Guest article: Matt Baldwin, Coast
As we start 2026, the communications environment for professional services firms is more complex, politicised and commercially significant than ever before.
We have gazed into the PR crystal ball and explore three trends that emerged in 2025 and will accelerate this year.
A polarised communications landscape
Society is becoming ever more polarised, with everyone seemingly having a view on domestic and international politics and the challenges we face in our communities. It can sometimes feel as if we are increasingly intolerant of views that don’t reflect our own.
That polarisation is exaggerated in the UK media landscape. Biases that have always existed now seem wider than before.
Communications teams need to be acutely aware of that when pitching ideas and stories. They also need to understand their firm’s (and partners’) political appetite. Will they, for example, be comfortable appearing inside the pages of a newspaper that endorses extreme right- or left-wing policies?
Poor judgment here will not just trigger criticism; it may directly undermine client trust.
That polarisation will also present very real direct-to-client and internal communications challenges. A slip here can quickly escalate with significant reputational (and commercial) consequences.
As firms navigate these challenges, there is a risk that communications will become bland. That would be a mistake.
Media relations – your brand superpower
A strong media presence has always been valuable. It helps the world find you. In 2026, with AI search changing the way people find information, it will also determine whether the world trusts you.
AI tools prioritise top-tier media outlets, with earned media and by-lined content top of the tree.
Firms that have yet to recognised that PR is not just a tactical tool but a valuable and strategic brand investment will lose out. We expect firms to ramp up their media relations ambitions.
Content saturation and trust erosion
2026 will see firms lean more on AI tools to generate content in some form. This will create two problems.
First, content saturation. As firms publish more, it will mean less. Generic, repetitive content will become indistinguishable background noise.
In turn, clients, intermediaries and staff will increasingly ask ‘Is this written by AI?’ When they assume it has, it will be ignored. And when communication is ignored, influence, reputation and differentiation disappear with it.
There will be a premium for genuine, identifiable expert voices. Original data, insight and opinion will break through background noise, standing firms apart from their competitors and peers.
2026 will be the year when PR teams – and their agencies – act as editors and curators of credibility, not just content producers.
Matt Baldwin is the joint managing director of Coast Communications, a media relations agency.