As B2B marketing pushes harder for efficiency and measurable return, public relations has increasingly drifted toward formulaic outputs like safe messaging, diluted stories, and tactics designed to check a box rather than build genuine connection. Yet buyers are signaling something different: a desire for brands that feel human, invested, and worth engaging with beyond a transaction.
That tension is what drew Kaitlyn Kraus, Media Content Manager at Luxid, to write this new edition of Luxid’s What to Watch in 2026 series. Inspired by a firsthand buying experience that contrasted high‑pressure selling with thoughtful, relationship‑driven engagement, Kaitlyn explores why PR must return to its roots. Drawing on real-world interactions, cultural shifts, and modern buyer expectations, she makes the case for “historical PR” which she considers: work that prioritizes conversation, community, and generosity of brand spirit over volume and visibility alone.
Rethinking B2B Public Relations: A Return to Human Connection
I was an anomaly recently: a prospect ready to buy. *gasp* A person asking to become a customer. A salesperson’s dream.
I started at a traditional dealership, where they couldn’t tell me a single useful thing about their electric vehicles (EVs), including the price. That’s right, I was buying a car, an EV at that. What they did instead, repeatedly, was try to strong-arm me into buying.
After visiting the alternate universe that is the Auto Mall, I was discouraged and confused. Finally, I made my way to Mini Cooper, who won my business and reminded me of what it’s like to really enjoy retail therapy.
They stood out by covering the technical, the practical, and the personal. Their investment in their own products was palpable and contagious. From the moment I walked in the door, they created conversation that captured my interest, built confidence, and transformed an initially confusing, overwhelming process into a delight, all without a single sales pitch or mention of buying a car.
But what struck me about this experience were the parallels it shared with the overwhelming bob and weave through a trade show floor. In my search for wonderful conversations and PR examples (while avoiding a laundry list of terrible ones), it made me think about how can you get your brand noticed, or even more importantly, how can you change someone’s mind enough to be part of your community.
How do you see B2B PR evolving in 2026?
PR isn’t exactly the highlight of B2B marketing right now. A lot of companies have been going through the motions of what they think they’re supposed to do, with very little to show for it.
That’s the first thing that will (continue to) change, by necessity: doing PR for “being in the B2B PR club’s” sake. With so many marketing budgets shrinking and the demand for efficiency growing — for a directly attributable ROI — lackadaisical effort is untenable.
But the status quo isn’t just turtlenecked press releases and rote blog articles; it’s the avoidance of setting yourself apart, primarily through community building. The expectation that your audience can be called up from the outskirts through a glance or a finger wag PR approach, versus an intentional, personalized, magnanimous strategy.
As the digital landscape continues to complicate B2B PR, the reliance on solely earned media will drop further. Editorial and press integrity will become even higher audience and internal priorities.
What cultural trends or marketing shifts are behind this?
It’s certainly a combination of both technological and social shifts. Historically earned publications are now blended paid. Whereas editors were the ones reaching out for placements, sales teams are more often doing so. Sponsored articles have become more prominent versus earned long-form. Cision notes, “It's (also) crucial to combine traditional, earned strategies with more paid and owned channels. These tactics can help you better navigate the unpredictability of the current media landscape.”
The necessary processes to keep readers safe (e.g., no embellished info, the assurance of a fair, accurate press) are even more complicated. Social media, both organic and paid, continues to gain ground in B2B as a critical community builder. And the implementation of PR has grown: digital media, virtual experiences. This isn’t just a one-and-done trade show season. There’s been a huge push to connect the dots online.
AI, while a valuable automation tool, can’t truly connect you with people. It can’t perform the grunt work. For example, sending a PR package to someone (very popular these days, I’m still pining for a KFC “bucket” hat) with an inimitable attention to detail, is a uniquely human endeavor.
Beyond that, there are the huge social shifts in buyer behaviors, expectations, and even demands. PR can’t ignore those. Audiences are approaching with firmly established cynicism: “Why should I care? Why is this a brand I should be a part of?” Buyers expect PR to embody ‘living the brand.’ There’s almost a dare-like quality to it, as in, “Make me a customer!”
