2021 Public Relations Trends

As 2020 (finally) winds down, it’s time to look ahead to the coming year. At Nichols Brand Stories, that means looking for 2021 public relations trends. To get started, we weigh information from well-known industry experts, marketing forecasters and more. We then used our own experience to develop a list of what we think the upcoming PR trends for 2021 will be.

Here is a look at a few of the 2021 public relations trends we think you can expect to see!

Personalization

The COVID-19 pandemic forced all of us to spend much more time at home and less time with others. This means that consumers of all types from across the country have been lacking in personal interaction. So, now they will be looking for more personal types of communication from everyone – including businesses. This leads to our first PR trend of 2021 – personalization.

For 2021, communication that is personal and relatable will be the most successful. Consumers won’t want to hear a basic sales pitch. Instead, industry insiders point out that consumers are looking for a connection.

People now want to know that a company is empathetic and understanding. They want businesses and organizations to acknowledge the world as it is today. Expect to see PR that focuses on the desires, thoughts and feelings of consumers.

Relationships

Public relations has always been about forming relationships. However, in 2020, building relationships has taken a back seat due to the pandemic and need for social distancing. An important PR trend for 2021 will focus on building relationships once again.

In the year ahead, PR specialists will be expected to find new ways to form relationships with reporters, clients and audiences. The relationships formed will be the new metric for success. Some industry experts are predicting that reach and frequency will become a thing of the past, as the strength of relationships will become a main PR trend in 2021, and beyond.

Statistics and Facts

An emphasis on statistics and facts isn’t anything new. In fact, Nichols always stresses the importance of using statistics in public relations. However, hard facts will become more important than ever as social media platforms implement fact checking to help conquer claims of “fake news.”

While there is discussion about what the role of public relations is in the fight against disinformation, the good news is that the PR community already emphasizes honesty. We suggest supplementing press releases and news stories with statistics and facts that are supported by an appropriate source. For example, use reliable sources such as a medical journal or the AP News that are seen as non-biased.

Regardless of what the new year brings, one PR trend that we are confident in is that PR will continue to be a vital component of marketing communications. To see how we can help your company in 2021, contact us through our Nichols Brand Stories site, or simply reach out to me anytime at mbakle@wetellyourstory.com.