The great unbundling

The recent exodus of talent from senior roles across the PR industry may well be unparalleled. Certainly, from my perspective at least, I cannot recall a moment when so many experienced practitioners have found themselves outside of their traditional homes within major agencies or corporate communications departments.

That shift alone, whether fuelled by budgetary pressures or a lurch towards generative AI, should spark some semblance of concern. The PR world, you would think, can ill afford to squander the human capital that remains its most precious asset. Particularly if, as is sometimes the case, those people end up leaving the discipline altogether.

But traditions can, and sometimes should, be upended. At a time of dizzying change, it makes a certain amount of sense that senior communications figures are increasingly eschewing tried and tested career routes, whether by necessity or design. And while entrepreneurialism has always played a crucial role in the industry's fortunes, the turbulence at bigger networks suggests that there are market opportunities which can be exploited by new firms and newer models.

A new consultancy from former Weber Shandwick corporate advisory president Chris Deri is one of several new offerings that provide a glimpse of what this future might look like. New firms are hardly breaking news, but the current availability of seasoned practitioners offers considerable expertise and client networks for the next generation of advisory offerings.