2023-05-18 14:00Press release

New Data from Notified and PRWeek Reveals Shifts in Media Landscape, Reliance on Technology for Productivity and Media Engagement Represents a Step Forward for Communicators

New eBook: Media Relations Redefined

Key Findings Include 79% of Public Relations Professionals Believe Securing Earned Media is Still a Top Challenge

NEW YORK, May 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Notified, a globally trusted technology partner for public relations, investor relations and marketing professionals and PRWeek, the leading publication for PR and communications professionals, today announced the results of their joint Media Relations Redefined survey.

Exploring the evolving media landscape and the importance of earned coverage, the survey found that while 82% of communications professionals agree that media relations is a central function of their job, 79% also believe that it’s their top challenge. In addition, the public relations industry has broadened the ways in which media is defined. According to the survey, 72% of PR professionals consider podcast hosts to be critical targets for media outreach and engagement while more than a quarter of respondents view social media influencers as members of the media.

“Media relations has always been – and will always be – the backbone of the public relations profession,” said Gideon Fidelzeid, editorial director of custom, PRWeek. “This report truly captures how media relations is being redefined for the modern age and the future. We’ve uncovered a lot of fascinating data, gleaned from the best sources – communications professionals themselves – about key metrics, online newsrooms, channels and influencers. We’ve even found some intriguing comparative data between agency and in-house pros. It's clear that this discipline mandates constant evolution with an adherence to certain elements that have long been true and must stay so to reach a broad range of stakeholders.”

Compared to two years ago, are PR pros using more, fewer or the same amount of tools?

The survey found an overwhelming majority of pros use PR tools to help with one of their most important and prevalent tasks.

Additional survey findings include:

PR Technology is Critical: 90% of respondents use PR tools to help with media relations, and at least 65% use those tools for foundational media relations functions, such as managing contacts/lists, monitoring for coverage and measuring results.

Long Live the Press Release: 79% of PR pros deem press releases as a valuable part of the media mix – however, measurement has evolved. 62% say that web traffic – traditionally a marketing metric/KPI– is not very far behind media inquiries and social media activity in terms of gauging press release effectiveness.

Paid Media’s Increased Role: While earned media is a priority, PR pros are increasingly more involved in paid-media tactics than they were three years ago – including social media advertising (60%), sponsored content (40%), native advertising (29%) and sponsored podcasts (25%).

“PR professionals are juggling more responsibilities than ever before – and we’ll see more use of emerging tech like automation tools and AI-powered solutions for job functions like media monitoring, press release creation and optimization and measurement,” said Nimesh Davé, president, Notified. “While these tools cannot replace the human element of PR, they represent a step forward for communicators, empowering the way they tell their brand stories and maximize efficiency in a fast-paced, competitive environment.”

To download the full results of Notified and PRWeek’s Media Relations Redefined survey, visit: https://insight.notified.com/pr-media-relations-redefined-ebook.


About Notified

About Notified: Notified is committed to making it easy for brands to create and share powerful stories with the world. Our suite of world-class, award-winning solutions and our dedicated customer service team are relied upon by more than 10,000 global customers, from growing businesses and public companies to some of the world’s most recognizable brands. Notified’s solutions help businesses effectively share and amplify their stories—to customers, investors, employees and the media. From press release distribution via GlobeNewswire to earnings calls, IR websites, social listening, media engagement, webinars and digital experiences, Notified has you covered. About PRWeek: PRWeek epitomizes the modern business publishing brand, spanning online, print, events, and social media, incorporating a paid-for content strategy and gated website. Launched in November 1998, it is the essential title for PR pros. PRWeek reflects an industry playing a more pivotal role than ever, not only in the marketing strategies of companies, brands, and organizations, but also within boardrooms and in the C-suite. In the transparent world epitomized by social media, corporate reputation is crucial. Executives need timely, authoritative, insightful content to navigate this landscape — that’s where PRWeek comes in. Breaking news, analysis, and opinion fuels PRWeek’s content. And the brand extends into the iconic PRWeek Awards, annual conferences, roundtables, webcasts and virtual forums. For more, visit prweek.com.