Because of this, messages to the masses fall flat with present-day audiences. They want a big, consistent story and an individual means to become parts of your community and brand.
The days of high-pressure sales are done. The era of “Woo me or get out of the way” is here.
What are the biggest challenges to implementing an effective PR strategy in 2026?
The understandable but predictable response to suggestions to invigorate your PR strategy is: “No money. No time.”
To that, I offer the following reminders:
- You don’t need all the money or time in the world to connect with an audience you know best.
- Thinking too small is what got B2B PR in an unrewarding PR situation to begin with.
To connect with an audience, you need creativity and knowledge. You likely have both, in spades.
Which brand or campaign is an example of well-executed, effective PR?
From a high level, great PR is predicated on an enabled team, deep knowledge, and unbridled excitement. It’s big and bold. It makes use of social media and personalized community building. It offers an easy on-ramp to bring people into that community and brand story.
One of my favorite specific examples is Tudder, or ‘Tinder for Cows.’ Inspired by Hectare Agritech, the swipe-based app was developed to help farmers ‘identify breeding stock and partners for their cattle in the quest for moo-love.’ It features real animals currently for sale on SellMyLivestock.com. According to co-founder Jamie McInnes,
“Finding the right match can be daunting for us humans, let alone if you’re a four-legged farm animal. Traditionally, playing moo-pid for cows would require proper grafting: visiting each herd of hopefuls at different farms, or at an auction market, all the while running the risk that the best cow on the market has simply slipped past you.
“And while this is a bit of fun […] it highlights how relevant online matchmaking is for farmers looking for breeding livestock. Buying breeding cattle is now enabled by a huge amount of genetic data to create the perfect match. This is the equivalent to a human online dating profile, except it is validated in science rather than a self-proclaimed GSOH [good sense of humor].”
Once a farmer makes a match, they can click the eye icon to be redirected to SellMyLivestock.com, where additional information, pictures, and vendor contact details are listed.
The cherry on top of this PR lovefest? The app launched on Valentine’s Day. Admit it, you already love Tudder, and you’re not even in the market for a breeding cow or bull.
Do you have any other parting advice for B2B execs that want to make every PR dollar and minute count in 2026?
Don’t neglect the human-centered principles of B2C PR in favor of forgettable, ‘safe’ B2B-isms. You know your brand story better than anybody else. Don’t take yourself so seriously that you’re too scared to tell it and have fun with it.
Enthusiasm begets enthusiasm. Giving (joy, information, help, inspiration, etc.) without expecting anything in return speaks volumes about your integrity as a company. PR is about sharing good news.
If I had to boil my advice down to a single sentence, it’d be: If you were a potential customer, what would your own ‘Mini Cooper’ experience consist of?
Go do that.
More to watch in 2026
Want a broader view of what’s ahead this year? Check out more of our What to watch in 2026 insights:
- Part 1: US market trends & change management by Chris Eifert, Managing Director of Luxid US — Explore emerging shifts in the US market and how organizations can lead change with confidence and agility.
- Part 2: Strategy, differentiation & data-driven decisions by Milla Ikonen, Strategic Marketing and Sales Consultant — Discover how forward-thinking strategies, clearer differentiation, and smarter use of data will shape competitive advantage in 2026.
- Part 3: Creativity in an AI-driven world by Jonathan Bradley, Head of Creative at Luxid UK — Discover why human creativity remains the ultimate growth driver in a world of generative AI.
- Part 4: From AI chaos to strategic clarity by Sanna Halttunen-Välimaa, Head of Revenue Operations — Learn how marketing leaders can move from scattered AI experiments to a focused, data-driven strategy.
- Part 5: AI search & the next evolution of SEO by Marcus Siegfrids, Senior Marketing Analyst — Explore how AI-powered search is reshaping visibility and how organizations can adapt their SEO strategies to stay discoverable in a generative landscape.
- Part 6: Building a shared understanding of customer data platforms by Jaana Törmä, Head of Marketing Technology — Learn how to build a shared understanding of CDPs, align teams, and turn data into real business impact from clear use cases to AI driven personalization.
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