The Shape of PR 2026 Survey

Thank you for participating in our Shape of PR survey. Your feedback will power an upcoming industry report that highlights the trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping PR and comms today - and what’s coming next. Responses are anonymized, but if you provide your email, you’ll get early access to the full report when it launches.

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* 1. What region are you located in?

United States

United Kingdom

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* 2. What type of organization do you work for?

PR/communications agency

In-house (corporate/private sector)

Public sector (government, education, health care, etc.)

Nonprofit or charity

Freelancer/Consultant

Other (please specify)

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* 3. What is your job level?

Executive (C-suite, Founder, Partner, Principal, etc.)

Senior Leader (VP, Director, etc.)

Manager

Specialist/Individual contributor

Other (please specify)

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* 4. Approximately how large is your organization?

Fewer than 50 employees

50–499 employees

500+ employees

Challenges & Opportunities

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* 5. Which industry trends are your team's top challenges for your team right now? (Select up to three)

AI and automation (adoption, integration, balancing technology with human touch)

Misinformation and disinformation risks (brand reputation threats, fact-checking challenges)

Changing media landscape (shift to social, blurred journalist/content creator roles)

Influencer evolution (micro-influencers, employee advocacy)

Data-driven strategies (measurement, insights, storytelling)

Resource pressures (doing more with less, tighter budgets, leaner teams)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. Which of these trends will be your No. 1 challenge in 2026?

AI and automation (adoption, integration, balancing technology with human touch)

Misinformation and disinformation risks (brand reputation threats, fact-checking challenges)

Changing media landscape (shift to social, blurred journalist/content creator roles)

Influencer evolution (micro-influencers, employee advocacy)

Data-driven strategies (measurement, insights, storytelling)

Resource pressures (doing more with less, tighter budgets, leaner teams)

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 7. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for your team in 2026? (Select up to three)

AI and automation to drive efficiency and insights

Strengthening journalist and creator relationships

Partnering with influencers and advocates (including employees)

Data and analytics to demonstrate ROI and strategy

Controlling brand narrative in the face of misinformation

Closer alignment with marketing and business strategy

Executive visibility and thought leadership

Emerging channels (podcasts, TikTok, etc.)

Personalization to building stronger audience connections

Other (please specify)

Team Capabilities

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* 8. On a scale of 1 to 5, how agile is your team when responding to unexpected events or opportunities?

1 - Not agile at all

2 - Slightly agile

3 - Moderately agile

4 - Very agile

5 - Extremely agile

1 - Not agile at all

2 - Slightly agile

3 - Moderately agile

4 - Very agile

5 - Extremely agile

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* 9. What factors most affect your team’s agility? (Select up to three)

Team size and structure

Access to real-time data

Executive decision-making speed

Budget flexibility

Skill diversity

Access to the right tools and technology

Other (please specify)

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* 10. From the dropdown menus below, please rank your team’s TOP 3 priorities for 2026.


First	First menu
Second	Second menu
Third	Third menu

Other (please specify)

Tools, Skills & Future Plans

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* 11. Which tools are critical to your team's success? (Select up to three)

Media monitoring/analysis

Media database/relationship management

Social listening

Press release distribution

Project management

Content creation (design, video, copy)

Analytics and reporting dashboards

Internal communication (e.g., Slack, Teams)

Other (please specify)

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* 12. Which skills will matter most in 2026? (Select up to three)

Social media

Data analysis

Media relations

Storytelling and content creation

Marketing technology utilisation

SEO

AI integration

ROI measurement

Leadership and management

Strategic planning

Project management

Other (please specify)

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* 13. How does your team currently use data? (Select up to three)

Media trend identification

Campaign performance and ROI

Audience Insights

Share of voice vs. competitors

Content strategy

Journalists/influencers identification

Reputation monitoring

Budget justification or executive buy-in

We don’t use data meaningfully

Other (please specify)

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* 14. Is your team currently using any of the following AI-powered software or platforms? (Select all that apply)

Media monitoring/analysis tools with AI features

Social listening platforms with AI capabilities

Analytics/reporting dashboards with AI features

Press release distribution or pitching tools with AI features

Other (please specify)

N/A - we don't use AI-powered software or platforms

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* 15. How is your team currently using stand-alone generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude)? (Select all that apply)

Writing or refining press releases, pitches, or other content

Brainstorming ideas, campaign concepts, or headlines

Drafting or scheduling social media posts

Researching topics, journalists, or trends

Analyzing data or generating reports

Other (please specify)

N/A - we don't use generative AI tools

Question Title

* 16. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, which of the following PR/comms activities do you plan to START, STOP, or KEEP doing?

