"In
2014 boundaries between disciplines will continue to blur, and great ideas will
be king.
Great
ideas that help to grow bottom-lines will be the king of kings.
It
won’t matter very much whether those ideas come from PR, digital, social or
advertising agencies. The client won’t mind so long as they deliver results
that move their business forward a step towards their goals for success;
whether that’s cash on the balance sheet, or, well, come to think of it, cash
on the balance sheet.
Which
means we’ll continue to search for meaningful ways to evaluate the power of PR
to build reputation, increase engagement with customers, change perceptions and
measure its fiscal impact. We’ll probably never cease in that quest.
We
may also find that the briefs we receive become looser. After all, when
boundaries fall the question posed becomes at once less specific, more complex
and more direct “Can you help?”
2014
holds great possibility and an exciting opportunity to create economic growth,
client by client, one step at a time. Now, thinking caps on, let’s see how we
can help."
Sarah Bryars
Chief Executive
Chief Executive
"It’s been
pretty tough working in PR over the last few years during the economic
downturn. When looking to make savings it is often sadly marketing and
communications budgets that are cut. However, there are signs that things are
on the up and hopefully 2014 will be the year things continue to improve.
Whilst previously we have noticed a trend towards more project work rather than
sustained press office/campaigns functions, I’d like to think that this year
there will be more scope for ongoing briefs. If the last few months of 2013 are
anything to go by this will definitely be the case! As Newspapers and magazines
also felt the squeeze, and paginations reduced, there appears to have been a
shift towards more online coverage which I think will only continue to grow.
Content is king and with limitless amount of online ‘space’ to fill this can
only be a good thing for us PRs!"
Bethan
Simkins
Account
Director
"We have already
seen a shift in the way we present and communicate information, and in my
opinion this change in approach will become more
apparent and widespread in 2014. We will see organisations targeting media in a
more bespoke manner, using methods best suited to the
individual/sector/audience they are trying to reach. As mentioned in a previous blog, I believe the press release is, and will remain, a classic communication tool, however, you can’t deny that communications is evolving. Readers
are receptive to broader information and far less detail; 140 characters rather
than 600 words, an infographic rather than a word document, an app rather than
a brochure, the list is endless.
In 2014, digital
marketing and social media will be at the fore of many successful campaigns;
however we are still finding our feet through the adolescent period of digital
growth. As Anthony Simon, head of digital communication for the PM and
Cabinets’ office said, it’s not just about tweeting or blogging – but about
‘engaging, listening and responding’ effectively to deliver online campaigns
just as well as traditional offline campaigns. Social media is and will remain
a low-cost, highly effective digital tool, however we are still only just tapping
into what the various platforms have to offer. Watch this space!"
Kalli Soteriou
Account Executive
