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Steve Barrett on PR
Steve Barrett is VP, editorial director of PRWeek US. Each week he shares his views on the trends and stories that are shaping the PR industry.
Contact Steve at steve.barrett@prweek.com.
Media relations is in danger of becoming a lost art
PR firms are positioning themselves as experts in myriad elements of an evolving and increasingly complex profession - but many clients still want traditional media hits.
Marketing the greatest show on earth
The 23rd FIFA World Cup takes place in the US, Canada and Mexico this summer and represents a unique opportunity to engage global audiences.
The PRWeek Awards remain a true testament to the communications industry
From Golin’s Agency of the Year win to Brandon Stanton’s call for empathy, the PR industry’s biggest night celebrated a year of creative dominance and structural transformation.
PR’s reach is wide-ranging and multifaceted
Stories that hit the headlines this week demonstrated the value of the “product” that is PR.
Burson drops 6% in 2025 as PR relocates to new WPP Creative unit
WPP share price finally starts rising on the back of earnings statements on cost cutting and restructuring.
CEO John Wren outlines Omnicom’s strategic priorities
OPR’s legacy comms firms struggled in YoY election comparisons, which dragged the holdco’s full-year PR numbers down 2.2%.
No agency brand is sacred in the new reality of holding companies
As Omnicom PR provides the first details of what its agency portfolio will look like moving forward, attention turns to what the big picture will mean in terms of detail for its storied individual agency brands.
Early PR earnings prompt more questions than answers
As Publicis and Edelman post their full-year 2025 financials, the stage is set for an intense 2026 in which the sector must convince clients and the street of the unique value they can offer across the board.
What every client needs to know about hiring an agency
PRWeek’s annual Agency Business Report has been revamped to focus on agencies’ work, CEO philosophies and value proposition.
Davos microcosm needs PR to help navigate an unprecedentedly complicated world
Comms pros and corporate affairs advisers are in more demand than ever and that was proven this week on the slopes of the Swiss Alps at the World Economic Forum.
Reputation is becoming a quantifiable asset class
C-suites have long demanded more concrete indicators of the impact of their PR spend — a new report from Burson attempts to measure this value with hard data.
A strong media is more important than ever — but it must retain standards and credibility
From national cable and multiplatform outlets to centuries-old newspapers to streaming platforms to B2B trade publications, an increasingly fragmented media still plays a pivotal role in national narratives.
2026: Buckle up and keep on grinding
The pace and pressure of 2025 is certainly not going to abate in the next 12 months and PR pros will need to be especially hard at it and working their hustle game as we turn the page onto a fresh calendar year.
Dan Bartlett: Comms function must be valued not just tolerated
A decade-plus close working relationship between Walmart’s comms lead Dan Bartlett and retiring CEO Doug McMillon is about to come to an end — in that time, the global retail behemoth's value grew 3.5 times.
Clients will dictate the success of the Omnicom super holding company
CEO John Wren is bullish about Omnicom Public Relations. But the devil is in the details that have yet to emerge.
Hall of Famers achieved greatness in the field of PR
PRWeek celebrates the induction of its 13th Hall of Fame class on Thursday evening in New York City, honoring legends who provide a shining light for those wanting to join the PR profession.
The widening realm of healthcare comms
Shifting policy, pharmaceutical innovations and expanding brand initiatives make the sector one of PR’s most important areas.
Always say ‘yes’ to Seattle
Far from being a ‘war-torn’ hotbed of crime and civil disobedience, Seattle is a smorgasbord of big business, innovation, culture and top-level PR and communication.
WPP: ‘Will the bleeding ever end?’
Another tough quarter, another profit warning and a tumbling share price, plus a near 6% year-over-year revenue drop at Burson, highlight the challenges ahead for new WPP CEO Cindy Rose.
OPRG faces at least one more tough quarter as election comparables persist
Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group is set to close by the end of November once European Union regulators have ratified the deal.
Trust arrives on foot but leaves on horseback
A Dutch proverb summed up the state of PR and Navigating Uncertainty theme perfectly at PRWeek’s annual PRDecoded conference where PR pros heard from inspiring speakers including Stacey Tank, Kevin Warren, Richard Edelman and Chris Foster.
PRDecoded convenes PR pros at a pivotal time for the industry
PRWeek’s annual conference takes place in Chicago next week on Thursday, October 16 to help delegates navigate multiple areas of uncertainty and prove their value to enterprises.
Ryder Cup illustrated crisis of civility
The Civility Paradox report, released this week, detailed a breakdown in civil discourse that was perfectly illustrated by events during the biennial face-off between the U.S. and Europe at Bethpage last weekend.
Is AI bringing the press release back?
One of the most unlikely side effects of the AI revolution is the breathing of life back into a communications format many had written off as irrelevant and defunct.
