In short, this is what PR should do: bring a subject into the spotlight that is worth reading and learning more about. By maintaining a strong relationship with journalists based on honest and open communication, you’ll gradually gain the market recognition you need. In other words, your business should continue to run even while you’re on vacation because people are already convinced of the quality of your services.

At the same time, building a reputation and standing out from competitors is achieved through PR actions, with the ultimate goal of increasing brand awareness. Whether it’s direct communication with the end customer (B2C) or relationships with other businesses (B2B), the right approach — being “the right business at the right time in the right market”-can open many doors.

We’ve observed that as the startup ecosystem has exploded, an ecosystem we’ve been a part of for as many years as we’ve existed as an agency, the demand for PR services has grown. Why? One explanation is that startups move quickly, are dynamic, and agile, requiring significant exposure to validate their ideas and attract customers, partners, and investors. Of course, PR doesn’t work equally well for all of them, but for some, it’s the perfect tool.

To get a better overview of how brands communicate in 2025, let’s break the ice with a short definition of Public Relations. Then, we’ll go deeper into PR trends and how to build an effective PR plan. Lastly, we’ll explore two hot topics: the role of digital PR today and a more evergreen one, how to define PR objectives, create PR strategies, and develop PR campaigns.

The Concept of Public Relations. What is PR, in short?

Public Relations is about telling impactful stories that spark interest, attract your target audience, and keep them close to your business. If people resonate with the way you wrap your message and the channel you choose to deliver it, there’s a good chance they’ll become loyal customers. Or, as marketing expert Seth Godin puts it:

“People don’t buy goods and services. They buy relationships, stories, and magic.”

A PR agency is responsible for managing the public profile of a company or individual, utilizing a combination of communication tools. Through PR, a brand aims to:

• increase awareness and build credibility for a product/service;

• influence public attitudes by differentiating from competitors;

• change behaviors or perceptions by encouraging prospects to take action;

• generate leads or secure funding;

• solidify its reputation by positioning itself as an employer of choice.

Each of these actions depends on the target audience. Accordingly, communication channels should be selected based on the audience. However, before anything else, it’s essential to define the buyer persona to know precisely who you want to target.

In most industries, promotion (direct or indirect) can take many forms, including branding, integrated campaigns, market research and studies, public relations, advertising, PR blitzes, sponsorships, event activations, and direct marketing (e.g., newsletters).

How do you build an effective PR plan?

Even if we’re passionate about our work, believe in our business, and have convinced others to join us, that’s not enough. In any project we run, it’s vital to set realistic goals so that efforts head in the right direction. In other words, objectives are the brand’s compass, and they help us:

• Stay focused on the company’s purpose and actions;

• Implement the PR strategy’s goals;

• Measure the impact of PR efforts;

• Quantify results.

To create an effective PR plan, make sure it includes objectives, audience, context, channels, tactics, key messages, and KPIs. And while building the plan, answer these questions:

• What will I do?

• Why am I doing it?

• How will I know if it worked?

PR Trends

Churning out interviews on autopilot can become a redundant tactic that fails to generate any interest in your brand. Be open to testing, adopting, and implementing a wide variety of tactics and covering diverse business topics through targeted PR actions.

With the support of a PR agency or by relying on in-house professionals in the Marketing & Communication department, you can put your creativity to work by:

• pitching stories to the media;

• creating or improving your website;

• organizing and managing events;

• presenting PR projects to attract sponsorships;

• Regularly producing content for YouTube, launching a podcast, or developing guides that showcase your industry expertise.

Emerging PR Trends in 2025

In 2025, brands are facing not just the challenge of visibility but the challenge of relevance. That’s why public relations has evolved beyond simple press placements or reactive communications. It’s becoming increasingly about designing full-scale brand experiences that build long-term emotional connections and inspire people to talk, both online and offline.

Here are some of the most crucial PR trends reshaping the industry this year:

1. Experiential PR is Taking the Stage

PR is no longer limited to storytelling; it’s becoming story-doing. Brands are creating immersive, shareable experiences that place the audience at the center of the narrative. These experiences are physical, memorable, and built to spark organic buzz.

In Europe, we’ve seen a rise in branded pop-ups that double as PR campaigns: from coffee shops themed around new product launches to entire beaches redesigned with brand identity elements. These are not just marketing stunts; they are strategic PR activations designed to earn media coverage, influencer attention, and social sharing.

In Romania, Netflix’s campaigns for series like Bridgerton, Squid Game, and Emily in Paris are particularly notable. These activations were not just playful; they created buzz, leveraged cultural relevance, and embedded the shows into local conversations.

Why it matters: Experiential PR blurs the lines between Out-of-Home, influencer marketing, and earned media, generating high traffic, low-cost visibility, and powerful brand associations.

2. Integrated, Multi-Channel PR Campaigns Are Now a Must

The era of isolated PR actions is over. In 2025, campaigns that generate real impact are those designed holistically, across multiple platforms, owned, earned, and paid.

We’ve seen this with our clients: when media relations are integrated with strong social media storytelling, newsletter outreach, and influencer partnerships, the results grow exponentially.

