T&C’s year in review + 6 PR trends to note for 2023

A look back:

It’s December, which means while we are meeting deadlines and executing client holiday events, a good PR practitioner is also well underway in 2023 planning and wrapping up year-end reports. And just as we look back and examine the past year of work for our clients, we must also reflect on our own ROI as an agency. After all (and say it with us), good PR starts at home!

Digital advertising continued to grow at T&C this year, with clients like the City of Valdez showing consistent growth with its digital ad campaigns. The progress is evident in its year-over-year reporting, with increased click-through rates and decreased cost-per-click. This means with continued budgets dedicated to this tactic, we’ve been able to increase value and show them the most bang for their buck—what client doesn’t love to see it?

Of course, video content remains king, and we captured stunning content from Fairbanks to Anchorage to Ketchikan. One of our digital team’s favorite projects this year was a Travel Alaska cultural tourism partnership with social media influencer Evita Robinson. While traveling with the well-known storyteller, our camera team was able to capture remarkable moments – like the first post-pandemic, in-person Celebration in Juneau and interviews with prominent Alaska Native figures like Joe Williams and Alyssa London. Not to mention the video projects that take us to some of the most remote areas of our state (looking at you, Unalaska!) for clients like GCI, who are experts at disseminating video content from any given medium/platform. Internal, external, stakeholder, legislative—GCI has an audience and a platform for it, plus a strategy to boot. The company is also one of our first clients to invest in a robust TikTok presence this year, so check them out!

Speaking of GCI, our client led the case study for why awards can be such an impactful tactic when tied to PR trends (and bring great opportunity to your tactical plans). Through its PRSA Aurora Award win in Reputation Management, GCI showcased the importance of meeting customer demands for authenticity and community integration from brands. We didn’t just stop with assisting clients like GCI with awards, we went on to suggest and secure many awards over the year for other clients (and ourselves!).

While awards may have been a trending tactic this year at T&C, one thing remained tried and true: getting that ink. It was another banner year for media relations on behalf of Alaska tourism clients including the Alaska Travel Industry Association and Alaska Railroad, with highlights in AARP, Parade, Travel + Leisure and AFAR to name a few.

We can’t forget how many special events came our way this year, whether we suggested them to enhance PR strategies or were sought out by companies looking for an unforgettable splash. A fun trip Southeast earlier this year brought our team to Juneau to assist with a meet-and-greet event between new client Royal Caribbean Group’s CEO and Alaska tourism businesses. The event took place onboard Royal Caribbean International’s Serenade of the Seas ship and featured live entertainment, speeches, a land acknowledgement, plus lots of mingling. T&C assisted with event coordination, managing RSVPs, media relations and stakeholder building between Alaska tourism businesses, our client and key stakeholders. We’ll never get tired of spreading our clients’ message through in-person and virtual events!

Don’t forget all the industry events we made a priority to not only attend but present at in 2022; T&Cers could be found on agendas from the Alaska Travel Industry Association Convention in Sitka to an Alaska Campground Owner Association meeting in Anchorage, as well as all over the virtual map of online events, such as the Public Relations Society of America.

While we feel grateful to provide value to all our wonderful clients, we are especially appreciative of our own learning opportunities and professional development this year. From Naylor Association Solutions’ Digital Summit, Agency Management Institute’s Advanced Account Executive Bootcamp, PRSA Counselor’s Academy, PRSA ICON and more. We also are so grateful for our monthly leadership growth sessions with True Depth’s Janet Tyler, offering our full staff opportunities to learn about ourselves, our management styles, and how to grow as leaders in business/PR.

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Looking ahead:

All in all, another year of growth and milestones at T&C. And now we look forward to a brand new year! A few trends in 2023 we’ll be tracking?

• First, creator marketing continues to boom among PR strategies; content creators and social media influencers are said to become some of the bigger economic drivers in 2023. Brands would be remiss to not include strategies utilizing this tactic in the new year.
• More virtual and augmented reality platforms seem to be growing alongside our advancing technology like 5G and robotics. Be at the forefront of your field by becoming acquainted with the latest advancements and how PR can capitalize.
• Lastly, video is still on top, and reports by companies like Tubular Labs note that social media channels are becoming the new search engine. Find ways to incorporate videos as information sources into your next PR plan.

That brings us to the tried and true: PR tactics that never go out of style. A few we’ll be pitching in 2023?

• Crisis communications is top spot. In today’s world, no one should be caught flat-footed when a crisis strikes, be it an executive crime or a natural disaster, and T&C’s crisis response experience and plans are second to none in Alaska. We’ll be reminding clients to update plans, and ensuring new clients have secure protocols in place in the new year.
• In addition, our media training program is sought out for introducing the newest spokesperson to the local and national media marketplace, and fine-tuning even the most seasoned speaker’s tics and pitfalls. We’re also here to help brainstorm answers to the hard questions, making sure key messages are media-ready.
• And don’t forget, with a new year comes new opportunities for content gathering. Our photographers, videographers and design team will be at the ready in 2023 to update our clients’ photo banks, b-roll footage galleries, and social media graphics to be inclusive, authentic, professional, and ready to be pulled at a moment’s notice.

Cheers to you, our communications friends and colleagues — thanks for reading and we’ll see you next year!