	START DOING	STOP DOING	KEEP DOING	N/A
Media monitoring & analysis	Media monitoring & analysis START DOING	Media monitoring & analysis STOP DOING	Media monitoring & analysis KEEP DOING	Media monitoring & analysis N/A
Proactive media pitching	Proactive media pitching START DOING	Proactive media pitching STOP DOING	Proactive media pitching KEEP DOING	Proactive media pitching N/A
Reactive media outreach (e.g. newsjacking)	Reactive media outreach (e.g. newsjacking) START DOING	Reactive media outreach (e.g. newsjacking) STOP DOING	Reactive media outreach (e.g. newsjacking) KEEP DOING	Reactive media outreach (e.g. newsjacking) N/A
Content creation for owned channels	Content creation for owned channels START DOING	Content creation for owned channels STOP DOING	Content creation for owned channels KEEP DOING	Content creation for owned channels N/A
Social media engagement	Social media engagement START DOING	Social media engagement STOP DOING	Social media engagement KEEP DOING	Social media engagement N/A
Influencer partnerships	Influencer partnerships START DOING	Influencer partnerships STOP DOING	Influencer partnerships KEEP DOING	Influencer partnerships N/A
Event sponsorships/activations	Event sponsorships/activations START DOING	Event sponsorships/activations STOP DOING	Event sponsorships/activations KEEP DOING	Event sponsorships/activations N/A
Crisis comms planning/training	Crisis comms planning/training START DOING	Crisis comms planning/training STOP DOING	Crisis comms planning/training KEEP DOING	Crisis comms planning/training N/A
AI-powered content creation	AI-powered content creation START DOING	AI-powered content creation STOP DOING	AI-powered content creation KEEP DOING	AI-powered content creation N/A
AI-powered monitoring/analysis	AI-powered monitoring/analysis START DOING	AI-powered monitoring/analysis STOP DOING	AI-powered monitoring/analysis KEEP DOING	AI-powered monitoring/analysis N/A
Internal comms initiatives	Internal comms initiatives START DOING	Internal comms initiatives STOP DOING	Internal comms initiatives KEEP DOING	Internal comms initiatives N/A

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* 17. In one word or phrase, what will define success for your team next year?

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* 18. Finish this statement: “If I could change one thing about how the PR industry works, it would be...

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* 19. Would you be open to being contacted for follow-up questions about your answers? If so, please leave your details (name, title, email, company) below.

Name

Title

Company

The Shape of PR 2026 Survey

Question Title

* 1. What region are you located in?

Question Title

* 2. What type of organization do you work for?

Question Title

* 3. What is your job level?

Question Title

* 4. Approximately how large is your organization?

Question Title

* 5. Which industry trends are your team's top challenges for your team right now? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 6. Which of these trends will be your No. 1 challenge in 2026?

Question Title

* 7. Where do you see the greatest opportunity for your team in 2026? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 8. On a scale of 1 to 5, how agile is your team when responding to unexpected events or opportunities?

Question Title

* 9. What factors most affect your team’s agility? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 10. From the dropdown menus below, please rank your team’s TOP 3 priorities for 2026.

Question Title

* 11. Which tools are critical to your team's success? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 12. Which skills will matter most in 2026? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 13. How does your team currently use data? (Select up to three)

Question Title

* 14. Is your team currently using any of the following AI-powered software or platforms? (Select all that apply)

Question Title

* 15. How is your team currently using stand-alone generative AI tools (e.g. ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude)? (Select all that apply)

Question Title

* 16. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, which of the following PR/comms activities do you plan to START, STOP, or KEEP doing?

Question Title

* 17. In one word or phrase, what will define success for your team next year?

Question Title

* 18. Finish this statement: “If I could change one thing about how the PR industry works, it would be...

Question Title

* 19. Would you be open to being contacted for follow-up questions about your answers? If so, please leave your details (name, title, email, company) below.

Question Title

* 20. If you are interested in receiving an early copy of the report when it's ready, enter your email address below.

* 19. Would you be open to being contacted for follow-up questions about your answers? If so, please leave your details (name, title, email, company) below.