Staying on Top of Current Trends in Public Relations

In this episode of PR Explored, host Michelle Garrett, a PR consultant, author, and writer, interviews her guest, Nicole Schuman, managing editor of PRNews, who describes her role planning editorial content, newsletters (including Friday Five and her weekly PR Roundup), podcasts, events, and social strategy. They discuss industry trends, including major agency mergers and acquisitions leading to layoffs, while smaller independent and specialized agencies benefit from available talent and strong profits, and consultants help lean marketing teams. Schuman notes PRNews readership increasingly includes marketers as comms responsibilities expand, prompting new e-learning modules. They note that Schuman is receiving fewer AI-written pitches but that there remains a sameness in AI-driven contributed content, emphasizing the importance of specificity, relationships, and unique storytelling. They review Morning Consult’s 2026 Most Trusted Brands report (Dawn, Band-Aid, Google) and note that trust gains are driven by nostalgia, including Mr. Pibb’s campaign, and that Tylenol remains the most trusted in medicine despite controversy. They also discuss World Cup and Toy Story 5 brand tie-ins and using LinkedIn for sourcing and visibility.00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro01:06 Nicole Schumann Background04:51 Life in DC and New York08:10 Setting Up PR Trends09:17 Agency Mergers and Talent Shifts13:58 Going Independent and Niching Down16:53 PR and Marketing Converge22:04 AI Pitches and Inbox Fatigue25:23 Thought Leadership Needs Specifics28:39 Writing Voice Over Automation30:51 AI Tool Overload and Reality Check31:48 AI Jobs Rebound32:45 Hiring Struggles Today33:36 Brand Newsroom Boom36:32 Trust Brands Report38:58 Nostalgia Trust Wins39:55 Tylenol Trust Case44:02 Comfort Brand Consistency45:35 World Cup Brand Plays47:54 Lego Breakthrough Campaign51:32 Toy Story Tie Ins54:10 Long Game Marketing56:11 LinkedIn Sourcing Tips59:11 Wrap Up And LinksShow notes:Follow Nicole Schuman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicoleschuman/Visit PRNEWS online: https://www.prnewsonline.com/Sign up for PRNEWS newsletters, including the Friday 5: https://www.prnewsonline.com/subscribe-newsletters/Articles we discussed: https://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-tylenol-tops-trust-rankings-local-journalism-hits-a-new-low-and-allbirds-becomes-smartbirdhttps://www.prnewsonline.com/pr-roundup-when-culture-moves-brands-follow-lessons-from-kalshi-the-world-cup-and-toy-story-5Follow the host: Website: www.michellegarrett.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/prstrategist/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@PRisUsX/Twitter: https://x.com/PRisUsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@prwritergalMichelle's book - B2B PR That Gets Results - is available nowBook a no-obligation call to talk about your needs here. About the host: Michelle Garrett is a B2B PR consultant, media relations consultant, writer and author of B2B PR That Gets Results, an Amazon Best Seller. She helps companies create content, earn media coverage, and position themselves as thought leaders in their industry. Michelle’s articles have been featured by Entrepreneur, Content Marketing Institute, Muck Rack, and Ragan’s PR Daily, among others. She’s a frequent speaker and podcast guest on public relations and content. Michelle has been repeatedly ranked among the top ten most influential PR professionals.