5 PR and marketing trends defining 2030: Trust, AI, GEO, and the future of brand strategy
By Richard Etchison, Senior Content Director
We in the PR and marketing biz rarely have a free second to ruminate about the future of our industry. But after an award application asked us to consider the future trends, I asked several of my Aspectus colleagues for input. It brought up some salient points. Am I being replaced by an AI agent was not one of those points, but we’re all thinking it.
1. Earning the trust of Generation Alpha (α)
The oldest segment of Gen α (or whatever other arbitrary moniker it will get) will have just reached adult age (19) in 2030. With the proliferation of AI-generated content and new ways information is sourced and gathered, geopolitical shockwaves etc., the public’s trust in our media will go from deeply fragmented to nearly shattered. The role brands – and leaders – play in this will need to take on a very human element.
It’s only 2025, and we have already hit an inflection point in the history of knowledge work in which the real and the fake are in contention for people’s attention. Weren’t we talking a ton about brands sweating to earn the trust of Millennials in the 2010s? Millennials famously value brand authenticity, marketing personalization, and corporate social responsibility (CSR – later ESG). Brands strove to give them what they wanted. But then the Post Truth Era and multiple crises kicked in, and brands astroturfed, greenwashed, and greehushed until authenticity became lost in the noise. We thought we were cynical in the 1990s. Compared to today’s near-nihilism, we were positively PollyAnna-ish.
This would seem to indicate a real gap, or white space, in which brands, media outlets, and individuals can find new ways to express themselves and truly earn trust. Hopefully, we will transition from this Post-Truth Era into a Post-Fallacy, All-Integrity Era. But how will brands and institutions capture the trust and faith of the beleaguered American public?
2. Quality > Quantity to fill gap in creativity
In terms of the execution of PR/marketing campaigns, how we target audiences, and in the content we deliver, a gap will open in creativity. This applies to business-to-business (B2B) PR and marketing strategies just as much as consumer marketing. The era of hyper-personalization will give way to an era of micro-personalization. AI automation in communications will result in a lot of generic execution, resulting in a backlash. Brands will not want media coverage for coverage’s sake or impressions for impressions’ sake. Brands are becoming more savvy about how they measure and analyze their data. People are becoming more savvy in sniffing out AI agent-generated information.
Instead of winning a race to the bottom to proliferate a lot of content on all channels, brands are already looking for ways to elevate their content. There will be more of a focus on pinpointing with precision what engages different audiences and leaning into that.
Experience, connectedness, and originality are going to be central to success more than ever before. Having the right instincts about what’s cool and what will evoke enthusiasm in an audience is going to be the most important differentiator between brands’ campaigns. Also, Google is now savvy about ranking the best, substantive, authentic, human-created content.
3. GEO + SEO and the evolution of search
The traditional search landscape is going to completely shift. Already, when you do a basic Google search, you get AI generated information at the top in position zero. How often has that AI summary sufficed? When it does, you may not need to scroll down to websites. Gartner predicts that by 2026, 25% of user searches will be conducted through generative AI tools rather than traditional search engines. This number of gen AI searches likely rises higher in B2B market segments. Google is bringing in AI mode and personalized SERPs that won’t be based on keywords but by previous behaviors and demographics.
Our online experiences are going to be completely tailored to individuals in real-time, based on their previous interactions, focusing on prompts that build on previous searches and responses rather than isolated searches. In the move towards quality and substance, while short-form content is king at the moment, we’ll see fatigue on that in the next couple of years, leading to a renaissance of quality, micro-personalized, long-form content. For more on GEO, see our previous article A beginner’s guide to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).
4. Adaptation in the B2B PR agency world
Historically, the PR agencies which adapt to changing technologies, business models, and media landscapes are the agencies that survive. Strategic communications professionals have been adapting to the digital transformation for more than two decades. Phone calls and lunches with journalists became emails. PR measurement went from counting physical newspaper press clippings to sentiment analysis and key message concentration across numerous channels.
When the media became always-on, interconnected, and omnichannel, Aspectus set out to become an integrated agency of marketing, PR, branding, and digital professionals. The independent agency is about to have its day. They are daring and agile enough to stay on top of the trends in how brands need to talk to their stakeholders. The behemoth holding groups have been forced to retrench and are seemingly putting most eggs in the AI/data basket. We see a real gap opening around creativity.
“The growing need to continue to be agile and adaptive. As society and other economic, cultural, and political issues emerge, researchers and practitioners must be adaptive and agile in their research questions, creative message strategies, and innovative practices to help address these questions, provide solutions, and be part of the evolution of the public relations and strategic communication industry.”
5. AI in 2030: copilot, competitor, or creative catalyst?
We are – along with our journalist colleagues – working on the front lines of a struggle to cut through the noise and cut to the truth. The best journalists want to write their own content; they do not want LLMs doing it for them. Reporters want humans to write contributed byline articles. The best marketing and communications content writers want to, yes you guessed it, write their own whitepapers, press releases, blog posts, ad copy, bylines. Everybody is on the lookout for what is real and what is not.
The advancement of AI is breathtaking. New research papers are coming out every week with innovations. Unquestionably, it helps people do tedious tasks. But AI agents provide additional value in numerous ways, like market research and product testing. Marketers can create digital twin customers, so businesses gather targeted insights into their personas which can be used for testing/feedback to develop ongoing strategies so that they can keep up with consumer expectations. AI are agents, copilots, foes, and sometime even friends, the outcome of which depends on how we use it and how we govern it. Whether in 2030, content strategists and creators like myself will have been replaced, remains to be seen.
It’s 2030. Have I have been replaced by an AI Agent?
Okay, so now we’re done listing 5 key PR/marketing/branding trends for 2030, it is clear that these trends are already inching into our lives. Perhaps ironically, the mind-blowing technological advances have paved the way for more personal interactions in the form of micro-targeting and authentic communications, and the emerging premium on substance over synthetic.
About the Author
Richard Etchison, based in Boston, specializes in delivering elevated thought leadership, brand messaging, and marketing content for high-growth companies across financial services, capital markets, technology, energy & industrials, and professional services. Richard helps clients talk clearly about their brand, build authority and influence in their space, and distinguish themselves in the marketplace.
5 key takeaways
How will Generation Alpha reshape brand trust in 2030?
Gen Alpha will demand transparency and authenticity amid a fragmented media landscape, prompting brands to rebuild trust with more human-centric communication.
What content shift is expected in PR and marketing execution?
There will be a move from mass hyper-personalization to high-quality, micro-personalized content that emphasizes creativity and genuine audience connection.
How is GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) transforming content strategy?
As AI-driven search becomes dominant, SEO strategies must pivot toward personalized, prompt-driven, and substantive content that resonates beyond keywords.
What traits will define successful PR agencies in 2030?
Agility, creativity, and integrated capabilities will distinguish agencies that adapt to changing media ecosystems and technological advancements.
What role will AI play in marketing content creation?
AI will assist with research and targeting but not replace human creativity; authenticity and real human insight will remain core differentiators.
