#BizTrends2025: PR Powerhouse’s Lebo Madiba - Breaking through in 2025: Trust, personalities, and the new rules of engagement

Lebo Madiba, Managing Director PR Powerhouse says 2025 isn’t about chasing the next big platform, it is about fundamentals - how we build trust, craft meaningful narratives, and engage with audiences (Image supplied)

Additionally, ESG and sustainability remain vital as brands must show real accountability.

Meanwhile, AI-driven tools are transforming PR and marketing through enhanced personalisation, media tracking, and data-driven strategy.

The challenge isn’t just to keep up—it’s to rise to the moment.

Trust - The invisible engine driving innovation

2024 was a remarkable year for creative work that was memorable and impactful.

Brands like Naked Insurance, Checkers Sixty60, and Pineapple pushed creativity to deliver clarity of purpose and success that is built on trust.

Trust allows agencies and clients to push creative boundaries, take risks, and deliver standout work.

If trust flows upward within organisations, it enables CMOs to present bold strategies to the C-suite, knowing their ideas will be respected.

Internally, agencies must foster environments where experimentation is encouraged and people feel supported.

Trust, at every level, is the invisible engine driving innovation. Without it, ideas stagnate. With it, they soar.

Corporate Affairs - The quiet power moves to centre stage

Corporate Affairs has long been the quiet powerhouse within corporate organisations, influencing economies, managing complex stakeholder relationships, and shaping narratives behind the scenes.

But in 2025, it’s stepping into the spotlight.

Corporate Affairs will be critical in an increasingly volatile global environment where political and economic shifts create constant uncertainty, guiding organisations through complexity, aligning stakeholders, and positioning businesses for long-term success.

With the world’s political landscape shifting, it must craft narratives that resonate with investors and governments and address broader macroeconomic concerns.

Proactive risk management, transparent communication, and the creation of compelling, forward-looking narratives will be essential for businesses navigating this new reality.

Digital Media - A year of distinction

The closure of major South African print titles like Beeld, City Press and Daily Sun at the end of last year highlights the ongoing shift towards digital media.

But as digital platforms proliferate, the challenge isn’t just to exist online but to stand out.

2025 could be the year digital media truly distinguishes itself.

New players like Currency are already emerging, bringing personality, perspective, and a clear voice to their platforms.

The opportunity now lies in building genuine communities. These are spaces where readers return for information, connection, trust, and relevance.

For communications professionals, this evolution signals another shift.

Traditional metrics of “coverage” are becoming less relevant, replaced by a focus on engagement and influence.

This isn’t new; it’s media relations 101, building relationships, understanding platform nuances, and creating narratives that genuinely connect.

Perhaps it’s time to drop the distinction between traditional and digital media altogether. Media is media, and our strategies must reflect that reality.

Linear TV - The unexpected resurgence

Despite the dominance of streaming platforms, linear TV and scheduled programming are making an unexpected comeback.
While streaming offers endless choices, it has also introduced decision fatigue.

Overwhelmed by limitless options, audiences are rediscovering the appeal of curated content, where someone else does the choosing.

According to the Horowitz Research Report on 2024 viewing behaviours, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) platforms have grown significantly, reflecting a shift toward more structured viewing experiences.

Locally, the Marketing Research Foundation’s Maps figures indicate a rebound in TV viewing in 2024, possibly linked to improved electricity supply due to reduced load shedding.

Whether this signals a sustained trend remains to be seen, but it presents an interesting opportunity for communicators.

If linear TV continues to gain traction, PR and marketing professionals must rethink their approach to this channel.

Its appeal lies in its curated simplicity, starkly contrasting streaming's fragmented, on-demand nature.

For PR, this is a chance to craft stories that fit naturally into these curated spaces, engaging audiences in moments when they are most receptive.

The rise of micro-communities and B2B influencers

Beyond mass audiences, a quieter revolution is taking place—the rise of micro-communities.

These are small, highly engaged groups formed around shared interests or values.

Whether they exist on Slack, Discord, or niche forums, they represent a new frontier for engagement.

Success in these spaces isn’t measured by reach but by depth of connection.

Brands that learn to navigate these micro-communities not as intruders but as participants, will build loyalty and trust in ways that traditional mass marketing cannot achieve.

In parallel, we’re seeing the rise of B2B influencers.

While influencer marketing has long been a staple of B2C strategies, it’s also becoming crucial in B2B.

Platforms like LinkedIn enable industry leaders, subject matter experts, and niche influencers to shape opinions and influence decisions in powerful ways.

For PR professionals, the opportunity lies in fostering genuine partnerships with these influencers, aligning brands with credible voices that audiences trust.

The rise of the newsfluencer - trust at risk?

A striking trend in media is the rise of “newsfluencers,” personalities and creators who blur the lines between journalism and entertainment.

This shift, exemplified by The Washington Post’s decision to lay off much of its PR team in favour of a “Star Talent Unit,” reshapes how audiences consume news.

This trend highlights an evolving dynamic that which people are gravitating toward trusting personalities over institutions.

While this can enhance connection and engagement, it also presents challenges.

When individuals overshadow the stories they tell, the lines between objective journalism and personal opinion blur, raising concerns about credibility.

Additionally, a trend worth noting in internal communications is the rise of Employee-Generated Content (EGC).

Companies are increasingly leveraging their employees’ voices to build authentic narratives, foster engagement, and strengthen their employer brand.

By encouraging employees to create and share content, businesses can tap into a powerful trust-building mechanism that enhances both internal and external communications

While the tools and platforms may change, the principles of trust, authenticity, and purpose must remain constant.

Without them, we risk trading long-term trust for short-term attention.