PR agencies have traditionally been seen as the ‘mouthpiece’ of brands, tasked with amplifying stories rather than creating them. But as the lines between earned, owned and paid media blur, the debate is shifting: are PR agencies content to remain as amplifiers, or are they stepping up as active contributors to the creative revolution?
We asked industry leaders: Are all PR agencies going beyond being a ‘mouthpiece’ for a creative revolution to actively contributing to it?
Here’s what they had to say:
Kassandra Panagiotopoulos
Head of Strategy, The Romans – MENA
NO
Many still operate in a ‘reactive’ mode – a result of being long positioned as amplifiers rather than originators. It does, however, depend on the agency’s ambition. For those hungry to push creative boundaries, the dynamic is starting to shift. We’re seeing them embedded earlier in the process, bringing cultural intelligence, storytelling and earned-first thinking that sharpen and even lead big ideas. But to truly drive creative change, agencies must move beyond execution and start confidently owning distinctive, strategic creativity. The potential is there, but we need to stop waiting for briefs and start actively shaping them.
Eliane Chalhoub
PR Account Manager, JWI
NO
Too many PR agencies remain stuck in a tactical mindset, delivering press releases and coverage reports because that’s what clients expect. But PR shouldn’t just meet expectations – it should challenge them. Agencies need to educate clients on the value of strategic PR, ensuring it’s part of shaping ideas from the start rather than an afterthought. In a market as fast-moving and culturally rich as the Middle East, PR has the power to spark conversations and shape culture. The agencies making an impact are those driving this shift, not simply following instructions.
Mirna Eskarous
Regional Director, The Studio – MENA, and Creative Director, Burson
YES
There has been a massive shift in recent years: PR agencies aren’t just joining the creative revolution, they’re the ones firing the confetti cannons. Clients want bold new ideas, and earned creativity has been proven to strengthen reputation and brand image. That’s why brands are adding to their agency rosters PR partners that use creativity to earn attention, inspire action and drive impact. Still, not every PR agency has caught up; some are still playing it safe and focusing more on just protecting reputations instead of also proactively implementing initiatives designed to improve and elevate them. But let’s be honest: playing it safe never made headlines. In today’s world, bold moves get results – and clients know it.
Sunil John
Senior Advisor – MENA, Stagwell
NO
PR, at best, accounts for between 3 to 5 per cent of marketing spends globally and in the region. So, by its very nature, it sits at the fringes of a ‘creative revolution’. PR’s ability to invest in technology or in talent is suspect and most people in PR try to fit the mould and hardly attempt breakthrough thinking.
The ‘creative revolution’ is being driven by platforms such as Meta and Google, and a whole host of generative AI companies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has openly challenged the need for traditional advertising and PR companies, claiming that Meta will soon eclipse their roles in the industry. Even holding companies – with a few exceptions – are running for cover.
Despite PR having a natural capability to tell authentic stories on behalf of clients, the discipline has lost out on opportunities in the past in the social, influencer and owned media space. A new breed of social creative agencies with strong tech backbones have won that battle.
In the earned media space, PR is king – and its role will continue to remain important. There is one niche in the ‘creative revolution’ remaining for PR: organic search. Will PR use its skills to feed generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, DeepSeek and Gemini with real stories which then appear in organic search results? Time will tell.
Lloyd Arceo
Senior Account Manager, ComCo Middle East & Africa
YES
While it’s hard to generalise, it would be difficult for any PR agency to survive today by simply distributing press releases. The industry has evolved and so have we. I believe most agencies, in big or small ways, are actively contributing to the creative revolution.
For us, while traditional PR remains our foundation, we’ve long embraced New PR: strategy-based, impact-driven and channel-agnostic. The big idea often comes from us, which allows us to lead it across platforms – collaborating with existing partners or stepping in through experiential events and more. With so many touchpoints today, our job is to move people, reach the right ones, earn their trust, and spark brand love.
The demand from brands and their audiences is greater than ever. Evolution isn’t optional, it’s the only way to lead the revolution.
Stephen Worsley
Regional Managing Director, Golin MENA
YES
I would say all agencies are motivated to do this. Which of us gets out of bed each morning simply to write press releases? We study what the client wants to say, what its audiences and stakeholders care about, and the environment or context in which the client’s story must be told. From this, we try to establish a genuine cultural connection from which to generate earned media ideas. We seek new knowledge to mobilise around and measurable objectives from the outset. It’s a time-consuming exercise, and for best results, it should be collaborative.
Shady Fekry
Associate Director, Media Relations and Public Relations, MEMAC Ogilvy
YES
PR has changed. It’s not the quiet press office in the background everyone once knew. Agencies today are pushing the limits, because that’s the new strategy. Creativity isn’t optional anymore; it’s how we pitch, how we win and, most importantly, how we earn exposure. From day one, PR has always shaped messages, but now we’re doing it louder, smarter and with cultural relevance.
PR agencies are no longer playing it safe. They lead with creativity or get left behind. Inside the modern PR kitchen, bold ideas are born daily. These ideas are grounded in brand knowledge and a real drive to connect. While much of this creativity gets filtered out by brand guidelines, cultural sensitivities or budget constraints, great PR almost always finds a way. We collaborate with creators, tap into communities, and shape stories that relate.
Today, PR is less about spin and more about spark. How we turn strategy into culture, and messages into movements. The best ideas come from those who know the brand inside out, and PR is finally being recognised as the creative force it has always been.
