“If PR Had an Age, Would It Be Gen X, Millennial, or Gen Z?”

Introduction:

Public Relations is supposed to be timeless. Managing reputation, storytelling, and crisis control have existed for years. But if we’re going to be honest here then PR has definitely gone through phases. At times it feels very mature and composed, and other times when looking at a brand it feels like it just discovered memes five minutes ago.

So the hot topic of today is: if PR had an age, what generation would it belong to?

Gen X PR: The Serious Professional aka The Mature Queen

Gen X PR is the side of PR that grew up in the age of newspapers, TV interviews, and carefully written press releases. I would hate to be in a room where the brand name was misspelt and it’s already been published to all the newspapers, wouldn’t you? This version believes in structure, professionalism, and the idea that a statement should sound like it was written by someone wearing a suit.

If something goes wrong, Gen X PR’s instinct is simple: control the narrative.

We see phrases like:

“We take this matter very seriously.”

Or the classic:

“We apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

It’s polite, formal, and sometimes so vague that you finish reading the statement wondering what was actually said, That’s how you know they’ve got you!

Gen X PR believes less is more, and that silence is sometimes the best strategy.

The downside? In today’s internet culture, silence can look suspicious, and audiences are less patient with vague corporate responses but hey, I guess it worked then.

Millennial PR: The Storyteller aka The Blueprint

Then came Millennial PR. This version grew up alongside social media, brand storytelling, and the rise of our favourite OG influencers, such as Jackie Aina. Millennial PR realised that people don’t just want statements but they want connection.

Instead of just announcing a product, Millennial PR gives you the story behind the product, “Why do we want this product?”, “What can I use this product for?”, “When can I go grab one for myself?” and suddenly brands have personalities, missions, and carefully curated Instagram feeds.

Millennial PR also loves a good collaboration. Influencers, brand ambassadors, PR boxes! If you’ve ever seen an influencer open a beautifully packaged box on Instagram, you’ve witnessed Millennial PR at work.

Millennial PR wants brands to feel relatable. Companies are no longer just companies; they’re trying to feel like that trusted friend of yours you can’t get away from.

But sometimes this approach can feel a little… rehearsed. When every brand claims to have the same values, audiences start wondering if the authenticity is genuine or just part of the marketing plan.

Gen Z PR: The Internet Native aka the Chaos Coordinator

Now we have gotten to our favourite and most rebellious Gen Z PR, the youngest and most chaotic version of PR. They’re managing memes, comments, and crises at the same time.

Gen Z PR understands something older generations struggled with: the internet moves fast. Really fast. A brand can trend worldwide within hours and sometimes for the worst possible reason.

Because of this, Gen Z PR favours transparency, speed, and sometimes even humour.

You’ll see brands responding to comments, using memes, and occasionally roasting themselves in order to stay relatable. Corporate language is slowly being replaced with something that sounds more like it came from a group chat and we’re all trying to get in.

Gen Z PR also understands that audiences value accountability. A vague apology doesn’t work anymore. People want brands to admit mistakes, explain what went wrong, and show how they’re fixing it.

The challenge is that when brands try too hard to sound “online,” it can come across as painfully forced. Nothing makes the internet cringe faster than a brand using slang incorrectly, like we’re not in 1967 pun intended

So… How Old Is PR Really?

The truth is PR isn’t just one generation.

It’s a strange mix of all three.

The structure and professionalism of Gen X PR still matter. The storytelling and relationship-building of Millennial PR remain essential. And the speed and transparency of Gen Z PR are becoming impossible to ignore.

Modern PR is basically a generational group project.

Gen X wrote the rules, Millennials made it more relatable, and Gen Z showed up asking why the rules exist in the first place.

And somewhere in the middle of all that there’s a PR professional trying to write a press release that sounds professional, authentic, and meme-aware all at the same time.

Which, if we’re being honest, might be the most difficult job of all.

Who is Samirah??

Samirah is a GenZ queen; She loves PR but beyond that she loves watching videos of people unboxing PR on tiktok, loves to laugh at the funniest comments under a post and somehow manages to find inspiration that keeps her opinion in the workplace effective, I mean who doesn’t want advice from their funny & smart younger sister?