Web3 is a constantly evolving industry, and 2024 is witnessing exciting trends that will shape its future. Digital transformation continues to revolutionise how professionals maximise their time and enhance productivity.
Consumer behaviours mean Web3 PR agencies now have to ensure each message conveys a purpose, and the line between digital marketing and public relations will continue to fade.
Sounds exciting? Let’s explore what 2024 and beyond have in store for Web3 PR.
Industry consolidation
Whether it’s a product launch, event management, or influencer campaigns, integrated strategies are redefining the Web3 PR industry.
Creating a cohesive brand identity and narrative across all channels means Web3 PR professionals must take a data-driven approach.
Looking ahead to 2024 and beyond, the most impactful Web3 PR campaigns will be a seamless blend of traditional and digital marketing strategies, ensuring brand messaging resonates across all channels.
As Web3 PR professionals continue collaborating with marketing professionals, we can expect to witness industry consolidation on a larger scale.
What does it mean for the future?
Forward-thinking agencies will look towards merging with or acquiring tech-focused marketing companies, offering clients a more integrated campaign approach.
Agencies who embrace these changes will have an advantage over traditional PR agencies. Many global public relations experts are already adopting a multi-skilled approach, teaming up with marketing professionals to ensure consistent results.
Automation and AI continue to dominate
AI and automation are dominating numerous industries, and Web3 PR is no exception. According to the Institute for PR, 37% of agencies leverage AI for ideation, and over 40% use it for content creation. In 2023, 75% of companies that increased their profits and revenue used AI.
While the industry embraces automation and AI for some tasks, there’s still a long way to go. However, enhancing productivity by streamlining repetitive and mundane tasks will prove vital for agencies that want to grow and scale.
Professionals can use their extra time to focus on client relations, creative problem solving and developing comprehensive strategies that enhance campaigns.
AI content creation
We all know that AI can streamline content creation. Its current use rates in the Web3 PR industry highlight AI’s importance for brand promotion. However, technology is no substitute for human creativity, and successful agencies know how to adopt a multi-pronged approach.
By leveraging AI for outlines, audience research, and data collection, Web3 PR specialists can spend more time aligning content with target audiences and fine-tuning its messaging.
Compliance and ethics
While AI is a vital technology, it also poses some risks. Web3 PR professionals will face two significant challenges: managing misinformation and ensuring compliance.
To navigate these issues, the industry could introduce strict guidelines on how to leverage AI responsibly and ethically.
Harnessing the power of AR and VR
Brands and Web3 PR professionals often face the same issues: attention and engagement. In a highly crowded market, with multiple brands competing for recognition, augmented and virtual reality give audiences what they crave most: experience.
With VR’s ability to provide immersive experiences and AR’s ability to enhance interactivity, agencies can turn passive audiences into active participants.
Behind-the-scenes experiences or tours of facilities make brands more accessible, while AR can remove barriers to purchasing. For example, the FIFA World Cup in 2022 gave spectators a unique AR experience, overlaying stats and heat maps.
Further integration of AR and VR
While most examples of the technologies are from more prominent brands, innovative Web3 PR agencies will bridge the gap and help SMEs or emerging startups access AR and VR. The results? A highly engaged audience that remembers their positive experiences.
Both technologies could also play key roles in events and crisis training, enabling PR teams to test responses in high-stress environments.
Combining purpose-driven messaging with crisis management
There was a time when a great product or service meant companies would find success, but changing consumer attitudes placed social responsibility at the forefront of any decision-making process.
Brands that demonstrate their commitment and active contributions to social causes will build stronger relationships with target audiences.
As Forbes reports, 80% of consumers tell family and friends about a brand’s CSR efforts, highlighting the importance of values-focused brand messaging.
However, tense elections and international conflicts also mean Web3 PR specialists must be careful that their messaging doesn’t alienate certain groups.
Crisis management
In 2024 and beyond, specialists must integrate crisis management into PR strategies. These measures will establish protocols that ensure professionals know how to reach target audiences, customers and the media with composure during a crisis.
Data-driven PR
The news landscape is becoming increasingly crowded, and journalists are constantly searching for unique stories. Data-based narratives are highly popular, and PR companies that leverage them can cut through the noise and pitch stories to journalists.
Web3 PR professionals often struggle to reach journalists, with Cision reporting that many receive over 50 pitches weekly. Companies that leverage surveys, polls, and other forms of data collection offer something truly unique, resulting in higher success rates.
For these reasons, market research will continue to be integral for agencies, further blurring the lines between public relations and digital marketing.
Higher data utilisation
In the future, agencies will integrate data-driven PR into their practices—and many are already doing so. By focusing on market research and gaining valuable insights, forward-thinking companies will build relationships with journalists, providing consistent results for clients.
Bringing your brand into the future
While the Web3 PR industry will experience many changes in the future, brands that evolve and adapt will continue to thrive.
Traditional PR that doesn’t rely on an integrated approach won’t be able to compete in a technology-driven world. Brands that work with specialist agencies that leverage data and combine their practices with marketing strategies will be able to grow and scale.
If you want to achieve more with your budget, working with EAK Digital gives you access to a team of specialists. Our Web3 PR experts have decades of combined experience, and we always use a data-driven approach when developing campaigns.
Please feel free to learn about our approach or contact us today for a consultation. We look forward to helping you unlock the future.
