Today’s communications environment is undergoing a major transformation. With tech advancements and changing consumer behaviors, the lines between marketing and public relations are fading. Marketing used to focus almost solely on driving sales and PR managed public image and reputation. But today’s world demands an integrated approach that leverages the strengths of both disciplines.
Success in the new year hinges on collaboration. Marketing and PR teams must break down silos, share expertise, and embrace new industry trends together. By acting as complementary partners, they can achieve shared goals more effectively.
So, what should PR pros know heading into 2025? The 2025 Digital Marketing Trends Report from our colleagues at Brandwatch identifies the key shifts that will shape the year ahead for marketers – but the implications of those trends for PR teams are just as significant.
We’ve taken the liberty of highlighting these trends and ways they can inspire and inform your PR strategies in the year ahead.
Digital Marketing Trends in 2025
Understanding the forces that drive consumer behaviors is crucial for communicators. That’s where the 2025 Digital Marketing Trends Report comes in, delivering intel from a survey of over 700 marketers and Brandwatch’s daily analysis of more than 500 million online conversations.
Here are the seven key trends shaping digital marketing in 2025:
- Unexpected collaborations are making waves online - Brand collaborations are on the rise, helping organizations boost awareness and engagement. Consumers are responding enthusiastically, with almost 75% of brand partnership mentions being positive, and unexpected or unusual collaborations generating the most buzz.
- Brands are showing bold creativity at in-person events - To truly wow audiences, brands are creating in-person experiences that are immersive, memorable, and share-worthy on social channels. These creative interactions amplify a sense of exclusivity, urgency, and excitement.
- Communities are presenting exciting marketing opportunities - Brands are collaborating with existing communities or fostering their own, going beyond standard social media to offer opportunities for networking, learning, and even dating. And peer-to-peer recommendations from members of these communities go a long way toward brand reputation.
- Consumers are taking a more mindful approach to tech - Almost forty percent of marketers agreed that there will be a shift towards more mindful social media usage and embracing more of the ‘analog life’ in 2025. Whether it's digital detoxing or disconnecting completely, more and more people are embracing being offline.
- Marketers want to use AI without compromising authenticity - A massive 71% of marketers agree that balancing the use of AI with brand authenticity will be a key challenge. Some predict that there’ll be a backlash against AI-generated content or interactions, which is already happening in some spheres. What’s clear is that authenticity, connection, and trust are non-negotiable.
- Disruption to search is pushing consumers to explore alternative avenues to information - This year, social media became a go-to search engine, with TikTok and Reddit emerging as alternative information sources. And generative AI is adding even more complexity to search, generating quick and clear overviews of search topics without users having to click on individual web pages.
- Peer-to-peer recommendations are thriving - With disruption to search and the mistrust that obviously-AI-generated content can foster, consumers are turning to each other as trustworthy sources – especially when looking for guidance about products and services.
What Do These Digital Marketing Trends Mean for PR Pros?
These trends don’t just influence marketers – they have powerful implications for PR teams as well. Here’s how to apply them to your strategies.
Create Memorable In-Person Experiences
At a time when our lives are dominated by screens, in-person experiences offer a refreshing break consumers are clearly craving. Supporting in-person events offers PR professionals the opportunity to create lasting impressions with audiences and foster genuine connections to their brand. But in 2025, in-person events aren’t just about putting your logo on a booth or handing your spokesperson a microphone – it’s about creating immersive, share-worthy, one-of-a-kind experiences that leave audiences talking long after they’ve ended.
Collaborate with your marketing and sales teams to develop unique experiences such as pop-up events, exclusive previews, or behind-the-scenes tours that feel intimate, authentic, and meaningful. The goal is to evoke emotion, encourage participation, and provide your audience with the opportunity to connect with other humans. Invite local journalists and influencers to participate in these experiences, giving them insider access that will add depth to their coverage.
Additionally, these events can serve as content goldmines. Document the experiences with photos and videos, sharing on social media, in case studies, or even at future events, to extend your reach.
Look for Unique Collaborations and Partnerships
Unexpected partnerships are receiving tons of hype in the marketing world, and PR professionals can tap into this trend for compelling brand storytelling. Collaborative campaigns with other brands or influencers are a great way to blend diverse audiences and spark excitement. These partnerships succeed when they feel authentic, align with brand values, and resonate with target audiences.
The key is strategic alignment. Identify partners whose values, messaging, and audience demographics complement your brand. To maximize the impact of any brand collaboration, PR professionals must create a communication strategy that showcases the unique story behind the union. This includes press releases, media outreach, and custom content for social media channels. When executed well, partnerships can be a win-win, driving visibility and brand equity for all parties involved.
Keep Your Authenticity
As AI adoption continues to grow, so does consumer skepticism. It's not surprising that authenticity remains a cornerstone of effective PR strategies. AI tools can streamline tasks like content creation and data analysis, but the personal touch is irreplaceable. Brands that rely too heavily on AI risk losing the trust and connection they’ve built with their audiences.
PR professionals must find the right balance between using AI as a tool to enhance their work and human creativity. For instance, AI can analyze large datasets to uncover audience insights or generate content drafts, but a human should always be in charge of reviewing, verifying, and personalizing the final messaging.
Collaborating with marketing teams is critical to ensure that authenticity remains consistent across all channels. Keep brand guidelines updated to reflect your company’s voice, values, and tone.
Focus on Community Building
Communities have become powerful in shaping brand perception and loyalty. In 2025, PR teams should prioritize building and engaging with niche groups where genuine interactions take place.
What does that look like in practice? First, identify where your audience gathers and what conversations they participate in. Are they active in online forums, loyalty programs, or special-interest groups? Monitoring tools can provide insights into their behaviors and interests, highlighting the opportunities for your brand to engage meaningfully.
Once you truly understand your audience, you can create or start participating in communities that align with their passions. For example, if you represent a fitness brand, you might encourage your brand to sponsor running clubs or host virtual yoga sessions to bring the community together and inspire conversation around these experiences. As a result, your brand is innately a part of – and actively contributing to – the conversation, which will serve to build trust, credibility, and strengthen loyalty.
Adapt to Disruptions in Search Behavior
The way people search for information has changed significantly in the last few years. With platforms like TikTok, Reddit, and generative AI tools disrupting traditional search engines, audiences are finding information and content in new ways.
PR teams may need to rethink their content strategies to adjust for these behaviors. Optimize content for platforms where your audience actively searches for information. For instance, use hashtags to make your content more discoverable or participate in relevant Reddit threads to position your brand as an industry thought leader.
You'll also want to consider developing content that directly answers questions you’re seeing in online forums or through social listening. Short-form videos, infographics, and quick-read articles can be highly effective. Monitoring conversations online gives valuable insight into hot topics and audience pain points, which can help inform future content and campaigns.
Final Thought
Change is a constant in the PR and comms industry. The most successful teams are agile, collaborative, and forward-thinking. By embracing these trends, PR teams can transform disruption into opportunity, developing strategies that resonate with audiences and drive meaningful outcomes.
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