Martin Sorrell’s declaration that “there is no such thing as PR anymore” couldn’t be more wrong. From the guy who founded and built WPP, one of the world’s largest advertising and PR groups, this is a profound misunderstanding and basic under-estimation of PR as a narrow, media‑only function – a world of press releases, hits and clippings.
But if you understand PR at all, you will know that it’s a discipline that shapes public opinion and manages the flow of information between organizations and their stakeholders, and frankly, its moment is now.
Modern PR is actually an operating system. According to PR practitioner Sonia Bobrik, “PR turns scattered facts about your product, team, and traction into a coherent thesis that outsiders can repeat without you in the room… And, when attention is infinite and time is scarce, people filter by trust. Strategic PR operationalizes trust by converting your most defensible assets—technical rigor, customer outcomes, compliance posture, and the caliber of your backers—into stories that withstand scrutiny. Trust compresses sales cycles: fewer calls to legal, lighter security questionnaires, and pilots that jump to multi-year agreements because stakeholders feel the risk has been addressed in public.”
With more companies, more campaigns, more channels all vying for fewer, busier journalists and an audience already drowning in content, not to mention the intrusion of AI, PR is needed to do at least four things to help companies get noticed –
- Shape narrative and meaning
- Clarify what a company stands for, how it defines the problem it solves, and where it sits in the larger landscape
- Align leadership, product, HR, marketing and customer‑facing teams around the same story, so audiences and algorithms are not getting five different versions.
- Build and protect reputation
- Look at every touchpoint – announcements, policies, customer experiences, internal emails, social posts, events – as part of one reputational balance sheet.
- Anticipate issues, prepare for crises and help leaders respond quickly and credibly when something goes wrong.
- Connect audiences and information flows
- Manage the relationships and feedback loops between media, customers, employees, investors, partners, regulators and communities.
- Make sure the right people hear the right information, at the right time, in language that makes sense to them.
- Create discoverable proof
- Turn data, case studies, founder insights and employee stories into narratives that live on in blogs, op‑eds, interviews, webinars, reports, FAQs and explainers
How To Seize The Opportunity Now
So if PR is not dead, what does it look like to practice it well in 2025 and beyond? A few shifts are key.
1. Stop Chasing Moments; Build an Ecosystem
Instead of pinning success on a single launch, feature or funding hit, build a repeatable process –
- A clear narrative framework that every asset and interview ladders up to.
- A cadence of owned content – website, blog, newsletter, LinkedIn – that answers real questions and shows your expertise over time.
- A simple roadmap for turning internal wins (data, customer proof, milestones) into external stories in multiple formats.
Media coverage then becomes an accelerator, not a desperate one‑off.
2. Treat Owned Channels As Your First, Not Last, Resort
Your website, blog, newsroom, newsletter and social feeds are no longer just support for “real” coverage – they are often the first place people and AI tools go to understand you.
- Write with clarity and intent: plain language, strong headings, specific details, and a clear “so what.”
- Use them to publish the depth and nuance that rarely fits into a 600‑word article: FAQs, data deep‑dives, behind‑the‑scenes explainers, thoughtful reflections after a crisis or major decision.
- Make it easy to quote you: short, strong lines that encapsulate your point of view, backed by accessible evidence.
3. Build Relationships, Not Just Lists
In a leaner media environment, the difference between noise and impact is often relationship‑driven.
- Get to know the journalists, analysts, creators and community leaders who genuinely influence your space.
- Be useful when you are not pitching: offer context, share data, clarify jargon, or help them understand a trend.
- Remember that “media” now also includes newsletter authors, podcasters, subject‑matter Substacks and niche community leaders whose audiences are small but intensely relevant.
Those relationships pay off in coverage, but also in better feedback and sharper thinking.
4. Design For LLMs
You do not need to “game” AI search, but you do need to understand how it works. If you publish thoughtful, well‑structured content that others cite and share, AI tools will increasingly surface you as a source.
