Oh for a crystal ball!
We are all asking the same question: what will 2019 hold? Two and a half years on from the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, Brexit continues to be the subject of national debate, as lawmakers and policymakers try to determine what it will mean for the country. If I knew the answer I would be a very rich woman. So we can only guestimate the impact on our industry.
Combine this with what feels like an unprecedented speed of change as PR transforms with the blurring of channel lines, the age of earned, the rise of influencers, and continuing technological advances - and we really are standing on shifting sands.
But with change comes opportunity. Key will be our ability to invest in planning to ensure we make the most of what 2019 brings.
Looking up and looking around is a good start. There are a myriad of invaluable sources and data that can help you to formulate plans for the year, if you’ve not done so already, from the essentials of talking to clients to market analysis and economic reviews. And don’t forget to look at higher, industry-level insight with organisations such as the PRCA who are doing their part to help you be informed and armed.
For example, the recent ‘Transforming PR and Comms’ event in Exeter, the first in a series of new training and networking events to hit the South West, saw Andy Green CMPRCA, Director of StoryStartsHere, share new thinking about the future of public relations.
The PRCA has also launched a new series of blog posts on the subject of predictions for PR and communications in 2019. These will cover trends, new technological developments, news events, the growth of the industry, and challenges. First up is Laura Hamilton MPRCA, Manager of Client Experience, Weber Shandwick, on why your organisation cannot afford to ignore LinkedIn in 2019.
We don’t know what this year will bring; all we can do is be as informed as possible in the decisions we make. Use the sources around you, question, interrogate, and explore. What we do know is that this will be a year where we will need to flex, to change, and dial up our responsiveness.
As the great Bruce Lee once said: “To hell with circumstances. I create opportunities.”