PR Trends 2026
In a society shaped by bubbles, fractured attention and polarized attitudes, navigating the maze of PR trends can feel increasingly complex for brands. I’ve picked a few themes that, in my view, should not be overlooked as 2026 comes into focus.
No list can ignore AI or the creator economy, which continue to drive some of the biggest shifts in modern marketing communications. At the same time, we’re seeing a growing craving for both trust and entertainment – two forces that are not mutually exclusive when approached intentionally. One thing is certain: it’s never a bad year to invest in brand-building and PR.
AI vs. Human
No, we’re not preparing to battle the final boss. We’re coming to terms with the fact that this was never about either-or, but about co-existing.
AI is neither a buzzword nor a fun side experiment anymore – it’s already changed the game for good. AI is infrastructure that, at its best, frees PR professionals to focus on the work that actually adds value: strategy, judgment, creativity and cultural understanding.
In 2026: Think less replacement, more dream team – where humans set direction and meaning, and AI accelerates execution.
Trust as a New Currency
At the same time, AI-powered content creation has already triggered a landslide of generic, synthetic slop that only adds to information overload and audience fatigue.
In response, we’re seeing a renewed hunger for transparency, authenticity and credibility that cannot be bought or generated at scale. Humans still shape meaning, and clear communication amidst all the noise is as important as ever.
Reputation builds trust, and trust is a true business asset – one you can’t AI-generate, only nourish through actions that consistently align with your brand.
In 2026: It’s not what you claim to be or say once, but what you reinforce over time. Calling communications a soft skill is so last season!
Entertain Us
Brands are no longer competing only with other brands. They’re competing with culture, creators and endless streams of entertainment.
The lines between marketing, PR and entertainment continue to blur, and we certainly haven’t seen the last of the mini-series brands and organizations began experimenting with in 2025. The most effective communications increasingly behave like media properties in their own right.
Longer, episodic content continues to trend alongside short videos. If content doesn’t entertain, move or intrigue, it simply doesn’t travel – short or long.
In 2026: Relevance now demands storytelling that people choose to engage with.
Your GEO Strategy Loves PR
Google is losing its search share especially among the younger generations who use AI and social media platforms instead of traditional search engines and prefer conversational answers over results and endless tab jungles.
You need to let go of your SEO mindset because Generative Engine Optimization works differently. AI recommends brands who demonstrate clarity, consistency and reputation – which brings us back to the subject of trust.
Earned media, expert commentary, authoritative content and consistent brand narratives feed the engines that increasingly decide what gets seen, cited and trusted. So, investing in your brand and PR is essentially an investment in GEO.
In 2026: PR isn’t adjacent to discoverability, it’s foundational to it.
Creators Drive Brand Discovery
The creator boom will only grow stronger and play an even more pivotal role in brand discovery. Audiences are much more likely to follow people they trust than brands. That is why you should invest in thought leadership and employee ambassadors – and take that creator economy seriously.
Not even creators will make every one of your posts go viral but that’s not even the point. Relevance is everything. Creators are cultural translators, community leaders and creative partners.
In 2026: The strongest brands won’t build an extra layer of creator sparkle on top of everything else but co-create, and intentionally align creator-led content with influencer and content strategy.
Social-First Isn’t a Tactic, It’s a Mindset
Social is where narratives form, break and spread. But let’s get one thing straight right away: social-first isn’t just a channel choice. It’s about putting interaction, communities, participation and engagement in the centre.
A social-first mindset ditches the traditional marching order of coming up with a campaign concept and then adapting it to the brand’s social media channels. Social-first is born and lives in feeds, conversations and communities. It’s the ultimate acid test of a brand’s agility and ability to let go of the traditional top-down communication.
In 2026: We’re chronically online anyway, so why not make it intentional, design social-first and invest in community management?
Beyond Attention Economy
We live in an attention economy: the human focus is scarce and attention sure feels like a valuable commodity no matter what side of the marketing exec’s table you’re sitting on. But I’d still like to see us collectively evolve to the next level already. Attention alone should not be considered the goal. It’s the entry ticket. The goal is the action and the impact we can drive with attention.
The key is active, meaningful attention we can build impact on: experiences, memory traces, emotional resonance, and the sense of belonging. Reach is important but it’s engagement that makes it last. And that’s where PR steps in.
In 2026: The future belongs to brands that don’t just interrupt, but earn their place.
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Curious to hear: which of these shifts are already shaping your work and which ones are you still catching up with?
Annina Pikkumäki
CEO