The year 2025 nudged the PR and communications ecosystem into a phase of clarity and recalibration. Strategy mattered more than noise, credibility mattered more than volume, and the balance between digital speed, the resurgence of print, and the growing presence of AI defined how brands chose to communicate. With audiences becoming more discerning and mediums constantly shifting shape, PR evolved into a far more intentional, insight-driven, and authenticity-led function. As part of Adgully’s annual re-look at the year gone by – REWIND 2025 – Sonam Shah, Founder and CEO, Treize Communications, reflects on a milestone year for the agency and the larger industry, sharing perspectives on learnings, the human–AI equation, changing client expectations, and how 2026 is set to bring renewed energy, deeper engagement, and a stronger push toward meaningful communication. How would you describe the year 2025 for your organisation, and were there any standout moments that defined it? 2025 was a very challenging and a very different year in many ways. This year was significant as Treize Communications completed 10 years in business, making it one of the most transformative periods for us.We saw lot of learnings, unlearning, growing with times and evolving in the right sense. I won’t say there was any standout moment, but there were lots of small moments which defined this year and probably put a stepping stone to the next few years. When you look at the broader PR and communications industry, what defined this year for the industry? The communications and PR industry continues to be one of the most highly evolving industries. As reader pattern evolves, the constant need to be updated remains. Our communication strategies are defined by readership patterns, current news and industry updates. This year we saw the demand for Digital PR go down, and Print Medium come back, especially within our corporate set of clients. There was high amalgamation of traditional and digital PR across 2025. This year has also set the tone of AI-led communications. There was great play of Human-AI Synergy, and it will be interesting to see how it unravels in the coming years. Which new big clients did you onboard this year, and what made those wins special? We work more or less on long-term associations with clients and continue to work with the same set of clients. Some key clients include Divo (part of Warner Music), Socxo, Arthat Studio, Apparel Manufacturers of India, amongst others. How has the role of PR evolved? Has it shifted from just managing images to creating deeper, more authentic engagement? PR today is highly strategic and works in a very phased manner. From setting the right tone, to ensuring time bound media presence, today, PR cannot be executed unless planned. This actually is one of the biggest pain points in the industry, as lot of clients still work very last minute. Also, with AI led articles, which are floating on the web, the credibility of online presence is questioned more. This makes it essential to have a human touch in PR, to add authenticity. While readers have a lot of options to take information from, when it comes to taking the right form of news, everyone still has 1-2 key preferred media outlets. While AI will be a part of every business, I do not think AI can be used in building thought leadership. An individual’s perspective holds far more value, then AI can add. What are your expectations from 2026 in terms of growth, industry direction, or new opportunities? 2026 looks exciting to me. It will be the year when AI in communications will be seen in a better way. The industry will continue to grow and the need to be across mediums, print, digital, electronics will be back. I see PR in the true sense come up, as the last few years there was a very high focus on Digital as well as influencer led communications. There will be high demand to be in global publications and media houses by Indian clients, at least from the corporate sector, aiming to build a stronger and more authentic recall.