As we hit 2026, senior figures of the Freshfield team came together to discuss the issues that will dominate the PR and communications agenda in boardrooms across the land. Here’s our summary of the key challenges and opportunities.
Businesses are entering a communications environment that’s more precarious than anything we’ve seen in recent years. Trust in what organisations say is becoming more fragile while reputational risks are coming from unexpected angles.
For boards and executive teams, this makes good PR and communications a valuable strategic capability. In 2026, the difference between those that thrive and those that stumble will be their ability to communicate with clarity, credibility and speed.
Trust signals are vital in the age of AI
By Simon Turner
As AI-generated content continues to flood our channels in 2026, standing out could become increasingly difficult. Clarity, not volume, will become the differentiator. One of the biggest tests for management and marketing teams will be resisting the temptation to say more, and instead say less, but better. Businesses must be hyper-focused and consistent in their messaging, anchored in a clear narrative and a defined set of content pillars.
In an AI-driven world, audiences will actively look more for trust signals: credible voices, recognised expertise and evidential-backed claims. Human insight, real stories and a clear point of view will matter more than polished but generic output. We all know what AI content looks like so brands that sound real and human will win attention and credibility.
At the same time, earned and paid media will play a critical role in cutting through the noise, ensuring the right messages reach the right audiences, as well as improving search strategies. Focus, humanity and trust will define effective comms in 2026 – just as two new full backs and a proven goalscorer could define Everton’s progress too.
Reputational risk is rising, and in many forms
By Paul Tustin
The risk of an organisation facing a crisis continues rising exponentially as the information channels being used in the world of business continue proliferating.
Something that should definitely be on your 2026 risk map is the threat of an AI-distorted reputational event, such as a manufactured data leak, fabricated company statement, a deepfake image, or some other false allegation that spreads faster than your ability to verify and counter it.
Communications teams will need to think about how they will prepare for and respond to these misinformation threats. Managing them efficiently and transparently will be vital in maintaining stakeholder confidence in your organisation.
While reputational risks have become more tech-driven, the fundamentals of a crisis communications toolkit, dedicated crisis team and media trained leadership have never been more important. As always, it’s easier to put these essential components in place before, rather than following a crisis.
Backing ESG claims with evidence is imperative
By Andrew Taylor
We enter 2026 with ever-tightening expectations around the reporting of sustainability and social value activity. Customers, investors and, increasingly, regulators are becoming sharper about the quality and governance of ESG claims. There have been many recent examples of businesses getting it wrong on ESG comms.
Whether your business is large or small, your stated ESG ambitions must be matched by credible plans for achieving them and accurate disclosure on your progress. This may make some businesses reluctant to talk about ESG, but the safest communications strategy is not to say less; it is to say only what can be evidenced, to be explicit about uncertainty, and to show progress in ways stakeholders can understand.
In this trust-deficit era, the organisations that get this right will stand out for the right reasons.
Don’t underestimate the importance of GEO
By Danny Green
As generative AI becomes more prominent in 2026, businesses must think beyond traditional SEO and treat Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) as a core communications pillar. GEO will shape how your brand is interpreted, referenced and summarised by AI tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot.
GEO rewards clarity, authority and consistency. Brands with a clear point of view, defined expertise and structured messaging are far more likely to be represented accurately by generative engines.
This places renewed importance on strong narratives, authoritative content and credible signals across owned and earned channels.
Crucially, GEO requires close alignment between PR, comms and marketing teams to ensure that what AI learns about your brand is accurate. In an instant-answer world, being understood correctly matters as much as being visible.
Investing in real relationships still key to B2B success
By Joel Durkin
Despite our lives becoming increasingly tech-led, in B2B communications trust is still built through real relationships.
Over recent years, phrases like ‘AI slop’ and ‘digital debt’ have come to the fore, a by-product of fatigued digital audiences. Evidence also suggests a slowdown in the growth of social platforms like LinkedIn. People can be turned off by too much digital noise and instead crave credibility and deeper human connections.
For marketing teams, using communications strategies to foster rather than replace these real relationships is more important than ever as we enter 2026. Instead of simply looking at metrics, teams need to understand how strategies influence offline behaviour, including building rapport with clients and audiences in target sectors.
A strong starting point is to think about how your company’s key relationships are built and maintained, whether that is through entertaining, networking events, business meetings or other means. Marketing teams can then determine whether their marketing strategies strengthen these interactions by helping audiences better understand the brand, its strengths and its values.
Freshfield has been providing PR and communications support to organisations and their leaders for over 25 years. If have a challenge that needs some fresh eyes, contact our specialist team today.
