January is almost over but there’s still time to make changes in your communications plan for 2026. This sounds like a massive overhaul that you’ll want to put off until next year—but it doesn’t have to be. There are many easily digestible tasks that you can execute quickly to enhance communications without disrupting your overall workflow. Here are five 2026 communications resolutions anyone can achieve:
Scenario Planning
Crisis communications are “out of sight, out of mind,” for most businesses. Then, suddenly, they are a mission critical need that you are completely unprepared for. There are many ways to approach crisis preparedness, but you should prioritize scenario planning. Work with you team to identify the top 5-10 most likely crisis situations and think through the key issues you will need to manage. Taking these small steps will significantly improve your ability to respond when a crisis occurs.
Simple Brand Audit
A rebranding can be an exciting and motivating event but it can also be a multi-year slog that saps the team’s energy as they manage input from every corner of the organization. Instead of launching a full rebrand, conduct a simple, internal brand audit that looks at the language on your website and other collateral to ensure that what you are saying matches up with where the business is today. You’ll be surprised at how minor tweaks can improve the message you are sending out into the world.
Stretch Goals
Communications teams are rightly focused on quality execution day to day. Unfortunately, this can prevent them from looking beyond what is directly in front of them and thinking about what is not planned but what is possible. Take a day to brainstorm two or three things you haven’t done before that would make a real impact and start to—informally—work toward one of them. From hosting an event to conducting a research project to launching a podcast, standout projects not expressly tied to KPIs can be transformative.
Renew Media Relationships
It’s easy to take long relationships for granted when it comes to the media. That’s a huge mistake. You may find that you actually haven’t spoken with a reporter in years even if it feels like just yesterday. In addition, reporters’ beats, mandates and personal interests are always changing and you need to stay up to date if you want a productive relationship. So call up your favorite reporter, meet them for coffee or just chat about what’s new. It will pay off.
Adapting for AI
Like it or not, we are living in an AI world. The aspect of AI on most people’s minds is how AI results are supplanting traditional search results. The good news is that the value of your earned media has multiplied in value. Understanding how your content plan, press release format, and media targets can impact the way your company shows up in the LLMs powering search is critical. Make an appointment with your PR team to identify a handful of changes that will ensure you are riding the AI wave and not drowning in it.
In Conclusion
The new year always brings about new resolutions, and many may fail. Don’t let your communications strategy be one of them. Enhance your communications today with the help of a trusted partner such as Stanton.
About Stanton
Stanton is an award-winning New York City-based public relations firm with additional presence in California and Toronto. Founded over thirty years ago by Alex Stanton, our agency pairs deep industry knowledge and creative insights to go above and beyond for our clients. We create strategic communications programs that enhance reputation and support business goals of both B2B and B2C organizations. Our clients are attracted to “The Stanton Difference,” a practitioner model with our most experienced professionals actively involved in the work to deliver results that advance and successfully position their business objectives in the marketplace. Learn more about our services or get in touch today!