PR pros predict which trends will matter most in 2019

How will the industry change in the coming year? Which platforms and tactics still matter? Leading communications experts offer a glimpse into the near future.

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With every new year it’s important for PR professionals to reflect on the prior 12 months’ successes and failures—and to prepare for what the coming year might bring.

2018 presented many interesting and new challenges for communicators.

“2018 was a year of distractions and diversions. The political environment, economic uncertainty, leadership crises and bold advocacy dominated headlines. There were many surprises, breaking news, news-breaking tweets—business was never usual for us in PR,” said Julia Sahin, senior account supervisor at Edelman.

Other challenges included earning media coverage in a politically-fueled and shrinking media climate, measuring the impact of PR efforts and scaling to meet more communications needs outside of pitching than ever before.

However, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2019. Nearly all the industry professionals we chatted with for this post predicted that content will become increasingly important in the new year.

We checked in with 11 PR professionals to hear about the biggest challenges they faced in 2018—and to hear their predictions for 2019.

1. Stephanie Matthews, executive director of integrated media, Golin

What was the biggest challenge you faced as a PR professional in 2018?

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