The future of communications

Tamara Bekčić, director and co-founder of Chapter 4 PR agency, will have the honor of being one of the lecturers at the PRO PR conference, which will be held next year in Belgrade, and on that occasion she answered an organizer’s question about the future of agencies. 

Here is the question and the answer in their entirety: 

Recent years, turbulent in many ways, have proven the power of communication and the importance of the consultancy role of PR agencies partnering with companies. The PR industry overall has demonstrated its potential in strategic counsel, creative innovation, and sector-specific expertise across platforms. Corporate communications in the C-suite has outlasted the pandemic — suggesting a permanent benefit of having PR firms as trusted advisors. Technology and empathy cross paths and affect one another in the communication industry, especially in today`s world which is often characterized as a time of distrust. In particular, geopolitics, diversity and inclusion, ESG, employee engagement, health and wellness, and digital transformation — have reinforced and elevated the critical value of empathetic public relations across multiple stakeholder groups, showing the industry's strengths across the globe. Technology and AI are hot topics and we are increasingly seeing their application in the communication industry. AI tools can help us analyze text and speech and identify emotions, giving us valuable insights. Increased emotional awareness can create a more compassionate and empathic environment by expressing understanding and support. AI tools will be able to help foster a more inclusive environment in this way. However, AI is just a tool, and we have to build and nurture our own skills and "superpowers" individually and as a team, at the organizational level.