Sophie Baillie, Associate Director & Head of Client Services :

• How much has public relations and marketing changed in a decade? 
• What does media relations mean in 2024?
• Augmented reality – bop or flop?

I’m approaching a decade at Conscious Communications – 10 whole years, which has called for some reflection. While there have been many different life and world events in that time, I’ve paused to think – how much has changed in the world of public relations and marketing? 

When I started to put finger to keyboard to write this piece, I brushed the dust off our “2014 CC blogs” folder to see what topics we were discussing. I was surprised by the relevance of the blogs 10 years later… “Why traditional media relations still works”, “How to use hashtags”, “Are PR, marketing and social media merging?”, “The importance of vertical content”, “What is augmented reality and how do we use it?”. 

While platform functionalities have developed due to the wonderful world of technology, conversations and our approaches to activity have relatively stayed the same…

Hashtags

Let’s start with hashtags. A decade ago, the idea of condensing a message into a single word still seemed pretty novel. Yet here we are, still using them… and not just on our social media posts! Hashtags have transcended into every day vocabulary. The power of hashtags to amplify reach and foster community has transformed them into an indispensable tool that is here to stay. Crafting the perfect hashtag isn’t just an art – but a science too; a delicate equation between relevance, creativity and brevity.  

Media relations 

It is clear that traditional media relations still has its place within a public relations and marketing mix. However, over the last decade, what we have witnessed is an ever-increasing number of news sources. Gone are the days where traditional journalists are the gatekeepers to news, the rise of digital platforms and influencers has democratised the dissemination of information. So, today’s approach to media relations needs to be multi-channel, where traditional outreach to journalists coexists with social media engagement and influencer partnerships. Relationships with journalists remain crucial, especially in a post-pandemic world, but so too does cultivating a network of digital storytellers who can amplify a message to audiences, big and small. 

Augmented reality

Rewind to 2014 and there was so much chatter surrounding augmented reality. While I remember some really clever campaigns that utilised the technology well, I think we are still yet to see the true transformative power the technology can have to produce immerse brand experiences. It’s understandable that brands are on the fence with testing the technology in marketing campaigns – it’s an investment, both in time and energy and production and acquisition. For me, it’s a watch this space. 

And so, what could the next 10 years of public relations and marketing bring? While app updates will come and go, new social media platforms will launch, and newspapers will become tomorrow’s chippy paper, one thing will remain: the power of storytelling and need to craft compelling narratives that resonate with audiences on a deeper level. Here is to the next 10 – I am ready, are you?