The public relations industry has undergone quite the transformation in the last decade thanks to digitalization taking over. PR agencies have evolved very dramatically, the idea of faxing a press release seems pretty primitive now in the age of AI and social media. We used to have to call a reporter to pitch a story, now we have many channels to quickly get in touch with the media and get our news published. Over the last ten years, these kinds of changes have been very noticeable as public relations companies transition their processes to roll with the changing tides of such a dynamic industry.
So, what aspects of the PR industry have changed the most? Here’s a breakdown.
One of the most notable changes is the way PR agencies can measure success. Gone are the days of running to the newsstands and physically making press cuttings to measure campaign coverage and comparing the value to advertising equivalents, instead it’s been replaced by monitoring SEO activity, backlinks and traffic so we can truly measure the impact a campaign has.
An important part of online PR strategy is staying on top of the new ways people are receiving information and changing their consumption habits. The demographics have changed remarkably within such a short time, with younger generations opting for online platforms like TikTok and instagram instead of television and magazines. PR agencies must adapt their strategic approach to communications as the modes for receiving information change.
So, how can you ensure your PR agency is up to date with these changes and ahead of the crowd? Here’s three recommendations:
1. Ask how they measure the impact.
When we say PR agencies can measure the impact of their campaign a lot better these days, many still don’t, delving deep into this with your PR agency (or one you are considering working with) is crucial to success.
At Agent99, once we’ve told your story, we don’t simply sit back and watch; instead, we meticulously track and oversee it. If the story doesn’t perform as expected, we never sugarcoat or sidestep; we’re honest and keep you across everything we do. Even if we need to change direction, we’ll always find a way to deliver your desired outcome.
We enhance your brand’s visibility through backlinks, search engine optimisation (SEO), key messaging, and analytics, providing our clients with a clear ROI from their PR strategy. When it comes to measuring this success, it extends beyond mere clip counts and audience reach. By focusing on digital metrics, we deliver outcomes such as increased website traffic, higher search engine rankings, credible media referrals, a growing subscriber base, and more conversions and sales—this is what we call PR that performs.
2. Ask when the last time they trialled new tactics.
Often PR agencies can get complacent when they know a strategy works, and many campaigns look similar. Questioning the last time they trialled different activities, and assessing how this spoke to their objectives and the impact it had will help you choose the right PR agency.
These days there are more platforms and approaches than ever available for PR agencies to utilise, so it’s important that agencies are able to leverage emerging social media trends, test innovative content formats, partner with micro influencers, explore data-driven insights to target audiences, etc.
For example, at Agent99 we never offer cookie cutter approaches. Instead, we focus on creating bespoke and smart strategies that deliver earned media results. We achieve this through Agent99’s proprietary 9-step journey to impact. This starts with interrogating the required outcomes, and behaviour that needs to change, to focus our creativity on what will signal success.
In the past year this has included partnering a food brand with an iconic Australian chef to increase supermarket sales by 17%, an event-centric strategy for an American Whiskey brand that attributed to Australia becoming the highest-selling region outside the US, and a data-driven strategy that significantly contributed to a company’s growth by over 25%, the highest jump historically.
3. Ask how they use data as part of their storytelling strategy.
Data is a key way to garner impactful media articles, especially if a brand doesn’t have ‘new’ news per say, and without if often clients don’t receive the attention they deserve.
At Agent99 we carry out market research (using our independent supplier) to align with the company pillars and to strengthen key messages. We use data throughout campaigns to generate a strong industry voice for the brand, on-going content and thought leadership.
Watch this space if you want to learn more about public relations in 2025 through our new blog series.
If you would like to find out more about Agent99’s services, visit: https://agent99pr.com/services/
By Agent Nic
