Digital & Technology

For several years, marketers and communicators have feared the damage done to the brands and public figures they represent via the propagation of “deepfakes,” videos and photos that use the assistance of machine learning technology to replace faces and objects with false, but realistic, images. As fake news and misinformation continue to plague online discourse, Facebook says it has taken a significant step to deter the spread of doctored video and photos.

Plenty of PR pros have made predictions for the year ahead. We go farther. As we embark into a new decade of opportunities, what will PR look like in 2030? A trio of brave PR prognosticators looks 10 years hence. In spite of huge technological change, at least one PR pro sees relationships maintaining their importance in 2030.

With PR increasingly becoming a strategic asset to business, CMOs and their teams need to augment their skillset to keep pace with the newest trends and technologies, Page’s new chair Charlene Wheeless argues. During an interview with PRNEWS prior to starting her tenure, Wheeless said she envisions “a powerful new opportunity for CCOs to be relevant, central leaders in transformation.” Page will respond with new skills and leadership training, she said.

CES 2020 is in the books, but its implications will spread throughout the year. That will be the case for communicators, who saw plenty of opportunities to help new-age tech explain itself to the public. One of the big takeaways, and one likely to provide lots of work for communicators, is that technology has broken out and will be foundational to life, several communicators say.

It’s not easy to admit that your communications effort is not all it could be. Sometimes the culprit is failing to keep up with communications technology. It takes courage to admit you’re behind. Funds and teamwork are need to catch up. Here’s how Cleveland Clinic’s PR team remedied the situation it found itself in a few years back.

This past December at PRNEWS’ Media Relations conference in Washington, D.C., Toner talked about the changing world of Media Relations in a digital landscape, why a multi-channel approach incorporating both marketing and PR is the path to making it happen, and how to make your multi-channel game seamless.

Measurement is not just about numbers. It’s about problem solving. It’s no longer enough to retrieve and present data. For communicators, data needs to be folded into everyday strategy, becoming a sixth sense, combining it with a human element to promote focused discourse. To provide communicators with a look into the benefits of measurement and what’s coming next, we enlisted expert Jenna Clark, head of measurement and insights, Google Communications.

Ethics has long been a hallmark of public relations. In this fourth and final installment of PRNEWS’ 2020 predictions, the theme of ethics seemed to dominate. Whether it be in technology, storytelling or writing, several of our prognosticators emphasized ethics’ importance in the coming year.

With CES 2020 beginning, we asked our data partner Shareablee to look at the technology influencers who were most active on social media during the past year. Several famous tech names made the list.

With CES beginning today in Las Vegas, we take a look at technology and tech-related issues for PR pros as the year begins.