Content will remain a central priority for PR pros next year, with information overload and communicators’ ability to cut through the noise emerging as major challenges within the industry, according to a recent survey of chief marketing officers by Boston-based healthcare and B2B tech agency PAN Communications.

PAN’s “CMO Predictions” campaign asked industry experts to share their predictions, concerns, priorities and challenges for the coming year. As it turns out, content marketing and data emerged as two recurring themes this time: nearly two-thirds of respondents (63 percent) cited content as either a budget focus, a critical skillset within their marketing departments or an upcoming challenge for the work they do.

Altogether, nearly 70 percent of respondents mentioned data or analytics in their predictions for 2020, underscoring the important role data now plays in evaluating marketing efforts and customer experiences in an effort to improve content marketing strategies.

Other priorities among CMOs for the coming year included employee and customer advocacy, as well as implementing advocacy programs in ways that will bring new levels of trust and awareness among consumers.

PAN’s third annual “CMO Predictions” campaign gathered insights from more than 20 leading CMOs and marketing influencers via email outreach.