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New research reveals how PR teams are adapting to resource pressures, media fragmentation, and the accelerating shift toward AI and measurable impact.
CHICAGO, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cision, a global leader in consumer and media intelligence, today released Inside PR 2026: Trends, Challenges, and What's Next, a landmark study examining how PR teams are responding to one of the most transformative periods the industry has seen in decades. Drawing on insights from nearly 600 PR professionals across the U.S. and UK, the report highlights a profession balancing tradition and transformation: Creativity and storytelling remain foundational, even as agility, AI fluency, and clear business impact increasingly define success.
An Industry in Transition — and an Agility Gap Slowing Progress
The report reveals a profession operating under sustained pressure. Sixty percent of PR teams cite the rapidly shifting media landscape as their biggest challenge, and 58% point to resource pressure. Agency teams feel this pressure more acutely than their counterparts on in-house teams, with 71% reporting media fragmentation as a major hurdle, underscoring how journalist behavior and formats continue to evolve.
These pressures directly shape how agile teams feel they can be. While one in three executives describes their organization as "extremely agile," only 14% of employees agree. Structural barriers such as team size and organizational design (63%), along with slow approvals (53%), are the biggest factors holding teams back.
Taken together, the findings point to a profession not short on ambition, but constrained by infrastructure. The opportunity for 2026 is clear: Agility requires investment, process simplification, and better access to real-time insights, not just intent.
What Matters Most in 2026: Awareness, ROI, and Revenue
Brand awareness remains PR's guiding priority, cited by 36% of respondents. But the data shows a clear shift toward measurable commercial outcomes at the senior level. Executives (32%) and agencies (33%) are far more focused on revenue and ROI, while in-house teams and non-executives still lean heavily toward brand awareness, with around 40% naming it as their top priority.
Taken together, the findings point to a widening alignment gap, with senior leaders pushing for measurable results and frontline teams remaining anchored in brand-building.
AI Moves to the Center of PR Workflows
One of the strongest trends highlighted in Inside PR 2026 is the rapid integration of AI across PR activities. Ninety-one percent of professionals report using generative AI as part of their workflow, with 73% applying it to idea generation and 68% using it for writing and content refinement. AI is also reshaping data gathering and analysis, with 40% using AI-driven media monitoring and nearly a third relying on AI-powered reporting tools.
Yet the data makes one thing clear: Despite AI's growing presence in PR, the human elements remain at the core of the profession. Storytelling was cited as the most in-demand skill for 2026 (59%), followed by media relations, strategic planning, and the ability to interpret data to guide decision-making – skills that ultimately rely on human interpretation, context, and strategic discretion.
The New PR Playbook: Creativity, Intelligence, and Technology Working Together
The evolution of PR is increasingly defined by the blend of craft and capability. Media monitoring remains the most relied-on tool for teams, supporting a more analytical approach to narrative management. Meanwhile, the skill sets PR teams value are becoming more multidisciplinary — combining creative storytelling with data literacy, strategic agility, and cross-functional collaboration.
Taken together, these changes point toward a more adaptive, insight-led, and AI-enabled model of communications.
"Inside PR 2026 shows a profession undergoing a profound evolution," said Guy Abramo, CEO of Cision. "PR teams are being challenged to move faster, prove impact, and integrate AI responsibly — while continuing to deliver the creativity and narrative craftsmanship that make communications meaningful. The teams that can blend human insight with intelligent automation will be the ones who define the next era of PR."
Download the Full Report
The full Inside PR 2026 report, including deeper insights, role-level analysis, and practical recommendations for PR teams, is available now.
Download Inside PR 2026
About Cision
Cision is the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, engagement, and communication solutions. We equip PR and corporate communications, marketing, and social media professionals with the tools they need to excel in today's data driven world. Our deep expertise, exclusive data partnerships, and award-winning products, including CisionOne, Brandwatch, and PR Newswire, enable over 75,000 companies and organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 500, to see and be seen, understand and be understood by the audiences that matter most to them.
