25 Marketing and PR Trends for 2022
Marketing and communications professionals continue to face change with emerging technologies, evolving communication channels and pandemic-wary consumers. These developments shape the way we engage with customers, employees, journalists and other stakeholders.
We asked 25 professionals what they'll be watching for in 2022. Keep reading to learn their strategies for media relations, crisis communications, marketing, technology, advocacy and more.
Media Relations
Sharon Kreher of teamworks communication
Personalized pitches to specific journalists and influencers are likely to reap greater rewards than general one-size-fits-all media distributions. Podcasts, bloggers, etc. are great opportunities to connect with specific audiences. Influencer marketing is now... ⇢ read more
Dimensional Mailers Are Making a Comeback. Here's What You Need to Know.
Coming out of a year and a half of isolation and as people are looking more and more to break out of endless Zoom and email cycles, dimensional mailers are fast becoming a way to cut through the cyber-clutter to reach and impact key audiences. And we’ve turned to some new industry friends to share some of the latest great choices you can make when sending physical media to contacts or colleagues.
PIMS, a full-service marketing support company based in New York and New Jersey focused primarily on delivering fulfillment,... ⇢ read more
Influencer marketing is an effective form of marketing for both large and small brands. By tapping into an existing community of engaged followers, brands can generate exposure, gain credibility and see an increase in sales.
Influencer marketing can be a viable tactic, but with millions of potential influencers it can be challenging to navigate your first campaign. We had four PR pros answer three questions on this topic. Check out their advice on strategy, measurement and more!
Advice for Influencer Marketing
Jennifer Bisbee, APR of Bisbee and Company, Inc.
#1 TYPES OF CAMPAIGNS
The most successful influencer marketing campaigns are strategic, creative and engaging, and... ⇢ read more
Humans are psychologically wired to enjoy a good story. The best marketers and PR pros leverage the power of storytelling because it helps to build a deeper and stronger connection with an audience.
Whether you are crafting a story you hope will resonate with journalists or building a deeper connection with customers vis social media, storytelling is a must-have skill. We had seven PR pros answer three questions on this topic. Their advice is sure to spark some new ideas for your 2021 campaigns.
Storytelling Advice and Trends
Tracie Broom of Flock and Rally
#1 BEST ADVICE
Our key piece of storytelling advice is to... ⇢ read more
In 2010, we were in the midst of the Great Recession and there were so many things similar to today’s economic climate. Large-scale layoffs, furloughs, the unemployment rate was sitting at 10 percent and marketing budgets were slashed!
Accountants love cutting “non-essential” or “big ticket” expenditures. For some reason, that includes marketing, communications and advertising. To me, this logic is like watching a fire go out and refusing to put more wood on the stack because it costs too much to keep it going.
Even the greatest of companies, those that you didn’t think would need bailouts and would survive a turn... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing, and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
Some 9-5’ers would rather watch anything on TV but something about their career. Whether I’m an entrepreneur who doesn’t know what 9-5 means or a news junkie, I’m hooked on Apple TV’s latest headline, The Morning Show.
My journalist wiring pushes me to ask a lot of questions in a variety of settings. I’ve asked doctors if they think one of my faves, Grey’s Anatomy, is accurate in its representation of medicine. If I knew anyone who sold paper, I'd definitely ask if The Office's Dunder Mifflin... ⇢ read more
As reputation keepers, much jargon continually tries to make its way into our vocabulary and play deck. Some of it’s for a season, but some stand the test of time and become best practices. Being authentic is one of the latter.
Merriam-Webster defines authentic as “true to one’s own personality, spirit or character.” Also, “not false or imitation; REAL.” When thinking of how this applies to brands, organizations, communications strategy and the real life of companies and their people (both internal and external audiences), this word among all others is a moral compass for distinguishing the good from the great.
At the... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, President Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing, and Editor/Founder of PRCG Powerlines
Note - Picture taken in the PV (Polar Vortex)
When you ask PR professionals to battle the elements, find a workaround with canceled flights, and dig out parkas, face masks, and hand warmers, what happens? You get 26 of them assembled in the middle of a historic Polar Vortex, ready to bundle up and buckle down, with another 10 participating virtually. All joking aside, the PRConsultants Group’s 24th Annual Conference traveled to incoming President Jason Brown’s home town of Detroit a.k.a. Motor City for professional development, networking,... ⇢ read more
What crisis management lessons can a disaster like Hurricane Florence provide to organizations and the PR pros who support them?
Recently, I flew into North Carolina to help a friend with what started as a small, rural nonprofit dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew. My friend saw a need and stepped in — using her natural gifts and savvy about people — to grow the organization to be a key player in her county during Hurricane Florence.
Our PR Challenge: Staying “rural relevant” while quickly getting the organization “more sophisticated” in media relations and big-time grant opportunity development.
After my years of working... ⇢ read more
Earlier this month, International House of Pancakes (aka IHOP) made a bold decision to rebrand. At least, that’s what people initially thought. IHOP announced June 4 on Twitter it was “flippin’ our name to IHOb.” The company didn’t tell anyone what the “b” would stand for initially, building suspense for the big reveal.
People guessed everything from biscuits, to bacon to butternut squash. Many people assumed “b” would stand for “breakfast” since IHOP is known for its pancakes and other morning fare. For a week, IHOb (the name had already been changed on Twitter) continued to engage with followers via social... ⇢ read more
By Amy Kossoff Smith, Founder/Editor of PRCG Powerlines and Founder/President of Write Ideas, Inc. and Power Hour Editing
It was time to “plug into PRCG” with business development and community service in Tempe, Arizona, for PRConsultants Group’s 15th Annual Conference. Some 42 members attended, representing 40 markets, for education, networking, and strategizing how to capitalize on public relations opportunities in 2018.
The State of the Network revealed a robust combination of ongoing development, growth potential, and an unprecedented amount of intra-group collaboration. Next, members enjoyed a hands-on “Embracing Your Creativity” workshop with Many-to-One’s Dennis Skinner. This 17-year creativity veteran outlined the barriers... ⇢ read more
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