USC Annenberg’s latest Global Communication Report -- A Quiet Shift

Just a few years ago, the prevailing wisdom was that brands and their corporate leaders have a responsibility to speak out on the most pressing political and social challenges facing the world today. And in taking such a proactive, public stance, the assumption was that these brands would also boost their appeal among consumers who naturally prefer supporting companies that share their cultural values.

But things have changed. As an increasing number of Americans express weariness toward the nation’s current political landscape, purpose-driven messaging appears to have acquired radioactive status. According to the latest Global Communications Report released by the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations, an increasing number of communications professionals are now ditching their support for corporate advocacy and also expect investment in CSR initiatives to wane in the coming years.

According to the latest Global Communications Report released by the USC Annenberg Center for Public Relations, an increasing number of communications professionals are now ditching their support for corporate advocacy and also expect investment in CSR initiatives to wane in the coming years.
PR pros were asked every year: Do companies have a responsibility to advocate for or support social issues?

The annual report, which focuses on the emerging trends affecting the global communications landscape, found that the percentage of PR professionals who believe companies have a responsibility to advocate or take positions on social issues now stands at only 55 percent, compared to 85 percent in 2024 and 89 percent in 2023.

Suffice it to say, a 34 percent drop in corporate advocacy and social responsibility support in the last three years is a stunning development. Perhaps as a result, more than a third of PR pros (36 percent) now said they expect investments in DEI to decline over the next five years. Nearly half (44 percent) said they also think resources dedicated to sustainability would decline over the same period and nearly a quarter (22 percent) said they expect the same for resources in purpose-driven initiatives.

That doesn't mean PR pros no longer view political polarization as a problem. In fact, 81 percent of PR pros characterized the level of polarization in the United States as high or extremely high, compared with 69 percent of the general public. Additionally, 94 percent of PR pros think polarization is negatively impacting mental health in the U.S., 93 percent think it's negatively affecting our quality of life, 92 percent think it’s unlikely to end anytime soon and 89 percent think polarization in the U.S. is negatively affecting the rest of the world.

Moreover, almost half (42 percent) of PR pros said they believe political and social polarization has had a negative effect on employee morale. Nearly a third (32 percent) think polarization will harm corporate reputation and the same percentage believes it would hurt communications strategy. And nearly a quarter (22 percent) worried this might harm organizations’ communications budgets.

That said, virtually all of the communicators surveyed (91 percent) said they think polarization has increased the importance of public relations within their organization.

So, what to do? PR professionals remain divided on what strategies to deploy in our politically charged environment. Agency communicators tend to favor a proactive approach (53 percent), according to the report, while in-house professionals are more likely to favor a more defensive posture (44 percent). Additionally, 41 percent said they think silence can often be the most effective communication strategy in a politically polarized environment, suggesting a “quiet shift” is underway in corporate communication, where situational approaches to public engagement supersede purpose-driven messaging. Granted, there appears to be a great deal of disagreement on this approach, as only 26 percent of agency pros sign on for this strategy, compared to 52 percent of in-house communicators.

In terms of how PR pros expect resources to be allocated in their organization in the next five years, most (81 percent) unsurprisingly cited an increased investment in artificial intelligence, followed by increased investment in crisis communication (76 percent) and government relations and public affairs (71 percent). Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) additionally said they're investing in influencer engagement and 61 percent said they’re investing in business and financial communications.

Obviously, uncertainty and disruption have roiled the communications industry, thanks to the aforementioned changes around CSR and increased pressures to prove ROI amid the changes ushered in by AI. More than two-thirds of communicators surveyed (67 percent) said they now believe their organization is likely to restructure its communications function in the near future, with 36 percent claiming that such a structural change is “very likely.”

Despite the industry's myriad challenges, however, 72 percent of PR pros remain optimistic about the profession's future growth, including 31 percent who characterized themselves as “very positive.”

USC Annenberg’s latest Global Communication Report, “A Quiet Shift,” surveyed more than 700 communication professionals and also held one-on-one interviews with Fortune 500 chief communications officers between December and January. Research was conducted by Meltwater. The report was produced in collaboration with the International Association of Business Communicators.