PR is having its moment – but why are decision-makers finally investing in it?
What’s behind the renewed investment in PR, and how comms leaders can convert this into sustained momentum.
IPA results show that PR is one of only two marketing disciplines to see increased investment in Q4 2025. But why? And how can in-house comms leaders capitalise on this renewed optimism? Our Associate PR Director, Kate O’Donnell is here to answer your questions.
While marketing budgets remain largely stagnant, according to the latest results from IPA Bellwether, PR is one of only two areas to see investment increasing.
It’s true that many B2B organisations are cautious of large, net-new budget decisions. However, PR’s growing share of investment reflects its role at the intersection of reputation, discoverability and storytelling.
With so many channels jostling for a slice of the budget pie, PR has traditionally struggled to assert its position within the wider marketing mix. Sitting at the top of the funnel, PR’s impact on business outcomes often feels vague compared to channels like paid, search and social. However, gone are the days of PR centering around soft metrics.
For in-house comms leaders looking to reassert the role of PR within the broader corporate structure, there are some clear ways to strengthen the case for increased investment:
Use metrics to reposition reputation management as a growth enabler
Reputation speaks the boardroom’s language, and everyone understands the cost of a reputational crisis. However, reputation doesn’t just defend against risk; it also builds long-term value – from making sales easier to attracting new skills in the ongoing battle for talent. In fact, companies that maintain trust and reputation outperform their peers by up to 400%.
While reputation can’t be defined by a single measurement, it can be tracked through a mix of indicators: sentiment analysis, media quality, share of conversation in the right contexts, and correlations with trust or preference in brand surveys. To unlock investment, comms leaders must shift the conversation away from tactical outputs and towards business outcomes.
Leverage GEO to enhance collaboration and measurability
With three in five searches last year resulting in zero clicks, and 89% of LLMs citations coming from earned media and high authority sources, GEO continues to necessitate the re-prioritisation of PR. Comms teams must seize this opportunity to break down internal silos and work in lockstep with other marketing disciplines. Collectively working towards a single strategy – supported by common goals and measurement tools such as Semrush – will provide tangible evidence of earned media’s impact on brand discoverability and visibility.
Reassert comms as the leaders of corporate storytelling
An increasing number of brands are posting job ads for ‘storytellers’ to drive long-term growth and customer acquisition. Particularly, in complex industries like Automotive, Industry 4.0, SaaS, and Connectivity, where large stakeholder ecosystems must be continuously engaged.
Comms teams are uniquely positioned to lead this agenda, with the expertise to decode complexity and create stories that are genuinely unique and helpful for target audiences. In vertical B2B tech markets where most companies speak in product features, not outcomes, the most effective narratives should focus on:
- What problem a technology solves to unlock long term value.
- How it integrates across the wider industry ecosystem (with case studies and proof points tailored to different stakeholders).
- How it delivers measurable ROI and commercial impact.