At Clearbox, we pride ourselves on being an agency that is always forward-thinking (sometimes over-thinking – but hey, that’s part of what makes us a great partner for our clients), and can throw a brainstorm like no other. 2025 has been immense for the world of communications, giving us plenty of new trends to grapple with – from changing algorithms to AI mania. It’s been a lot.

With the festive season well and truly underway, we find ourselves looking to the year ahead and asking ourselves – what does 2026 look like for PR and communications?

Here are some of our predictions…

The age of AI

In 2026, we’re positive that AI will continue to dominate the PR headlines, but that the craft of real human creativity will remain as important as ever.

There will be a myriad of new tools and platforms arriving in the coming year to support communications professionals with daily tasks – things like drafting briefs, formatting and designing speedy graphics.

However – this will never be able to replace authentic, human, creative ideation and deep work. For PR pros, we anticipate the coming year will bring with it an internal task redistribution rather than a total ‘AI takeover.’ This also means we can look forward to spending less time on admin, and more time doing what we’re good at – creating exciting, innovative strategies for our clients.

Are you familiar with the term Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO)? If you don’t know, then get to know! We expect those of us working in the digital space will need to get to grips with GEO in the months to come – similar to our beloved SEO, Generative Engine Optimisation involves writing content that lends itself to appearing in AI search engine results as opposed to Google. We do love a good challenge…

However, despite this new era of alluring tools at our disposal, a quick word to the wise – rely solely on AI at your peril.

Evolving mediums

Artificial intelligence aside, we also predict a huge shift in how people approach media channels in general. Those of us who have studied communications in any formal capacity will be familiar with media theorist Marshal McLuhan, who famously said “The medium is the message.”

But what does that mean, Marshal? In essence, it means that the mode or channel in which a story appears is of huge bearing on how it’s received by an audience. One trend we saw emerging in 2025 was the importance of authenticity – people are over being patronised, sold to and expected to subscribe to messaging that lacks substance.

With that in mind, in 2026 we predict an increased focus on video content, through channels that prioritise impactful expression, be it video, podcasts or well-produced social content. That’s not to say traditional forms of PR won’t continue as usual, but in 2026, we highly recommend exploring new horizons when it comes to media channels. At Clearbox, our multi-faceted agency model means we can craft bespoke, quality communications campaigns for our clients, wherever their audience lives.

Extra extra…news value 

While demand from audiences for engaging content is growing, another trend to keep in mind is that most newsrooms are, in fact, shrinking.

Emphasis on hybrid, multimedia news production and a culture of instability/freelancing within the industry means the old ways of simply dialling up the “newsdesk” has become more and more difficult in recent years. This is creating extra pressure on journalists, and the strain is definitely felt across the board. For PR folk, this means we need to be providing more news value than ever when pitching to the media. It’s no longer good enough to write up a press release for the sake of it, and old-fashioned ‘spray and pray’ methods are less likely to succeed in 2026. And we’re here for it.

We predict that those who succeed at media relations in 2026 will be agencies who have an innate news sense, and collaborate with the media to create mutually beneficial stories that resonate with people. And for the love of God, always, always provide great photos and/or video!

We’re going through changes

So what does all this mean for 2026? Simple: the agencies still relying on bulk email blasts and AI-generated drivel are going to get found out. The ones who understand that journalists are drowning, that audiences can smell nonsense from a mile away, and that no algorithm can replace a proper story – those are the ones who’ll thrive.

The tools will change. The channels will shift. But the fundamentals stay the same: know what makes news, respect people’s time, and never mistake activity for impact.

2026 won’t reward the busiest agencies. It’ll reward the sharpest ones.

See you there.