Media Contact:
Cision Public Relations
CisionPR@cision.com
New research reveals how PR teams are adapting to resource pressures, media fragmentation, and the accelerating shift toward AI and measurable impact.
CHICAGO, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cision, a global leader in consumer and media intelligence, today released Inside PR 2026: Trends, Challenges, and What's Next, a landmark study examining how PR teams are responding to one of the most transformative periods the industry has seen in decades. Drawing on insights from nearly 600 PR professionals across the U.S. and UK, the report highlights a profession balancing tradition and transformation: Creativity and storytelling remain foundational, even as agility, AI fluency, and clear business impact increasingly define success.
An Industry in Transition — and an Agility Gap Slowing Progress
The report reveals a profession operating under sustained pressure. Sixty percent of PR teams cite the rapidly shifting media landscape as their biggest challenge, and 58% point to resource pressure. Agency teams feel this pressure more acutely than their counterparts on in-house teams, with 71% reporting media fragmentation as a major hurdle, underscoring how journalist behavior and formats continue to evolve.
These pressures directly shape how agile teams feel they can be. While one in three executives describes their organization as "extremely agile," only 14% of employees agree. Structural barriers such as team size and organizational design (63%), along with slow approvals (53%), are the biggest factors holding teams back.
Taken together, the findings point to a profession not short on ambition, but constrained by infrastructure. The opportunity for 2026 is clear: Agility requires investment, process simplification, and better access to real-time insights, not just intent.
What Matters Most in 2026: Awareness, ROI, and Revenue
Brand awareness remains PR's guiding priority, cited by 36% of respondents. But the data shows a clear shift toward measurable commercial outcomes at the senior level. Executives (32%) and agencies (33%) are far more focused on revenue and ROI, while in-house teams and non-executives still lean heavily toward brand awareness, with around 40% naming it as their top priority.
Taken together, the findings point to a widening alignment gap, with senior leaders pushing for measurable results and frontline teams remaining anchored in brand-building.
AI Moves to the Center of PR Workflows
One of the strongest trends highlighted in Inside PR 2026 is the rapid integration of AI across PR activities. Ninety-one percent of professionals report using generative AI as part of their workflow, with 73% applying it to idea generation and 68% using it for writing and content refinement. AI is also reshaping data gathering and analysis, with 40% using AI-driven media monitoring and nearly a third relying on AI-powered reporting tools.
Yet the data makes one thing clear: Despite AI's growing presence in PR, the human elements remain at the core of the profession. Storytelling was cited as the most in-demand skill for 2026 (59%), followed by media relations, strategic planning, and the ability to interpret data to guide decision-making – skills that ultimately rely on human interpretation, context, and strategic discretion.
The New PR Playbook: Creativity, Intelligence, and Technology Working Together
The evolution of PR is increasingly defined by the blend of craft and capability. Media monitoring remains the most relied-on tool for teams, supporting a more analytical approach to narrative management. Meanwhile, the skill sets PR teams value are becoming more multidisciplinary — combining creative storytelling with data literacy, strategic agility, and cross-functional collaboration.
Taken together, these changes point toward a more adaptive, insight-led, and AI-enabled model of communications.
"Inside PR 2026 shows a profession undergoing a profound evolution," said Guy Abramo, CEO of Cision. "PR teams are being challenged to move faster, prove impact, and integrate AI responsibly — while continuing to deliver the creativity and narrative craftsmanship that make communications meaningful. The teams that can blend human insight with intelligent automation will be the ones who define the next era of PR."
Download the Full Report
The full Inside PR 2026 report, including deeper insights, role-level analysis, and practical recommendations for PR teams, is available now.
Download Inside PR 2026
About Cision
Cision is the global leader in consumer and media intelligence, engagement, and communication solutions. We equip PR and corporate communications, marketing, and social media professionals with the tools they need to excel in today's data driven world. Our deep expertise, exclusive data partnerships, and award-winning products, including CisionOne, Brandwatch, and PR Newswire, enable over 75,000 companies and organizations, including 84% of the Fortune 500, to see and be seen, understand and be understood by the audiences that matter most to them.
