AI, analytics and return to the office: key insights from the 2025 Comms Report
05/27/2025 • Profession news
According to the 2025 Comms Report, published by PRWeek and Cision, 37% of respondents state that their organization has developed at least one proprietary AI tool for internal use or their customers. Additionally, 63% report that their company has an AI policy or strategy in place to help ensure employees use AI both effectively and ethically. Communicating the many changes AI is bringing to the company or brand is considered the most daunting challenge by 32% of survey participants. Meanwhile, 75% are very or somewhat confident that their company is well-positioned to take advantage of the communications benefits of AI and to adapt to the rapid changes expected in the near future.
When it comes to work arrangements, there is a noticeable trend toward returning to the office. Currently, only 19% of respondents report working fully remotely, a decrease of 10 percentage points compared to the previous year. A hybrid model is the most common, practiced by 55% of respondents, while 26% now prefer in-office work—up from 14% the year before.
The role of data and analytics continues to grow, with 89% of respondents stating that their communications team relies on data and analytics more than ever before. These tools are most commonly used for audience targeting, cited by 46% of respondents. In terms of overall media strategy, 30% rely primarily on earned media, followed by paid media (28%), owned media (26%), and shared media (16%). The most effective channels for influencing audience behavior are branded social media (53%), brand websites (48%), and digital advertising (40%). Facebook is reported as the most valuable social media platform for brand strategy by 62% of respondents, followed closely by Instagram (61%) and LinkedIn (59%). The most important metrics used to measure success are comments and shares, both cited by 46%, followed by reach, noted by 40%.
The greatest challenges to communications efforts include an overly reactive focus instead of proactive, cited by 39% of respondents, the inability to measure impact effectively (37%), and a lack of alignment with other internal departments (35%). When it comes to priorities, 46% say analytics and reporting are the biggest focus for their brand or the brands they work with. Meanwhile, 47% believe that their CEO—or their client's CEO—would consider building sustainable growth and long-term value the highest priority.
You can download the full report here.
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