Press relations in 2026: the end of the “coup” illusion, the return of strategy

In 2026, press relations are moving on a narrow line where budgets are tightening, channels are multiplying, uses are moving quickly, and above all, attention is becoming rarer. To talk about it we welcome Pauline Vettier, press relations specialist, who after a career as a CMO supports companies in their communication on the media.

The strength of press relations means that they are no longer an additional lever. However, communicating is no longer a simple speech with a view to announcing a product release, or a market expansion, it is a strategic exercise, which complements the overall communication of the company, with a view to specific objectives (Strengthening the reputation of the company with a view to M&A, developing the attractiveness of the brand with a view to recruitment, etc.)

What changes in 2026 is the pace and density, isolated communications have lost their reach. A one-off announcement, even if well relayed, is no longer enough to establish a brand or a leader in the landscape. Thus an effective campaign must be launched early enough to feed the storytelling of a fundraising to make the company and its managers visible to investors and not be limited to its celebration, in the same way a strategic transformation will be better understood by journalists who have already followed your company. Without this anticipation, even the strongest visibility risks being only fleeting.

Faced with a rapidly changing chessboard, the strategy no longer consists of targeting an emblematic medium, but of combining economic press, sectoral titles, specialized podcasts, newsletters, video formats, professional social networks. If traditional media retain their role of reference, new formats bring depth and incarnation. For many brands, the issue is less about choosing than about orchestrating. To do this, the intervention of a PR specialist is essential to play the right symphony.

The measurement of performance is of course refreshed, no more double decimeter to measure the surface area of an article, in the age of data, more technical indicators come to improve the monitoring of campaigns, but beyond the number of visits to the linked in profile of the manager, and kpi more adapted to advertising than to PR, the fundamental question to ask is to know if the PR campaign makes it possible to nourish the storytelling of the company day one, whether to prepare a fundraising, a recruitment plan, or a country opening.

With Pauline, we could not avoid the subject of AI, which was of course invited into the processes. It accelerates ideation, streamlines certain stages of production, but does not replace strategic thinking or the singularity of a point of view. The editorial staff pays attention to the editorial quality and the density of the analyses. If the tool assists, it does not replace the intention.

Another subject discussed, that of reputation, which in the age of social networks no longer tolerates the slightest unpreparedness. Seizures start instantly and spread even faster. Identifying sensitive subjects, defining response lines, organizing internal responsibilities is now part of ordinary risk management, whatever the size of the company. Anticipation costs less than reaction, and even more so today.

In 2026, press relations must be part of an annual strategy more than ever, they must align with the marketing, sales, but also HR and financial roadmap. Correctly deployed, they contribute to the construction of a solid intangible asset. In a saturated environment, silence is never neutral, especially since it leaves space for other brands but also other stories. The question is no longer to communicate, but to do so coherently, and this is the role that falls to press relations agencies today.

How much does it cost? Go to the last part of the interview with Pauline Vettier to better understand the annual budgets based on your projects.