- Use consistent language to describe who you are, what you do and whom you serve across your site, bios, social profiles and press materials.
- Organize content into clear topics with descriptive headings so LLMs can see your depth in a given area.
- Cite and link to credible external sources when you reference data or research; authority is often inferred from how you sit in a wider web of trustworthy information.
The Real Message Behind “PR Is Dead”
Sorrell (who is really an ad man not a PR guy) is right about one thing: any old-fashioned notion of PR as a press office churning out releases is long gone. The new understsanding of PR is a strategic practice that sits at the heart of reputation, risk and growth. Says the UK’s PRCA Chief Sarah Waddington, public relations is “increasingly important because if you think about the role of storytelling to foster communications and broker understanding between disparate groups, that’s needed more than ever in today’s society”.
FAQ: What PR Really Means in 2025 and Beyond
1. Why did Martin Sorrell say there’s no such thing as PR anymore?
Martin Sorrell, former WPP chief, argued that PR has been absorbed into broader marketing functions. His comment reflects an ad‑centric view of communications, not the modern reality. Today’s PR is strategic and multidisciplinary—it shapes perception, builds trust, and manages reputation across multiple channels, not just the press.
2. Why is PR still relevant in 2025?
PR is more vital than ever because audiences, algorithms, and journalists are overloaded with information. Effective PR helps companies clarify meaning, align teams, and communicate trust. It serves as a connective layer between brand narrative, reputation, and stakeholder relationships—all of which fuel sustainable growth.
3. How has PR evolved since the traditional “press release” era?
Modern PR has become an operating system—a framework for turning a company’s assets (data, customer outcomes, team credibility) into coherent stories that others can repeat. It extends far beyond media relations to influence product positioning, internal alignment, and crisis management.
4. What does it mean to say “PR operationalizes trust”?
PR builds trust by translating a company’s strengths—technical quality, customer proof, and leadership credibility—into verified narratives. When stakeholders see consistent, transparent communication, they gain confidence to act faster, shortening sales cycles and reducing perceived risk.
5. What are the four main functions of PR today?
- Shape narrative: Define what your company stands for and how it fits into the market.
- Build and protect reputation: Monitor all communications touchpoints and respond swiftly to emerging issues.
- Connect audiences and information flows: Maintain dialogue between media, customers, employees, investors, and communities.
- Create discoverable proof: Turn internal wins and insights into stories that live across owned, earned, and algorithmic channels.
6. How should companies approach PR differently now?
Instead of chasing one-time media hits, leading companies are:
- Building repeatable PR ecosystems powered by consistent storytelling.
- Prioritizing owned content (blogs, FAQs, LinkedIn posts, newsletters).
- Cultivating relationships with journalists and creators who matter most.
- Structuring communications to be readable and linkable by large language models (LLMs).
7. Why are owned channels so important for PR and AI Search?
Your website, newsroom, and blog are often where both humans and AI tools go first. Well‑structured, plain‑language content helps ensure that your brand’s story is accurately summarized by LLMs and appears in AI‑driven discovery results.
8. How can PR teams design for AI search and LLM visibility?
- Use consistent descriptions of your company and services across all platforms.
- Organize pages with clear headings and rich context to signal topic authority.
- Link to credible sources and cite data transparently.
- Publish content that is easy for both people and algorithms to interpret and share.
9. Is traditional media coverage still important?
Yes—but it’s now an accelerator, not the foundation. Coverage amplifies a story that already exists in your ecosystem. When your owned content and relationships are strong, earned media compounds their reach rather than replacing them.
10. What’s the real takeaway behind “PR is dead”?
“PR is dead” is a myth. The practice has evolved from publicity to strategic reputation management. In a world defined by trust, transparency, and algorithmic discovery, PR sits at the center of growth, not the margins.
If you want to talk about how PR can help you tell your story, contact me.