It’s been another enjoyable and productive year of strategic communications and PR delivery at MIH Group.  

We’ve produced a huge and varied body of work for our clients, including engagement, strategy, technical communications, photography and videography, SEO, website development, social media campaigns, training and crisis management – giving us a panoramic view of how comms and PR have developed in the last 12 months.  

These are the five major communications and PR trends we’ve spotted during our work in 2025 and that should remain a point of interest in 2026. 

1. The rise of social listening

Social listening has emerged as an increasingly prominent marketing tool in the last 12 months. In a nutshell, it’s the practice of meticulously monitoring social media activity to identify trends that could help you gain vital exposure. Some companies have reported significant user engagement spikes by tailoring work around social media trends relevant to their services. 

Within the comms and PR industry, social listening is now something being widely discussed and, in some cases, actively practised. Most organisations don’t have the manpower to devote meaningful resources to it – and that’s probably why 2025 has seen several automated social listening apps emerge as part of digital monitoring packages like Cision and HubSpot.  

However, social listening on a more modest scale is becoming important even for organisations too small to justify paying for costly monitoring packages. Those that don’t have their finger on the pulse risk missing lucrative opportunities to grow their brand. 

It’s worth noting that spotting a trend and exploiting one are two very different things PR and marketing expertise is essential to find creative ways to capitalise on opportunities. Read our social listening blog here to learn more about a particularly creative example of social listening combining with marketing brilliance to produce spectacular results. 

2. Clumsy use of AI to cut comms corners

AI is now a major force driving change across the working world. It’s saving organisations significant time on administrative tasks and even some creative work, from populating spreadsheets to producing detailed executive summaries of complex reports.  

However, it’s not hard to spot a very sharp increase in PR output created entirely by AI in the last 12 months. 

Telltale signs include a deluge of emojis, exclamation marks, large dashes and Americanisms, including US spellings. This is becoming particularly prominent on some organisations’ social media accounts. Professionals are also using AI to create entire LinkedIn profiles, which are flooded with business speak and technical jargon unlikely to make much sense to most readers. 

These are just two examples of how AI is making comms and PR more mechanical and less meaningful. But the real risk of reputational damage comes when companies start using AI as the basis for sensitive messaging affecting key stakeholders. As impressive as it is, AI doesn’t match the human brain and heart’s capacity for subtlety, nuance and empathy. That said, if used correctly, it can be a force for good.  

Our recent blog, available here, explores where we’ve found AI particularly useful in our work.

3. GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)

As if search engine optimisation (SEO) didn’t pose enough of a headache, content creators are now having to tailor their content around AI results too. Generative engine optimisation is designed to capitalise on the algorithms of apps like ChatGPT and Copilot. And with an AI result appearing at the top of every Google search, it’s never been more important. 

At the heart of GEO is providing the best possible answer to the questions your target audience is asking. Not only must your content it be demonstrably reliable, but it must be easy for AI apps to extract information from when they scan the internet for answers. A growing body of research suggests there are very specific ways to do this, many of which involve setting out your content in a logical, digestible way. 

Simple steps like using clear sub-headings to separate different topics and setting out lists in bullet-point or numbered formats certainly help. But there’s a lot more to it and, like SEO, GEO is likely to be a labour of love rather than a quick fix producing instant results.  

If you need help optimising your content for AI searches, our team of experts can help. 

4. Digital media anxiety

Take a minute to contemplate all the digital media platforms out there. Social media activity alone is now a full-time job for many organisations: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Threads – the list goes on. And it’s important to furnish your YouTube channel with new, entertaining and informative video content. Then there’s the not-insignificant task of creating a conveyor belt of fresh SEO-friendly website content. Oh – and are your stakeholders being kept engaged via regular digital newsletters?  

It’s all a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? 

A comprehensive digital services agency can help ensure organisations don’t have to wake up in a cold sweat over their next Insta post. But those unable to fund external provision can fall into the trap of trying to engage stakeholders on every digital channel out there. The result is a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ scenario that compromises the quality of their content. 

If you don’t have time to run 10 social media channels well, identify the one or two that best suit your needs. If your posts are aimed at business leaders, for example, LinkedIn could be the platform for you. If you have a social and political agenda and need to be part of the daily debate as news breaks, X may be more your bag. Or maybe you’re a photographer, blogger or videographer whose work is best suited to more visual channels like YouTube and Instagram.  

Picking one or two specialisms and honing your skills in a focused way will always bear more fruit than spreading yourself too thinly across the board. You can read more tips on how to navigate the world of digital media in our blog here.

5. Lack of investment in strategic communications support causing problems to snowball

Budgets have been tight for organisations of all sizes in 2025, so something’s had to give. In some cases, that’s meant no proper investment in dedicated communications services. It’s easy to see polished strategic comms as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an essential service, especially with day-to-day operations under financial pressure. Indeed, we’ve had to defend our profession from suggestions that ChatGPT is a viable alternative to genuine communication expertise. The reality is that the danger of treating specialist comms support as a luxury is all too real. 

Without proper external consultation, organisations under public scrutiny risk sleepwalking into serious reputational damage. This year, we’ve seen senior leaders react to criticism through an inward-facing lens with defensive messaging that only serves to escalate tensions. That’s why it’s crucial to seek a fresh pair of eyes with a holistic, strategic perspective to assess how your communications are going to land.  

Our advice is to seek out expertise in building a solid foundation of key messaging that mitigates damage, stands up to scrutiny and builds relationships with stakeholders by addressing their concerns constructively. 

Read our crisis handling blog here to find out how we can help your organisation steer away from reputational damage.

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