According to the latest annual study by the SCRP (Syndicat du conseil en relations publics), the public relations sector is showing strong momentum in France. It recorded a growth of +7% in turnover and +7% in fees in 2022. However, the world of PR is undergoing rapid transformation, and the profession is facing numerous challenges.
Communication professionals must therefore adapt their practices to ensure the sustainability of their activity. And to stay ahead, there's nothing better than observing the current trends in other countries around the world. Here is a selection of four emerging trends abroad that could soon fully establish themselves in France.
Communication professionals must therefore adapt their practices to ensure the sustainability of their activity. And to stay ahead, there's nothing better than observing the current trends in other countries around the world. Here is a selection of four emerging trends abroad that could soon fully establish themselves in France.
Campaigns Fully Based on AI
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing all sectors, and PR is no exception. AI is reinventing the profession by automating many daily tasks such as press release writing or visual creation. It also optimizes campaigns through data analysis, trend prediction, and message personalization.
In Asia, acceleration is underway: for example, the Chinese agency BlueFocus announced its project to replace all its copywriters and creatives with artificial intelligence tools, while the communication consulting company Vero launched an "AI-first" PR agency named Rover.
The Anglo-Saxon world is also active: the British influence and PR agency Thumos, for example, offers an "AI training" service aimed at providing teams with all the knowledge and methods necessary to seize opportunities related to artificial intelligence. In the United States, there is even a digital generative and predictive PR platform based on AI: PRophet.
While the communication world in France is gradually embracing AI, it seems that we are not particularly pioneering in this matter.
The Anglo-Saxon world is also active: the British influence and PR agency Thumos, for example, offers an "AI training" service aimed at providing teams with all the knowledge and methods necessary to seize opportunities related to artificial intelligence. In the United States, there is even a digital generative and predictive PR platform based on AI: PRophet.
While the communication world in France is gradually embracing AI, it seems that we are not particularly pioneering in this matter.
Increasing Integration of Internal Communication in PR Strategies
For a long time, internal communication and external communication of companies were considered distinct disciplines. But there is currently a convergence between the two. The trend is particularly emerging in Anglo-Saxon countries, where "mixternal communication" is discussed.
PR professionals are increasingly integrating "employee advocacy" strategies into their campaigns, encouraging employees to promote the brand, products, or services of their company, especially on their own social networks.
In the United States, Adobe is particularly innovative in this regard: employees are considered a full-fledged channel of influence and are encouraged to speak out about the brand through initiatives such as an internal ambassador program or a dedicated hashtag, #AdobeLife.
In the United States, Adobe is particularly innovative in this regard: employees are considered a full-fledged channel of influence and are encouraged to speak out about the brand through initiatives such as an internal ambassador program or a dedicated hashtag, #AdobeLife.
PR Campaigns Giving Priority to Influencers
Across the world, social networks are becoming favored new sources of information, and younger generations increasingly favor influencers over journalists or traditional media. Aware of this underlying trend, PR professionals are increasingly focusing on influencer marketing worldwide.
Some markets are more advanced than others in this regard. Brazil, for example, is particularly pioneering. With one of the highest numbers of influencers globally, Brazil has seen a significant increase in influencer marketing spending, reaching nearly $410 million. This expenditure quadrupled between 2018 and 2023 and is expected to increase by another 50% in the next four years, according to Statista.
In France, influencer marketing is developing significantly, but according to an article in Le Monde, there are still no reliable figures to estimate the amount of spending by advertisers on influencer campaigns, indicating that the market is still very young.
In France, influencer marketing is developing significantly, but according to an article in Le Monde, there are still no reliable figures to estimate the amount of spending by advertisers on influencer campaigns, indicating that the market is still very young.
Social Responsibility as a New PR Priority
Information overload and a crisis of confidence in traditional media are at an all-time high worldwide. According to the 2023 Digital News Report by the Reuters Institute, which conducted a survey in 46 countries, 36% of respondents are increasingly avoiding news, up 7% from 2017. In France, the situation is particularly critical: according to the annual survey by La Croix, conducted with Kantar Public and Onepoint, 54% of French people believe that one should be wary of how major news topics are handled in the media.
In response to this global phenomenon of distrust, PR professionals are increasingly placing transparency and social responsibility at the heart of their actions, especially in the United States. Some voices, like April White, a recognized entrepreneur in the field of public relations, advocate replacing "press relations" with "trust relations."
In Asia, the PRCA (Public Relations & Communications Association) of Asia Pacific has addressed the issue of greenwashing by mobilizing a special task force and publishing a series of guidelines, aiming to avoid overly vague and abstract communications regarding CSR.
While France may not be the most advanced country in this regard, responsible communication initiatives are multiplying. We had previously conducted an interview with Mathieu Jahnich, a consultant-researcher in responsible marketing and communication, managing director of MJ Conseil, and his perspective on the subject was quite decisive: "In the years to come, to continue to exist, companies will need to undergo a profound transformation in their communication." This is a good reason to draw inspiration from innovative PR initiatives in this area, well beyond our borders.
Ingrid de Chevigny
In Asia, the PRCA (Public Relations & Communications Association) of Asia Pacific has addressed the issue of greenwashing by mobilizing a special task force and publishing a series of guidelines, aiming to avoid overly vague and abstract communications regarding CSR.
While France may not be the most advanced country in this regard, responsible communication initiatives are multiplying. We had previously conducted an interview with Mathieu Jahnich, a consultant-researcher in responsible marketing and communication, managing director of MJ Conseil, and his perspective on the subject was quite decisive: "In the years to come, to continue to exist, companies will need to undergo a profound transformation in their communication." This is a good reason to draw inspiration from innovative PR initiatives in this area, well beyond our borders.
Ingrid de Chevigny