Why it matters: A consistent message across all touchpoints builds trust and brand memory. PR today must be part of a synchronized communication mix, aligned with marketing, employer branding, CSR, and digital advertising efforts.

3. Data-Driven PR is the New Norm

PR professionals are expected to measure everything, from media impressions and brand mentions to sentiment, share of voice, and website traffic driven by PR. Tools like Google Analytics, Meltwater, or Brand Mentions allow real-time tracking and optimization.

Why it matters: PR is no longer just about intuition and relationships; it’s about results. Measurement proves value, secures budgets, and sharpens strategy.

4. Niche Influencer Collaborations Replace Big Celebrity Endorsements

Micro and nano-influencers are increasingly preferred for PR campaigns, especially in industries like wellness, sustainability, tech, or B2B services. They drive higher engagement and more authentic conversations.

Why it matters: Trust matters more than reach. Smaller creators often have deeper, more loyal communities, and their endorsements feel real, not transactional.

5. Employer Branding is Becoming a PR Priority

In a competitive job market, how a company is perceived as an employer can make or break its growth. PR now plays a crucial role in positioning businesses as desirable workplaces, from media stories about culture and leadership to social content created by employees.

Why it matters: Talented people want to work with brands they admire. PR helps build that admiration.

6. Sustainability and Inclusion Are PR Imperatives, Not Buzzwords

Brands are held to higher standards by both consumers and the media. Talking about sustainability or DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) is no longer enough. You need action, transparency, and clear proof points, and PR has the job of communicating them credibly.

Why it matters: People expect brands to do good. PR is responsible for helping those actions be seen, understood, and validated by trusted sources.

Is Digital PR the New PR?

Unlike traditional PR, which tends to be more limited, digital PR has gained significant momentum because its actions can be sustained over a more extended period, and results can be tracked in real-time. Digital PR refers to using technology to design, manage, and measure brand campaigns.

It is also closely tied to your brand’s website. Here’s how they work together:

• Online search results can truly define your brand. That’s why site content and overall brand perception, including statements from opinion leaders, matter immensely.

• Traffic from organic search is often 8 times more likely to convert into clients or leads.

• On-site SEO: content quality, keyword usage in titles, and site speed are critical and shouldn’t be overlooked or delayed.

• Off-site SEO: If you develop a strong link-building strategy, Google will rank your website as relevant and authoritative. We’re talking about mentions from external sites (advertorials, social media shares) that link back to your business. The more specific the keywords and the better the links, the more authority and brand visibility you’ll gain.

With tools like Google Trends, you can track real-time search activity for your brand, while Google Analytics helps you monitor the impact of digital PR on your website.

Campaigns, objectives, and PR Strategies - step by step

A PR campaign is a standalone activity that supports the strategy. A PR strategy is a detailed, long-term plan for reaching PR objectives. It can be adjusted based on various factors, including product launches, management changes, industry trends, and economic and political shifts. Most PR strategies are built around multiple campaigns that collectively achieve specific goals.

To define your PR strategy, follow these steps:

• Set objectives;

• Understand the audience;

• Establish context;

• Develop key messages.

You can define these key messages best by answering the following:

• What problem am I solving?

• What do I want to be known for?

• What story do I want to tell?

To successfully achieve your PR objectives, ensure they are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Examining the state of play in 2025, we can observe that brands' communication choices are both diverse and impactful in various ways. For B2C communication, the rise of TikTok cannot be ignored. Instagram also remains a powerful social platform for turning followers into loyal customers.

For B2B communication, newsletters have gained significant traction, and LinkedIn remains a strong platform for sharing each brand’s latest PR developments.

If you want your brand to remain consistently visible, not just occasionally, and be recognized in the industry and among competitors, as well as reach your target audience, “maintenance PR” alone won’t be enough. Public Relations follows a more comprehensive “recipe,” starting with objective-setting and strategy-building, aligning with market trends, selecting the right (and ever-changing) channels, maintaining frequency, and carefully shaping the message.

So, is PR still useful?

We’d say yes. In a survey conducted last year among JUNE clients and journalists, we received diverse feedback: that we helped business leaders reach essential milestones, facilitated startup funding, aligned well with agile ways of working, brought stories about new and disruptive businesses to journalists, and even helped individuals avoid potential reputation crises or land the job they were targeting through personal branding campaigns.

Of course, that’s specific feedback, but PR today is a core component of any communication and positioning strategy for both companies and individuals. Because if you’re not visible, you don’t exist.

Yes, you can reach prospects through various types of Ads. But with advertising, you’re visible only at the moment, and you ride a short sales hype. If you’re aiming to build a sustainable brand with long-term industry positioning, something that will remain visible and credible years down the road, PR is the right tool.

And today’s generations want to be informed. They want to know what they consume, whether a brand is environmentally responsible and inclusive. And they research through the media they trust.

So yes, PR is here to stay. And to help build a more conscious, authentic, and better society.

“If I had only one dollar left, I’d spend it on PR.”, Bill Gates