What does Public Relations look like in 2026?

At its most fundamental, public relations is – and always has been – about connecting a message with an audience. 

But behind this simplicity lurks complexity. As communicators and brands, we have never had such a suite of tools at our disposal to connect us with our customers. 

Often competing for time or budget, businesses need to prioritise their marketing spend wisely and ensure that they are getting a good return on investment. 

And as business leaders, it can often feel like we’re being approached from every angle. Should we dedicate spend to SEO or Google ads; should we be prioritising earned media; what about out of home or direct mail; or should we be channelling spend into socials? 

The truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Business challenges are unique, and so it makes sense that the answers to those challenges should be too. Deciding what mix of communications solutions is right for you will form the basis of your PR Strategy. 

Often misunderstood as a narrower set of tactics or misinterpreted as standing for ‘press release’, PR relates to the wider comms piece. So how has it changed in recent years, what do business leaders need to know, and how can they navigate the complexity?

I have long argued that while tactics may change, the fundamentals of PR do not. It is natural for any business and sector to seek shortcuts and make a product or service easier. And technology – moving at rapid speeds as it currently does – is having a big effect on the services PR agencies deliver. 

AI has been used to a greater or lesser extent by agencies for a few years now, and while it can be useful and is proving its worth in the industry, it hasn’t created the paradigm shift some predicted. It should be used as a tool, not as a solution. 

There is also a school of thought that is looking to further return PR to its fundamentals. Brand-building is as important as it has ever been, and in a world lacking in credibility, trust is a rare commodity. Ignore this factor at your peril. 

It’s natural that business leaders are looking at the horizon. That’s our job. But it’s also important we don’t waste time looking for a silver bullet that isn’t there. 

Despite the existence of tools that appear to make elements of our work easier, the space we operate in is more complex than ever. We mustn’t crave simplicity, and it does organisations a disservice to think that there are always simple answers. 

It’s only by truly understanding and knowing an industry, sector or topic that the true benefits of a PR strategy can be realised. There are no real shortcuts to creating this understanding and this is where a dedicated, professional service can be transformative for a business. 

When I started out in my career, one of the first tasks I had as a recent graduate was physically measuring media coverage with a ruler. 

Our practices might change, but the core systems and rules that underpin our work remain the same. It’s still about generating a genuine connection with an audience. 

A number of things should be considered in order to get the most out of any PR service. 

1. Always come back to the key factor: audience. Invest time in getting to know – in depth – who you’re connecting with. At one extreme, that might be half the population of the country; at the other it might be a handful of people who are procuring a specific product or service. Often, defining this audience, their motivators and pressure points isn’t as simple as you might think. Dedicated research and insight gathering can be worth its weight in gold, and once this is achieved, it makes tactical implementation much more measurable. 

2. Use cohesive tactics that work alongside each other and make your budget work harder for you. We know that costs are rising for businesses, so understand how services deliver benefits into one another. Brand consistency is a much-underrated strategy. 

3. Don’t simply follow the crowd – create a bespoke strategy that forges your own path and works for you. Business success is built on pioneering spirit, so don’t be afraid to try something nobody has done before. It can be tempting to look across the fence at competitors and perceive success, equating it to this or that tactic. But each business or organisation is different. Communicate to your strengths. 

While in an ideal world we all want simplicity, that just isn’t realistic much of the time. There are many stakeholders that will have an impact on your goals, and it may be necessary to tailor an approach to suit each one. 

That might mean creating a public affairs strategy to make your case to policymakers; creating a media outreach plan to connect to customers; and considering a wider awareness strategy, including advertising and a social presence. 

This tailored approach has been increasingly evident in Yasper’s work with an incredibly diverse set of organisations in the past 12 months: from local authorities and charities to FTSE 250 firms and tech start-ups. 

The value of public relations lies in tying various communications strands together into one cohesive voice. This is a fundamental truth that always applies, irrespective of objectives or sector.