Barrett on AI: Feeding the ‘alien life form’
In the inaugural AI in PR survey, industry pros report relatively low levels of organizational readiness and are frustrated by a lack of innovation and collaboration from the top.
Zen and the art of the PR agency
“Stay curious to stay relevant,” a quote from founder Al Golin, greets visitors to his now IPG-owned agency as the firm draws on its heritage to construct a modern future that entices PR pros into the office to work.
Hubris of the sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll CEOs
The litany of crises and controversies leading to chief executive officers of major companies being fired or resigning due to misbehavior shows no sign of slowing down.
Mixed messaging costs Cracker Barrel
Burying the restaurant chain’s new logo and design reveal within a wider fall activation resulted in unwanted blowback and attention from The White House across all facets of the company.
Power with principle: PRWeek Hall of Fame is gold standard of communication
These are the PR people whom the rest of the industry should seek to emulate in terms of practice, truth, ethics and morality.
Taylor Swift broke the internet
The mercurial artist unveiled her new album Wednesday night on boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason’s 'New Heights' podcast.
Burson’s struggles continue as Mark Read prepares to exit stage left
Revenue at WPP’s only remaining pureplay PR firm was down 7.8% year over year in Q2 trading, the worst performing segment in the holding company’s earnings.
Let’s talk about LinkedIn
The social network initially set up as a job board has replaced Twitter as the town square for communicators and marketers — but the noise is becoming increasingly loud and toxic.
PRWeek Power Listers are made of tough stuff
Whether you agree or disagree with this year's Power List selections, one thing’s for sure is that the industry will be talking about them. And that’s the whole idea of the exercise at this crucial time for a PR industry navigating unprecedented uncertainty.
A week is a long time in business
Andy Byron started the week as CEO of AI data company Astronomer partying at a Coldplay concert and finished it out of a job having become a social media sensation.
Publicis and Omnicom Q2 numbers give mixed messages
Omnicom was solid, apart from poor performances in PR, health and brand/retail commerce, while Publicis continues to overperform.
Sally Susman leaves big shoes to fill at Pfizer
The announcement by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla that Susman will be stepping down at the end of this year set off a slew of significant high-level post-July 4 comms industry moves.
5 things to note ahead of July 4
From Cannes PR Lions controversy to WPP to Weber Shandwick to Next 15 to Pride Month, the industry remains busy ahead of the holiday weekend.
Cannes wrap: Creativity is going out of fashion
Many of the winners at Cannes last week focused on effectiveness rather than creativity, and the industry is going all in on technology and AI — leading many to wonder whether the festival needs a rebranding.
PR Lions winners revert to type
Hopes that last year’s major successes by PR agencies heralded a breakthrough in their eponymous Cannes Lions category and other brackets were dashed as the 2025 PR Lions were largely taken home by creative firms.
Taking care of business before Cannes
Mars unveiled the results of the biggest pitch of the year and Mark Read stepped down as CEO of WPP to avoid conversations at the annual Festival of Creativity being totally dominated by speculation.
CEOs take to social media to get their points across
LinkedIn and X are becoming as ubiquitous as cable TV and press conferences for modern C-suite execs communicating with key stakeholders — but the new messaging needs to be extremely nuanced.
Sometimes ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’
Honorees at PRWeek’s Women of Distinction celebration reflected the challenges of working at the top of a dynamic and challenging industry while balancing family and other commitments.
Revenues grow while firms rightsize staffing
Despite a world in constant flux, PR is valued more than ever by C-suites and CEOs.
Agency Business Report 2025: Agencies reimagine themselves in a world of flux
PR firms achieved growth in 2024 despite navigating constant change internally and servicing clients that expect senior counsel at scale and speed.
Agency Business Report 2025: Agency holdcos grapple with uncertain future
The major global marketing services holding companies are rationalizing their agency brands, fast-tracking AI and rightsizing staffing models accordingly.
PR firms grew in 2024 despite business challenges
PRWeek’s Agency Rankings for the 2024 calendar year showed year-over-year growth of 5% both in the U.S. and globally.
Golin shines as holdco Q1s shed first light on impact of Trump era
The Interpublic Group firm got a shoutout from the holding company’s CEO Philippe Krakowsky amid a mixed set of numbers.
Should PR people ask journalists for questions up front?
It’s a perennial topic that regularly raises its head in newsrooms and among PR teams throughout the country.
DC is the epicenter of global geopolitics and economics
PRWeek visited the nation’s capital for its annual sold-out Crisis Comms Conference and took the temperature of a communications and strategic counsel sector in more demand than ever.
Healthcare communication matters
The decimation of comms teams at the FDA, CDC and other government health agencies is not only a sad day for PR, it is also storing up trouble in multiple areas with the disappearance of important messaging that impacts and saves lives.
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