1. Unfortunately I think that PR’s profile will continue to be attacked in 2004 as it has for much of the past decade! (Find out for yourself how much the profession hasn�t changed in the past twelve years).
2. PR agency spending will re-bound slightly in 2004.
3. As PR spending recovers look out for more selective PR agency acquisitions in 2004 to follow the likes of Applied Communications.
4. With the volume of spam still rising, RSS will continue to proliferate as a means of communicating with journalists, analysts, staff, customers, partners and communities, it may even begin to break outside the technology business � though it�s a couple of years away from mainstream. Also, PR people will increasingly use RSS throughout 2004 to monitor what�s going on in their clients� markets.
5. Look out for blogs and weblogs to move beyond the technology business into other business-to-business and consumer markets � more targets for you to track.
6. Your favorite magazines will begin to swell again as Advertising spend begins to recover.
7. However, staffers will continue to be overworked as publications refuse to spend until absolutely necessary. All the more reason to keep tight tabs on the freelancers in your market � they�ll be busier this year than at any time since the dot bomb.
8. Consumers will continue to become more sophisticated, which translates into more work for PR. They�ll use multiple sources for decision making and that means you�ll have to work with multiple sources to help your clients make sales.
9. 2004 will be a time when online measurement becomes commonplace and affordable � track the success of your tactics in real-time.
10. The next twelve months will demand a host of new skills from PR practitioners � search engine optimization for one will be an increasingly important skill. Also don�t forget you own communications, make sure you are involved in how your clients can effectively communication across all media from press releases to web sites�
Any trends you’d like to add?
Murphy's Law 