ICCO World PR Report Reveals AI, Strategic Consulting, and Ethical Leadership as Key Industry Priorities

London, 19th March 2025 – The ICCO World PR Report 2024-2025 has officially launched, offering a comprehensive overview of the key trends, challenges, and opportunities shaping the global PR industry. This year’s findings underscore AI adoption, reputation management, geopolitical influence, and ethical leadership as defining factors for PR professionals navigating an evolving communications landscape.

Produced annually by ICCO, the report gathers insights from senior PR leaders worldwide, providing valuable data on growth, investment, talent retention, measurement, and emerging digital trends across different regions.

This year’s research finds a global industry confident in its resilience despite economic pressures, digital transformation, and shifting geopolitical realities. PR leaders remain optimistic about market growth, and expect increased profitability in the coming year. However, financial concerns persist, with clients’ unwillingness to commit sufficient funds (37%) and economic uncertainty (34%) ranked among the most significant challenges.

As PR firms navigate these hurdles, corporate reputation and strategic consulting emerge as the leading growth areas, with agencies shifting their focus toward long-term reputation management and high-value advisory services.

The rise of AI is reshaping PR at unprecedented speed, with 74% of professionals already using AI tools in their daily work. AI is now integrated into content creation, analytics, and workflow automation, and 47% of PR leaders identify AI mastery as the most critical skill for the future. Despite the enthusiasm for AI-driven efficiency, ethical concerns around AI-powered misinformation are mounting.

Beyond technology and reputation management, talent retention remains one of PR’s biggest challenges, with 60% of agency leaders citing it as a top concern. The industry struggles with staff retention, mid-level talent development, and incentivising senior staff. Younger professionals are increasingly drawn to purpose-driven careers, making Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), ethical leadership, and corporate responsibility essential factors in attracting and retaining top talent.

Grzegorz Szczepański, ICCO President said:

“The ICCO World PR Report 2025 captures a public relations industry at a pivotal crossroads. While economic uncertainty and financial pressures persist, a more profound challenge is emerging: how to navigate the seismic geopolitical shifts that threaten to reshape the global order. In a world where political discourse increasingly influences business communication and where misinformation spreads at an alarming pace, the need for ethical leadership has never been greater. Against this backdrop, PR leaders worldwide continue to adapt, innovate, and invest in the future. This year’s findings highlight the growing role of AI, the increasing value of strategic consulting, and the urgent call for ethical leadership in an era defined by both technological advancement and ideological polarisation.”

The report offers in-depth regional perspectives from industry leaders across the UK, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, North America, and Latin America, highlighting unique market dynamics and key industry trends. Alongside these regional insights, the report delves into critical topics shaping PR today, including Diversity & Inclusion, Measurement & Evaluation, Ethics in the Industry, and Talent & Challenges. These sections feature analysis from several leading industry experts, providing a well-rounded view of the global opportunities and challenges PR professionals face.

Produced in collaboration with Opinium, PRovoke Media, and CARMA, the report is free to download HERE.

The World PR Report 2025 was launched via a live webinar, where industry leaders explored the report’s findings and their implications for the future of PR. Moderated by Paul Holmes, Founder and Editor of PRovoke Media, the discussion provided valuable regional insights and industry perspectives.

• Grzegorz Szczepański (ICCO President, CEO Burson Poland) examined the shifting priorities in PR, noting that while talent retention has long been seen as the biggest challenge, economic pressures, financial concerns, and evolving media consumption habits are now taking precedence.
• Kate Midttun (Founder & CEO, Acorn Strategy) emphasized that PR in the Middle East and North Africa is at a transformational moment—more powerful, trusted, and scrutinized than ever before. She highlighted that the region is not just adapting but leading, particularly in profitability and corporate reputation.
• Ciro Dias Reis (Founder & CEO, Imagem Corporativa) described Latin America’s PR market as one of contrasts—while professionals in the region are the least optimistic about overall business growth, they are the most optimistic about the demand for non-traditional PR services. He underscored how political and economic volatility has shaped PR in the region, yet new investments and shifting global trade dynamics create fresh opportunities.
• Mary Njoki (Founder & CEO, Glass House PR) provided insights into Africa’s unique PR landscape, shaped by its young population, linguistic diversity, and rapidly increasing internet penetration. She noted the growing dominance of digital-first campaigns and the continued challenge of educating businesses on the true value of PR.

The full webinar recording is now available HERE.