Media is an ever-evolving industry. Today, access to all the news you could ever need lives in your pocket, is available with the touch of a finger, and what is considered “newsworthy” seems to change weekly. Our public relations team communicates with both national and trade media daily and as a result, we’ve identified 5 important media trends to help you strategize your marketing efforts in 2023!
2023 Media Trends for Marketers to Know
Economic Uneasiness Calls for Purposeful Communication
When inflation, war, and rising interest rates dominate headlines, it’s no wonder that consumers and business leaders alike become reluctant with their wallets.
During times like these, brands must remember to communicate with purpose. Marketers should focus on messaging that keeps the current economic turbulence in mind by appealing to their audience’s core needs. Messaging that focuses on value and savings is also key during times like these.
Fewer Journalists To Pitch To
It’s no surprise the journalistic landscape is constantly either dwindling or shifting. Year over year we see major publications shuttering or minimizing to online-only to offset the costs of print. This change gives PR professionals less writers to pitch to and therefore makes the “mass pitching” technique more and more obsolete. We recommend getting on a first-name basis with a handful of writers your brand works most often with, and focusing time and energy there as opposed to a mass pitch of news to writers who are either not at the same publication or have moved on to another beat entirely.
Sustainability is a Winning Topic
Sustainability is a huge buzzword and many consumer like to say they prefer to purchase sustainable products and support sustainable brands. Gen Z leads the way in this endeavor, as Forbes notes they are in fact ready to pay 10% extra for sustainable products.
If you have a great sustainability story to share, we recommend building this into your current PR strategy. Media pitches with a sustainability angle and more likely to be picked up or get noticed by editors because they offer an on-trend “hook,” so consider how you can be sharing your sustainability wins within your marketing.
Skip Piggybacking Off Of Current Trends
As Gen Z may say, there is a major “ick factor” when it comes to brands piggybacking off of current trends. While this has been a big strategy in the past, new data is saying that consumers and shoppers, especially the new generation coming into purchase-making decisions, think this approach is (to use another Gen Z term) “cringe.” The term for piggybacking off of another major news story, “newsjacking”, is a PR tactic we recommend against this year. Instead, think through all angles before committing to jumping on a bandwagon and consider, “Does this really align with our brand?”
Real People Make Content Newsworthy
We know firsthand the pressure to consistently generate “newsworthy” content to stay relevant in the media. What we’ve come to find is readers want to read and hear about real people who are making a difference at the companies they trust. Instead of forcing big press announcements to constantly stay in the media, we encourage brands to look inside at the people who work there to tell authentic stories. Find ways to create content that can be used for unique human-interest editorial pieces as another way to stay present in the media in an authentic way.
As Forbes says, “The world is filled with beautiful shots of beaches and sunsets, but it’s the “no-filter” story that will make the difference.”
We’ve been helping our clients navigate media trends and gain press consistently for nearly 20 years and we’d be more than happy to help your brand do the same. Contact us to discuss our public relations services and packages today.
