It’s unwise to predict the future. Just ask people who bet on uncertainties, like wagering on sports events or the stock market.
But if there is one thing to bet on happening in our business in 2025, it’s that PR crises will happen—and that many crisis specialists will resort to outdated strategies.
And that will be a mistake. A PR crisis is not like a garment. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all crisis plan; every crisis needs new thinking.
Below are four PR crises that are certain to receive major media coverage in 2025. PR agencies with clients in those sectors must make certain that account groups are staffed with experienced personnel rather than newbies who are learning on the job.
1. Distrust of Corporate America
For years, corporate America has been unpopular because of the way it handles employees—often firing them to increase profits, while executive salaries increase. As one of many examples, Meta announced its first-ever major layoff in March 2023, slashing roughly 11,000 jobs. In its recent earnings report in February, operations began to reflect those decisions and Meta stock surged 20% on improved profitability and better-than-expected guidance—in part because fewer employees were on the payroll.
PR Tip: In 2025, PR personnel must be able to defend the decisions made by corporations. The best way to do that, in my opinion, is by having corporations launch local campaigns detailing how they have helped the communities where their corporate offices and plants are located.
2. Healthcare
The problems with the healthcare system in America have been widely discussed and felt by patients for years, as a result of changes to the way doctors are permitted to practice their craft since medicine has been become a corporate business. For instance, as more initial screenings are done by a physician’s assistant, less time is spent with a physician, whose actual time with a patient has been drastically reduced.
Now, in the aftermath of the killing of a UnitedHealthcare insurance executive, the entire healthcare system is now under attack.
PR Tips: PR responses to negative media coverage must contain in them admissions that the system has flaws, while at the same time defending its positives. This can be done in the following ways:
*Hospitals and doctors should detail the care they provide to people who do not have the resources to pay for medical expenses.
*Healthcare insurance corporations should stop running misleading Medicare Advantage TV commercials. They provide no disclaimer saying that, unlike traditional Medicare plans, they are administrated by private companies rather than the government.
*Medical doctors should clearly explain to the insured why a claim is denied and provide options, instead of having a clerk or letter saying that it's not medically necessary. Also, if patients need a specialist, they should not be prevented from going out of network. In others words, make the system friendlier, or the government will eventually do so.
3. Guns
There were 83 school shootings in the United States as of Dec. 18, as I write this. Taking this into account alongside the two attempts on the life of President-elect Donald Trump and the killing of UnitedHealthcare executive Brian Thompson, the gun problem in America is certain to be a political and media topic in 2025.
PR Tip: PR agencies that represent conglomerates must make certain that the conglomerates do not include manufacturers of guns that are sold to individuals. If they do, PR agencies must conduct media training exercises for their clients and advise them, if interviewed, to back stronger gun laws—because as school shootings continue, at some point in time that’s what the federal or state governments will be forced to do.
4. Sports Marketing
Sports marketing today is covered by news outlets as the big business that it is—no more cover-ups for athletes gone bad or for team owners. Moreover, members of Congress have publicly criticized American sports marketing companies for helping bankroll mega events in totalitarian countries, as have human rights groups.
This criticism is certain to be intensified in 2025 because of sportswashing—particularly by Saudi Arabia’s ever-increasing role in mega global sports events. It’s likely that sports marketing sponsors will be attacked for sponsoring events held in that country.
PR Tip: When an event is held in an undemocratic country, marketing executives should refrain from saying that they simply follow the athletes, as they have in the past, because this will lead to negative media coverage. Sponsors should be more honest about why they sponsor events in totalitarian countries, admitting that they do it for business reasons and adding that increased business relationships can only be beneficial to the U.S.
The four examples above have one thing in common for agency clients in those sectors: probable negative media coverage. It is necessary that account teams are staffed with handlers who have extensive experience in those fields, with at least one member having PR crisis experience.
Arthur Solomon was a journalist and SVP/senior counselor at Burson-Marsteller who worked in sports and other sectors.
[Editor's Note: The writer’s views do not necessarily reflect those of PRNEWS. We invite opposing essays from readers.]