller agencies would adopt advanced AI. A Cision survey found that only 38% of mid-sized agencies consistently use these tools in their daily work, well below our projected 60%.
Data-Driven Decision Making
What We Got Right:
- We anticipated the surge in robust analytics. Weber Shandwick noted a 45% year-over-year increase in firms using dedicated dashboards to measure ROI and performance metrics.
What We Got Wrong:
- Confidence in advanced attribution modeling has yet to mature fully. An Edelman poll showed only 30% of PR professionals fully trust their data-driven insights to guide strategy, a lower figure than we expected.
ESG and Purpose-Led Communications
What We Got Right:
- ESG messaging did dominate headlines. FleishmanHillard reported that 65% of top brands issue ESG-related press releases at least quarterly, reflecting a clear shift toward values-based storytelling.
What We Got Wrong:
- The standardization of ESG metrics across the board needed to catch up to our predictions. Kantar reported that only 40% of brands provided consistent, verifiable ESG data, which was far from the 70% we had hoped to see.
Influencer Marketing and Micro-Communities
What We Got Right:
- The shift to niche influencers and sector-specific micro-communities was spot-on. Influencer Intelligence noted a 32% increase in B2B micro-influencer campaigns, aligning with our expectations.
What We Got Wrong:
- The return on investment from influencer marketing didn’t climb as high as anticipated. Meltwater data showed only a 20% improvement in measurable conversions, half of our 40% target.
Social Audio and Emerging Platforms
What We Got Right:
- Early experiments on emerging audio platforms like Twitter Spaces and LinkedIn Audio matched our forecasts, with brands testing these formats throughout the year.
What We Got Wrong:
- Sustained audience engagement on social audio channels didn’t hold. Social Media Examiner found a 15% decline in active brand use year-over-year, reversing the 25% growth we initially predicted.
Video as a Dominant Medium
What We Got Right:
- Video remained central to effective PR outreach. WARC reported a 50% increase in short-form video-based press releases and TikTok campaigns, confirming the medium’s ongoing dominance.
What We Got Wrong:
- Longer-form documentary-style brand content is needed to gain meaningful traction. Only 10% of PR teams saw success in this format, well under our predicted 30%.
Crisis and Reputation Management
What We Got Right:
- The investment in preparedness and rapid-response teams paid off. Hill+Knowlton Strategies found that nearly 60% of major brands now hold quarterly crisis drills, improving agility and response times.
What We Got Wrong:
- While we forecasted a broad uptake of advanced crisis command platforms, adoption could have been improved. Only 35% of brands regularly used integrated crisis dashboards, missing our 50% target.
Final Takeaways
Looking back, our predictions on foundational shifts—AI adoption, emphasis on ESG communications, and the staying power of video—were largely correct. We faltered in assuming faster adoption curves for complex technologies, more uniform metrics for ESG, and stronger immediate ROI from influencer campaigns.
As we move forward, these lessons will guide forecasting emerging trends. We’ll incorporate more nuanced timelines, re-examine which metrics matter, and remain flexible as platforms and audiences evolve. In 2025, I’ll keep these insights in mind—balancing optimism about the new with a more pragmatic view of the pace of change.
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