“You put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle. You put it into a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can flow, or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”
— Bruce Lee
When I look at the world—and at Türkiye in particular—I see 2025 through this lens.
It has been a year in which we learned not to be surprised. A year defined by relentless crises, rapidly shifting agendas, and an ongoing communications education that reminded us of the value of being adaptable. Like water.
It was a period in which rigidity became a liability and adaptability became a competitive advantage. Those who resisted change struggled. Those who remained fluid, resilient, and responsive moved ahead.
Learning to Flow Like Water
Perhaps the most important lesson 2025 taught the communications industry is this: circumstances will change, audiences will change, platforms will change, and the agenda will evolve daily. The challenge is not to resist these shifts, but to adapt while preserving your core identity.
Communicators found themselves questioning not only what to say, but also why certain things should remain unsaid. Every word, every message, and sometimes even strategic silence required deeper consideration.
In many ways, 2025 became a defining turning point.
As comfort zones disappeared and uncertainty increased, organizations were forced to navigate a reality shaped by overlapping crises rather than isolated incidents. The concept of the “polycrisis” moved from theory into everyday practice.
The communications profession was no exception.
Public relations began moving beyond its traditional comfort zone. The ability to secure media coverage was no longer enough. The industry started integrating generative artificial intelligence into its workflows, not as an experiment, but as a core capability.
Content was no longer being created solely for newspapers, television broadcasts, websites, or social media feeds. It was increasingly being designed for search engines and AI-powered platforms.
Communicators realized they were no longer speaking only to people. They were also communicating with algorithms.
Organizations that learned how to structure information correctly, provide reliable data, and optimize content for emerging discovery channels gained a new form of visibility—one that extends beyond traditional media exposure.
Is PR Dying? The Wrong Question
Generative AI has quickly evolved from an office novelty into a new layer of the communications ecosystem.
What makes 2025 significant is not simply that communications professionals can work faster. It is that the industry has started recognizing the responsibility that comes with that speed.
The question is no longer:
“Are we using artificial intelligence?”
The real question is:
“How effectively and responsibly are we using it?”
This is also why the recurring debate around whether public relations is “dying” has become increasingly irrelevant.
The answer is already clear.
Generative AI has automated repetitive tasks, accelerated production processes, and reduced operational friction. In doing so, it has created something far more valuable: time.
Time that can now be invested in what has always been the true purpose of communications consulting—strategy, stakeholder engagement, reputation management, and decision-making.
At the same time, organizations have become more aware of the realities of the social media era and permanent crisis conditions.
The question has shifted from:
“What if a crisis happens?”
to
“When will our next crisis happen?”
As a result, the strategic importance of crisis communications and reputation management continues to grow.
KPIs Are Being Rewritten
For this reason, 2026 is likely to become another defining year.
Not because of familiar buzzwords such as hyper-personalization, privacy concerns, or “phygital” experiences.
A more profound transformation is underway.
Both marketing and communications are entering a new phase shaped by generative AI.
Organizations are already rewriting their KPIs.
Success is no longer measured solely by ranking on the first page of search results. Increasingly, the objective is to become one of the first recommendations generated by AI platforms.
Visibility is being redefined.
And with that, a new communications battleground is emerging.
Media Washing Out. AI Washing In.
For years, communications professionals debated the concept of media washing—the practice of creating visibility without substance.
Today, that discussion is being replaced by a new phenomenon:
AI Washing.
The rise of AI-powered search and recommendation engines has created new incentives for organizations to optimize appearances rather than authenticity.
AI Washing is, at its core, a showcase built without questioning the substance behind it. It prioritizes perception over reality and visibility over value.
For communications professionals, this creates a new responsibility.
Managing reputational risk is no longer enough.
We must also be prepared to manage AI-driven reputational risks.
The Antidote to AI Washing
The antidote, perhaps, is the same lesson Bruce Lee offered decades ago:
Be water.
Communication channels will continue to evolve. AI-powered search, closed digital communities such as Telegram and Discord, and new forms of information discovery will increasingly shape how people consume information—particularly during periods of uncertainty.
The organizations that succeed will be those capable of telling the same authentic story to both people and algorithms.
Those that remain consistent across digital and physical experiences.
Those that balance data with judgment, technology with trust, and efficiency with responsibility.
The future belongs to communications that can adapt to changing forms without losing their essence.
Like water, the most effective communications strategies will be those that remain true to their core while flowing effortlessly into whatever shape the future demands.
Mehmet Ali Ergün
Chairman, Momentum Iletisim
