Elevate’s ‘The Future of’ series returned this month with The Future of PR, which took place in The Irish Architectural Archive. A panel of industry experts joined founder and MD of Elevate, Emma Kelly and Deputy Managing Director, Claire Feely, who are celebrating 20 years working together, to discuss the trends impacting PR, including what is happening in the world of public relations, content creation, brand experiences and influencer marketing.
The panellists for The Future of PR included Marketing Manager, Premium Spirits at Coca Cola Hellenic, Hilary Hughes, writer, podcaster and content creator, Louise McSharry and features editor of The Sunday Times, Jennifer Stevens. The panel discussed everything from the importance of relationships in PR, to changing landscape of PR and the role of content creators in PR.
The key take-aways from the event included:
1. AI won’t overtake relationships.
Despite all the advancement in AI technology, the most important thing in a PR’s tool kit is their relationships. Nurturing, maintain, growing your relationships are key to PR. AI won’t replace these.
2. The press release is not dead.
Traditional press releases are not dead for clients and campaigns but it’s very important to keep them and their message short and snappy. Journalists don’t have time to read pages of releases. To ensure you get eyeballs on your release, the subject lines need to grab the reader’s attention.
3. Read and listen to media.
Consume the media that you are pitching too – traditional, broadcast, content creators. Know what they wrote last week, what they posted last week so your pitch is relevant to them.
4. The Creator Economy.
Written briefs will always be a brand must but have trust in the creator you are working with; they know their audience and what they respond best too. Don’t overlook ‘narrowcasting’ your message, it can be more useful than broadcasting if the creator has an engaged audience. The new ASAI regulations, aren’t there to scare anyone, they should be read and implemented!
Elevate PR started its Future of series in 2020 hosting a range of virtual and online events that covered topics including content, retail, beauty and personal care, food, and media. All previous events can be viewed via the news section on www.elevate.ie. Check back for updates on future events.
