Abbie Fink and Terrie Ard discuss the 2025 M.Cast™ Trends Report and the importance of forward-looking thinking and data-driven insights for business leaders and communications professionals alike.

Terrie shares how the M.Cast™ Trends Report was initiated as a guide to help leaders think like futurists, equipping them with the insights to foresee and adapt to inevitable industry transformations.

The report encourages leaders to balance technological advancement with maintaining genuine human connections, a critical aspect for organizational success.

Key Takeaways

• The M.Cast™ Trends Report was created to help leaders anticipate future trends and challenges by adopting a futurist mindset.
• In 2025, Artificial Intelligence is a "mega-trend" that is shaping business strategy and decision-making in nearly every industry, from healthcare to finance to marketing, education and entertainment.
• Successful leaders balance technology solutions with the essential human connection in their organizations.
• Organizations are shifting from customer service to customer care, emphasizing the need for a more empathetic approach and authentic interactions.
• Embracing convergence—the merging of distinct industries and technologies—will lead to innovative business models and solutions.

About the Guest

Terrie Ard is Partner, President & COO of The Moore Agency, a full-service marketing communications agency in Tallahassee, FL with a 31-year track record of building trusted influence and delivering impactful results. Terrie leads the strategic direction of the firm, including key initiatives, partnerships and client and business development. With a passion for collaboration and culture building, Terrie oversees the Moore Team, boasting a 92% retention rate.

Terrie is a specialist in corporate positioning and branding with a keen focus on strategy and creativity. Her expertise includes crisis communications, communications strategy and employee relations. Through Terrie's leadership, the agency has achieved a 98% client retention rate and is ranked a top 50 agency in the U.S. and top 200 globally. Terrie has been recognized by Florida Trend as one of the top 500 most influential leaders. She is a recipient of the Florida Public Relations Association Stanley Tait Award for Leadership, the American Advertising Federation Silver Medal for outstanding industry contributions and recognized by PR News as a Top Changemaker in the U.S.

About the Host

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

PRGN Presents is brought to you by Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local public relations agency. Our executive producer is Adrian McIntyre.

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Members of the Public Relations Global Network have once again shared their predictions for the public relations industry as we look ahead to 2025.

Gábor Jelinek reflects on the accuracy of last year's forecasts and discusses the evolving landscape of public relations, emphasizing the growing importance of integrated services, data-driven storytelling, and the impact of AI on communication strategies.

Gábor and Abbie explore regional differences in perspectives on sustainability and ESG initiatives, highlighting how cultural contexts shape industry trends.

They emphasize the value of trust and authenticity in this rapidly changing environment. PR professionals need to adapt to technological advancements while maintaining the human touch. "Staying nimble in an uncertain world will be an asset for PR firms."

Key Takeaways

• The importance of trustworthiness and authenticity in public relations cannot be overstated.
• AI will become a daily fixture in PR, influencing efficiency and operations significantly.
• Sustainability and ESG considerations will shape client expectations and PR strategies moving forward.
• Data-driven storytelling is essential as PR firms must adapt to evolving content demands.
• Staying nimble in an uncertain world will be crucial for PR firms to thrive.

About the Guest

Gábor Jelinek is the Executive Director of the Public Relations Global Network. Based in Budapest, Gábor has been involved with PRGN for over five years. Gábor worked as an editor for the Budapest Business Journal before transitioning into the agency business. He brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the PR industry to his role as Executive Director of PRGN. In that capacity, Gábor is the center of action, supporting the work of the President and the Executive Committee to grow and develop the global communications network. Working closely with PRGN’s Business, Marketing and Membership committees, Gábor is the driver of global business development, self-marketing, and membership retention and recruitment.

More than 1,000 clients across six continents depend on the combined resources of the Public Relations Global Network to deliver targeted public relations campaigns in more than 80 markets around the world. With revenues of more than $100 million (U.S.), PRGN is among the world’s top five public relations networks. PRGN harnesses the resources of 40 independent public relations firms, 50 offices and more than 800 communications professionals to connect international companies and organizations with individual and culturally diverse markets globally.

About the Host

Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations in Phoenix, Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. Her marketing communications background includes skills in media relations, digital communications, social media strategies, special event management, crisis communications, community relations, issues management, and marketing promotions for both the private and public sectors, including such industries as healthcare, financial services, professional services, government affairs and tribal affairs, as well as not-for-profit organizations.

PRGN Presents is brought to you by Public Relations Global Network, the world’s local public relations agency....

Read the English and Spanish transcripts of this episode on the podcast website.

In today’s media landscape, especially in Latin America, the way companies communicate has evolved. Traditional approaches, where a company’s brand takes center stage, are being joined by a new strategy: unbranded communication. This method enables organizations to share important messages and drive public opinion without a brand at the forefront.

In this first Spanish-language episode of PRGN Presents, Loreley Maldonado, founder of Eje Comunicación in Mexico, talks with journalist Valentina Giacaman, founder of RumboCierto Comunicaciones in Chile about unbranded communication.

At its core, unbranded communication is a strategic form of messaging that doesn’t overtly promote a specific brand. It’s commonly used in highly regulated industries like pharmaceuticals, energy, and food and beverages, where regulations prevent companies from directly advertising certain products or services. Instead, the focus shifts to promoting issues, policies, or public interest topics without overt commercial branding.

Unbranded communication isn’t new, but its impact is growing. It is powerful because it allows companies to bring topics to the forefront of public opinion without needing to place a brand behind them. It’s an approach that lets businesses connect with audiences on critical issues in a more neutral, informative way.

Key Takeaways

• Unbranded communication focuses on placing topics of interest in the public sphere without direct brand association.
• It is often used in regulated industries, such as pharmaceuticals, to advocate public health messages over direct product promotion.
• Media practices in Latin America have evolved, with decreased newsroom resources and changing marketing policies now requiring new forms of corporate communication.
• Unbranded communication should maintain high ethical standards, relying on factual information and expert collaboration to avoid misinformation.
• Unbranded communication requires thorough research and can take months to execute effectively; it is particularly aimed at long-term advocacy goals.

About the Guests

Valentina Giacaman is the founder of RumboCierto Comunicaciones in Santiago, Chile. RumboCierto is a communications firm with a strong local presence and significant global relationships, serving prestigious corporations, public institutions, foundations, and executives. Valentina holds a degree in Social Communication and Journalism as well as an MBA. Her career includes notable experience as a journalist at El Mercurio and as an executive in various companies. She is deeply passionate about entrepreneurship and innovation. Her current consultancy work focuses on reputation management, crisis communication, corporate positioning, and supporting the establishment of international companies in Chile. She also specializes in executive and corporate relations, as well as lobbying. Over the past 15 years, she has successfully advised more than 100 companies.

Loreley Maldonado is founder and CEO of Eje Comunicación in Mexico City. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the fields of strategic communications, public relations, public affairs and crisis management. Loreley has been...