2015’s Ten PR Defining Moments

Generally, the end of each year brings out feelings of wistfulness for what was, or a sense of hope for a fresh start or new opportunities. But no matter how you look at it, this time of year certainly does not pass by without reflection. It also brings out an abundance of compiled lists of the top ten “anything” be they winners, losers, headliners or the best and worse of something.

Every year, for the past six years, we create our own “list”, which we call the “Ten PR Defining Moments.” Considerations for making our list is not so much the PR moment itself, or a blip that made the news in 2015, but rather their implications, such as lessons learnt or their lasting impact within the PR industry.

And so our 2015 Ten PR Defining Moments picks are …

1. Late night TV talk shows did a flip when two major talk show hosts retired
2. Facebook stayed in the limelight by allowing users to get more touchy-feely, well past the like button
3. “Black Friday” got upended, but with little success
4. The unthinkable happened when a retailer actually chose to close on the biggest shopping day of the year
5. A GOP candidate made the entertainment news in one noted publication rather than political headlines
6. Facebook and Twitter faced new challenges from a snappy newcomer
7. New millionaires stemmed from a most unlikely place and kept brands smiling
8. Public opinion gained ground and forced change
9. Gender identity and equality made headlines and forced social change in attitudes
10. Who would have thought that cartoon-like figures would make the Oxford Dictionary’s word of the year?

There are, of course, many, many more PR defining moments, but these are our choices.

Take a look…