In 2026, our goal at instinct is to create more impact – not be judged on how many pieces of coverage we generate, but the difference it can actually make. Make it more about precision, quality and building a brand.

With that in mind, we’d like to say “RIP” to the empty creative. Goodbye to flash-in-the-pan stunts and stories that don’t have staying power or cut-through. Specifically, put the final nail in the coffin to the tired PR formula of (10 survey questions + minor celebrity + photo stunt + wire = 50+ pieces of coverage).

Because what does that even mean? To our clients (and consumers!) not a whole lot.

Sure, it’s a high volume of links to some dead space on the internet. And it might result in some high fives on LinkedIn. Maybe a little slot on The Mail Online, if you’re lucky. But in terms of meaningful impact for your client, I’d hazard a guess they didn’t see much to quantify.

Now don’t get us wrong – there IS a time and a place for this kind of campaign and established noisy brands that do it consistently and stick to their personality deserve the buzz and attention they garner (looking at you Peanut, Lego and Deliveroo). AND we love a celeb here at instinct, but they have to be utilised right. We’ve always taken the view that celebrity campaigns need to have layers - longevity, engagement and meaning. A brand sticking some poor talent on an open top bus or in a phone booth dressed in brand colours and then disappearing for 6 months because they’ve spent all their budget on a one-day activation are wasting money, time and brand equity. 

So we think it’s time that, as an industry, we stop self-congratulating work that isn’t up to scratch and get honest with ourselves about delivering results which are actually going to make a difference. In an age where budgets are tighter than ever, the challenge of measuring PR’s impact is being raised by boardrooms more and more. The result is less budget being put our way and more being diverted into other, more easily measurable channels.

So, what is the answer?

Well, we’re going to have to get clever. We’re going to have to get to the heart of what is truly driving impact for our clients in the media that matters most to their audience. And to do that, we need to make sure our relationships with media are stronger than ever, to find out what is interesting their audiences. How are content creators engaging with their followers? Ask editors what are the stories creating the most traction online? What are communities discussing? How can we keep evolving content affiliate plans? We’re going to have to challenge our clients more on which channels are driving sales, who is increasing their followers, what niche community is connecting with their customers. 

It’s actually quite a simple solution, but it’s going to mean digging deep and not relying on the same old tired formula. The upside? A smarter, braver, more effective PR industry that delivers work clients genuinely value and one we can be proud of. It’ll look more targeted, more thought provoking, more engaging. We’ve done it before we can do it again, us PR’s are great at pivoting and we’re a nimble lot, so bring it on.