In 2023, we saw advancement and a return to physical interactions in public relations and marketing. At the beginning of the year, experts predicted trends that ranged from distrust of and further reliance on artificial intelligence (AI) to creating and maintaining stronger online interactions. These predictions were accurate, but the most significant trend for employees and consumers may be surprising.

Predictions For 2023

In December 2022 and January 2023, PR Daily and Forbes published their trend predictions for 2023. Starting with PR Daily, the article predicted that influencer relations would be the new media relations. It also said that social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (now X) were going to be pushed aside in favor of TikTok or other platforms such as BeReal and Mastodon. Lastly, a sense of purpose was the final prediction, as “both employees and consumers are demanding that organizations stand up for social issues.” It goes further and states that “thoughts and prayers or changing a profile picture to a black square” are not enough.  As for the Forbes piece, it focused on having to manage digital expectations via maintaining relations with customers, continuing to build expertise to establish authority in an industry, the widespread use of social commerce through influencers, and emphasizing a shift to products that are more practical.

Two particularly interesting predicted trends from the Forbes article were that the public would become more fearful of AI when it was introduced to the B2C space. But it then explained that trust in it would improve as training for bots became more accurate.

Top Trends of 2023

Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of these predicted trends were accurate. As stated in this article by Modern Marketing Today (MMT), while it may not have replaced media relations outright, influencer marketing thrived as “companies focused on long-term partnerships with influencers to engage with highly targeted audiences and ensure authenticity.” The article also mentions that social commerce became an integrated feature as companies offered options to purchase items through social media, effectively streamlining the process of discovery and purchase. Multi-channel social media also became a trend in 2023, but rather than some platforms being used less, companies branched out into more of them to engage a broader audience.

Predictions on AI were fairly accurate as well, as this article by Prowly lists “AI and Technology” as their second-most talked about subject in their surveys. More specifically, it explains that AI “still has some catching up to do, but it has the potential to assist PR teams with editor matches based on past articles or find influencers that align with companies’ brands.” The article by MMT also mentions that AI has been successful in the marketing space as “AI-powered tools analyze consumer data, optimize content, and interact with customers through chatbots, creating a more personalized experience.”

Then There Was Social Responsibility

The PR Daily article identified a trend that Forbes did not: Social Responsibility. The MMT article was somewhat vague with this as they mentioned that brands worked to be more authentic and transparent. But the Prowly article states that social responsibility was their “clear winner in their surveys as people favored three initiatives: DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion), SCR (corporate social responsibility), and ESG (environmental, social, and governance).” In essence, the company’s stated brand, values, and ethics aren’t enough anymore, and people are quick to call out companies that are either not genuine or that don’t make a stand on social issues.

Conclusion

PR and marketing in 2023 witnessed the predicted a continued rise of influencer relations, a shift to newer social media platforms, and an increased emphasis on practical products. These predictions were largely accurate, showcasing the thriving influencer marketing landscape and the integration of social commerce. Instead of moving off of certain platforms, companies adopted a multi-channel approach, expanding their social media presence. AI played a significant role in its potential to enhance PR teams’ efficiency and personalize interactions through chatbots.

However, social responsibility was the highest rated trend of the year, as consumers prioritized the authenticity and transparency of brands and showed a preference toward knowing that companies are taking a stand on social issues. As the year ends, it is apparent that social responsibility will continue to be a theme in the years to come.

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