It's Friday! Check out your Daily PR Brief - December 19, 2025
McDonald’s AI humbug; Why every brand needs an awards strategy; Crisis diagnostic comms leaders should run before Q1; and more!
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Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
CCOs gain power and pay as companies navigate AI and political turmoil (Axios - December 18, 2025)
Analysts expect Omnicom’s jobs restructuring to last into 2026 (PR Week Global - December 17, 2025)
The Modern Leader series: Six small leadership shifts that create big impact in the new year (PR Daily - December 18, 2025)
Ragan’s predictions for 2026 in the internal comms world (Ragan Communications - December 17, 2025)
PR Roundup: McDonald’s AI Humbug, AI Optimism and Elf on the Shelf Hits the Beach (PRNEWS - December 18, 2025)
Inside Employee Preferences for AI Automation in the Workplace (Institute for Public Relations - December 16, 2025) [Links to PDF]
Why Every Brand Needs an Awards Strategy (Spin Sucks - December 18, 2025)
The Crisis Diagnostic Comms Leaders Should Run Before Q1 (Forbes - December 19, 2025)
New Ruder Finn research reveals employee optimism around AI amidst economic and workplace concerns (Agility PR Solutions - December 19, 2025)
Fixing old blog posts to rank again (Axia Public Relations - December 19, 2025)
Soft Skills Are Becoming the New Hard Skills (CommPRO - December 18, 2025)
Perspective: When A Town Hall Becomes The Headline (PRovoke Media - December 18, 2025)
Summary Section:
CCOs gain power and pay as companies navigate AI and political turmoil
By Eleanor Hawkins
Axios - December 18, 2025
Over half of chief communications officers now sit on executive committees, according to a new Korn Ferry report.
Analysts expect Omnicom’s jobs restructuring to last into 2026
By Gideon Spanier
PR Week Global - December 17, 2025
Omnicom’s jobs restructuring in the wake of the Interpublic acquisition is set to last into 2026, according to leading investment analysts, who have predicted the US agency group will make a significant number of role reductions next year.
The Modern Leader series: Six small leadership shifts that create big impact in the new year
By David Grossman
PR Daily - December 18, 2025
As we close out this Modern Leadership series, I’m reminded of something I’ve seen consistently in organizations of every size: exceptional leadership isn’t about sweeping reinventions. It’s about small, intentional shifts in how we show up for our people every day.
Ragan’s predictions for 2026 in the internal comms world
By Sean Devlin
Ragan Communications - December 17, 2025
From RTO communication that went into the minute details to manager comms toolkits that empowered leaders to handle any situation, a common theme came up over the last year. Internal audiences want much more than just information — they want context and guidance on what comes next. That expectation is poised to rise in 2026.
PR Roundup: McDonald’s AI Humbug, AI Optimism and Elf on the Shelf Hits the Beach
By Nicole Schuman
PRNEWS - December 18, 2025
This week’s PR Roundup examines an AI-generated McDonald’s holiday ad gone wrong, a new study by Ruder Finn that reveals employee optimism around AI, and Beaches going all-in on experiential for an Elf on the Shelf vacation no family will soon forget.
Inside Employee Preferences for AI Automation in the Workplace [Links to PDF]
By Yijia Shao & colleagues
Institute for Public Relations - December 16, 2025
Yijia Shao and colleagues examined how employees perceive AI agents, how they prefer to integrate them into their work, and how those preferences align with current AI capabilities.
Why Every Brand Needs an Awards Strategy
By Brendon Shank
Spin Sucks - December 18, 2025
It’s essentially 2026 already. We’re a few days from the beginning of a holiday week, which makes it a great time to do some final planning for next year. Integrating a formalized awards program into your plan and budget is a good way to put a bow on 2025 and put some shiny new trophies under the tree in 2026.
The Crisis Diagnostic Comms Leaders Should Run Before Q1
By Bradley Akubuiro, Partner at Bully Pulpit International
Forbes - December 19, 2025
Crisis doesn’t wait for convenient timing, especially in today’s fast-moving, hyperpolarized environment. A single viral accusation—true or not—can wipe out years of brand equity in hours. The companies that survive these moments aren’t luckier than everyone else. They’re the ones who stress-tested their crisis infrastructure before the pressure hit.
New Ruder Finn research reveals employee optimism around AI amidst economic and workplace concerns
By Richard Carufel
Agility PR Solutions - December 19, 2025
Employees are concerned about the economy and the effect of workplace changes, but see AI as a force for good amongst these uncertainties, reveals new research from global communications and integrated marketing agency Ruder Finn into employee sentiment around major shifts in the world and their workplace.
Fixing old blog posts to rank again
Axia Public Relations - December 19, 2025
Breathe new life into content and drive traffic by optimizing old blog posts with SEO for PR strategies that keep your brand visible longer.
Soft Skills Are Becoming the New Hard Skills
By Jason Brandt
CommPRO - December 18, 2025
As PR and marketing firms race to adopt AI, new data shows many are quietly underinvesting in the human skills that still drive leadership, client trust and long-term growth.
Perspective: When A Town Hall Becomes The Headline
By Brian Storts and Rick Toller
PRovoke Media - December 18, 2025
Unlock Health’s Brian Storts and Rick Toller write that when a town hall meant to build alignment becomes the headline, it reveals something deeper about organizational change.
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