PR in 2024: What Matters to Us for the Year Ahead

• January 8, 2024
• no comments

By Jonathan Forani, Senior Editorial and Media Strategist, and Sarah Stewart-Browne, President

—

From flying cars to a Y2K meltdown, predicting the future often misses the mark.

So, as 2024 kicks into gear, let’s look at what we know for sure: where our heads are at as an agency and what matters to us and our clients.

Trusted Advisor: Strengthening partnerships

At North Strategic, we strive to be our clients’ most trusted advisor. Ninety per cent of our clients say that we achieve that status and we aim to push that number higher in 2024.

With our finger on the pulse, we produce social trends and media relations reports regularly so our clients can stay relevant in all activities. In instances of major news events and developing stories (from the Queen’s death to the Twitter takeover), we’re ensuring clients have the full picture and understand our perspective on how their brand should show up in the public sphere.

In 2024, with some economists predicting a “mild recession,” brands need a partner to track evolving consumer sentiment, being mindful of the varying financial concerns of Canadians.

Media Movements: Watching Bill C-18

Earned media remains one of the most desirable goals for brands. Naturally, the Online News Act has been of concern since it was introduced to the legislature in 2022. The Act took effect last month with Google opting to pay $100 million annually to Canadian news outlets for using their links. It remains to be seen how the money will be distributed and what effect it will have on a struggling news industry, and whether or not Meta will agree to make similar payments. For now, the Instagram and Facebook giant has opted out of the legislation by not featuring Canadian news on its platforms.

For our part, we plan to track media movements and the evolution of the industry, nurturing relationships with journalists in shrinking newsrooms across the country.

Wild West of AI: Tracking ethics and value

Artificial intelligence had a big year in 2023 and the pace of its growth remains to be seen. Tech visionary Bill Gates predicted in a year-end blog post that “the work that will be done [in 2024] is setting the stage for a massive technology boom later this decade.”

Until that boom materializes, we’ll be tracking what could be characterized as a “Wild West” of AI development. What value can it bring to brands, but most importantly what are the risks involved, including any legal and ethical implications?

Short is King: Enduring need for short-form content

Even as the media landscape evolves and AI enters the content realm, short-form video is going nowhere. We look forward to working with brands this year on new ways to engage target audiences online across the digital platforms of today and tomorrow.

At North Strategic, our in-house, full-service production agency Notch Video – along with our extensive partnership network within the Publicis Groupe – are uniquely positioned to produce award-winning, scalable and cost-effective social media and PR video content on demand.

Agency Culture: Re-investing in us

We’re excited to increase in-person collaboration in 2024 on-site at client offices and at our new Publicis Groupe headquarters at 111 Queen St E. As we re-establish a consistent and valuable routine in 2024, we’re excited to develop and nourish a thriving agency culture with our teams and Publicis network. After a few years developing new skills as largely remote workers, we’re re-investing in our culture and can’t wait for what’s to come.

Growth Focus: Leaning in to new strengths

North has welcomed a large group of new hires in recent months, and as we continue to welcome more new team members in 2024, a growth mindset across accounts will help us learn new things and lean intro new strengths.

Stay tuned for exciting developments to come from North talent! Plus, check out our careers page for internship and job postings.

—

To learn more about how North Strategic can support you in 2024, contact us today.

Contact