So what are your predictions for PR for 2009?
Crystal Ball
My look ahead gives:
January: biggest event must be the Obama inauguration on 20 January
Or will it be Jonathan Ross’s return to BBC?
Or the new Big Brother?
February: could have some mergers of PR agencies as the economy tightens
Will Kate Winslet win an Oscar or will Angelina pick it up?
TED 25th anniversary conference at Palm Beach
March: could be the announcement of a Royal engagement to cheer up the tabloids
April: possible sale or collapse of PR agencies
May: time for another UK government scandal!
June: will Windows 7 OS be released?
July: Leeds MSc Corporate Communications graduation….for some! Toes crossed!
5 July – Nadal and Murray in the Mens’ Final at Wimbledon?
Nadal
August: David Cameron and Gordon Brown will out-do each other on budget holidays in the UK. Cameron will take the prize by picking an environmentally friendly cheap holiday!
September: last major UK Party political conferences before General Election
October: PR Week Awards!
November: one year on since Obama won the election. Is the honeymoon over?
More doom and gloom for the Pre-Budget report?
Even more public spending announced in the Queen’s Speech leading up to an election?
December: 31 December, partial eclipse of the moon!
Lunar eclipse
And then it will be 2010 and we can do it all over again…
Seriously though, I think 2009 will see a number of organisations realising the value of PR, especially against the potential cost of advertising. And it will see us all having to work a bit smarter, using the benefit of new media to make the most of those digital distribution channels to reach our stakeholders.
Oh, and I hope to be watching the Wimbledon final from somewhere hot and sunny. Come on Rafa!
Heck, still struggling with the start of the new year without thinking so far ahead!
I agree with Sarah I hope that organisations wake up to the effective use of PR. Surely now is the time more than ever in this period of recession to reach out to our stakeholders?
As far as January is concerned, Big Brother is the main event with my teenage children!
It’ll be fun to look back in 12 months to see what happened!
Its funny how the media make predictions but rarely ever go back to check!!!
Well, after three months, what was right?
I guess the Obama Inauguration in January as a huge Global Media event wasnt too difficult to predict!
I even called the Oscar for Kate Winslet (but you’ll notice that I hedged my bets with Angelina Jolie!
And no royal engagement in February. In fact it looks like one of the Princes’ relationships has faltered, which is sad for anyone.
And the tabloids were filled with coverage of Jade’s sad decline.
My predictions for April, May and June look rather glum! Let hope that we get more ‘green shoots’ – particularly in the interim marketplace!