Media Contact:
Cision Public Relations
CisionPR@cision.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Cision Unveils "Inside PR 2026": The Definitive Report on PR Trends, AI Adoption, and the Future of Communications
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- At CES 2026, a live robotic tactile interaction demonstration at the ENTERPRISE AI Zone in the North Hall drew industry experts and media.
Through a complete ice-cream making process—including lever manipulation, ingredient handling, and cup handover—the humanoid robot TORA-ONE showcased its autonomous task-execution capabilities.
As a leader in high-precision tactile perception and full-stack embodied AI solutions, PaXini presented its comprehensive product matrix to CES 2026. The exhibit featured full-body 6-axis F/T sensing ecosystems, multidimensional tactile dexterous hands, humanoid robots, and an omni-modality data acquisition system.
From Fingertips to Full Body: Endowing Robots with Tactile Sensation
At the core of the robot's dexterous manipulation is precise perception, which is underpinned by a full-body 6-axis F/T sensing ecosystem. The PX-6AX-GEN3 multidimensional tactile sensor is pivotal for hand perception. It spans three product series and 12 models, achieves <0.5%FS repeatability across the full measurement range, and simultaneously measures 15 sensing dimensions, including six-axis force, material texture, and elastic response.
In addition to comprehensive tactile sensing at the fingertips, force control at the wrist and joints is equally vital. PaXini showcased the PX6D/PXTS, the world's first commercial Hall-effect 6D force/torque sensor designed for embodied AI, combining extreme lightweight design with advanced on-sensor intelligence. It leads the industry in measurement performance and dynamic response, further enabling precise whole-body force perception and stable force control at a disruptive cost-performance ratio.
From Perception to Embodied AI Execution: The Multidimensional Tactile Dexterous Hand
Translating perception into precise action is the DexH13 multidimensional tactile dexterous hand. Equipped with 1,140 ITPU multidimensional tactile processing units, the DexH13 was able to accurately mirror a wide range of human hand gestures, while demonstrating stable grasping of irregular objects—from test tubes to cubes—and performing delicate tasks like knob turning.
The Ultimate Embodied AI Vehicle: Multidimensional Tactile Humanoid Robots
As the culmination of perception and execution, PaXini's humanoid robots offer generalization capability and practical performance, unlocking the true value of technological services in industrial applications. The core of these smooth interactions is the deep integration of tactile feedback into motion control: TORA-ONE demonstrated human-like manipulation, including cup receiving, dispensing, and wafer pick-and-place, while TORA-DOUBLE ONE showcased advanced motion control and interaction capabilities, completing complex obstacle-crossing tasks and engaging with visitors through handshakes.
The Fuel for Embodied AI: The World's First Omni-Modality Embodied AI Data Acquisition System
A major highlight was the exact replica of PaXini's Omni-Modality Embodied AI Data Acquisition System at the CES venue.
In response to the scarcity of physical contact modality data, PaXini unveiled its pioneering "human-centric" omni-modality data acquisition solution, which significantly improves data acquisition efficiency compared to teleoperation and, being based on human configuration, offers high data reusability and long-term value.
PaXini has established the capacity for large-scale production of nearly 200 million omni-modality data entries annually and plans to open this resource globally via a cloud store, addressing the industry's "data anxiety" through data infrastructure.
Ecosystem Strategy: Enabling Global Embodied AI Advancement
Through this closed loop of "Tactile Sensors - Robot Platform - Embodied Data - Scenario Application," PaXini goes beyond showcasing isolated technologies at CES 2026, delivering a complete embodied AI infrastructure. PaXini is dedicated to enabling AI to truly understand the physical world and making intelligent touch accessible everywhere.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
PaXini Unveils the "Tactile Infrastructure" for Embodied AI, Redefining Full-Stack Product Matrix at CES 2026
