The biggest change the PR industry has even faced is social media. With the massive embracement of social networks in our daily lives, it became possible for ordinary people to influence corporate behaviour with just one tweet, one Facebook post or one Instagram photo. Individuals today feel empowered to demand change and expect social consciousness from brands. This has left businesses with no other choice but to meet the triple bottom line balance between environmental, societal and economic concerns.

The requirement for sustainability to become the core of any business is a requirement for a sustainable reputation too. And this is where the future role of PR lies in: As reputation keepers PR professionals will use their knowledge and skills as a force for good. Sitting at the table, PR will advise businesses on developing sustainable communications strategies to back up content with context and create business sustainability value.

The intersection of PR, social media and sustainability is inevitable: They are all based on the same values and principles of community, transparency, authenticity, innovation and collaboration.

Investing in PR to shape a sustainable future for organisations and society is smart business because the future of PR is socially responsible.

This blog post is a contribution to the #ebookinaday project by Solent University and the CIPR