Future Gazing: 2026 with Rahme Mehmet, Managing Director of TechComms
COLLECTIVIST: First question. Looking ahead to next year, what will the very best tech marketing managers and PR managers be doing differently?
Rahme Mehmet, TechComms: For next year, there is going to be more use of AI for sure. AI technology will be utilised more, but hopefully in the right way, to genuinely make improvements to operations.
AI won’t help so much with massive, transformational projects, but we’ll see more usage around small projects with practical benefits. For example, helping to automate certain workflows or tasks to achieve more in an efficient way. For example, AI will help to eliminate repetitive work.
In PR, we are starting to use AI in practical ways to improve our role. We deployed Otter.AI this year, which we had not used previously. We found ways to use the tool to improve efficiency (but we’re not using it for everything). There is still a human element required.
What we’ll need to do is make sure AI is used to genuinely improve how we work and enhance what we are doing.
COLLECTIVIST: What is your big, bold prediction?
Rahme: There will be a backlash against AI-generated content by editors, reporters, and people working in the media who will become increasingly frustrated with AI- generated content and thought leadership!
The pushback will be in the form of stronger policies around what content they are willing to accept from PR agencies or in-house PR teams. The pushback will be against those trying to ‘pass-off’ content that is not genuine thought leadership.
PR agencies and professionals doing things properly will stand out, while those cutting corners risk being blacklisted by media outlets.
As agency owners working in the industry, we have standards. If we see this happening with our clients, we will always push back, because there is a real risk of reputational damage for everyone.
COLLECTIVIST: Are journalists already pushing back on AI-generated content?
Rahme: We have not had pushback on our content because we don’t use AI. We check all content sent to us thoroughly, and we expect media publications to do the same.
Some publications have told us they have policies in place already. The rollout of policies has been slow, but it is starting to increase now.
Next year will be very different, and it will raise the value of PR and authentic content creation again.
COLLECTIVIST: If you are not using AI to generate content, how are you using it, and how will AI impact campaigns?
Rahme: AI will be used more for PR insights. It will help to create insights or research to support strategy. For example, if a client asks us to analyse a brand or competitors, AI can help gather and analyse research.
Traditional methods will still be required, as AI has limitations around what it can access.
AI will make teams faster and improve analysis, but it does not replace human judgment.
COLLECTIVIST: What would a dream campaign or client look like for next year?
Rahme: A dream client has clear objectives. That is critical. We need to know what success looks like. We can then align strategy and deliver a service that meets and exceeds expectations.
Longevity is also important. Retainer clients over 12 months with clear goals excite us because we can measure progress properly and avoid short-sighted approaches.
Clear objectives, time to achieve them, and the ability to demonstrate value are the
three key things!
COLLECTIVIST: What thought leadership topics will clients focus on next year? And not mentioning AI, if possible!
Rahme: Security is a core topic and will continue next year. Compliance and governance are also key themes. Fraud is another major topic among our clients.
Crisis communications is also increasingly important. Many clients are at risk of outages or cyber breaches and need to be prepared to protect their reputation.
The only AI topic I will mention is shadow AI. It is a growing issue unless strong internal policies are in place. Some clients are addressing how to deploy AI responsibly and how employees should engage with it.
COLLECTIVIST: What about events and conferences? Are you attending Mobile World Congress again?
Rahme: Yes, we will be back at Mobile World Congress. We have attended for many years.
We are also planning to attend other telecoms events such as Connected Britain and Capacity Connect.
In the past, we have attended FutureNet and DTW and may do so again depending on client opportunities.
Security events like the National Cyber Security Show, InfoSec, and DTX are also important.
We attend many channel events, including GTIA ChannelCon, MSP Growth Forum, ChannelSec, and Kaseya Connect Europe.
COLLECTIVIST: You mentioned measurement. Is that changing? Are clients asking about LLMs and ChatGPT visibility, for example?
Rahme: Measurement has already changed and will continue to evolve. There is greater awareness that proper measurement is vital. We are moving away from simple coverage volume as the primary success metric, finally!
Clients are increasingly focused on message pull-through; defining core messages and ensuring they align with target audiences is critical.
Messaging must appear in the right publications, because they are often the sources LLMs pull from. Clients are now checking these models to see whether their brand appears with the right messaging.
COLLECTIVIST: Last question. When we have this conversation again in December 2026, what will you be celebrating?
Rahme: We will be celebrating increased clients. We have ambitious goals to grow our client portfolio and expand our team.
More people, more clients, greater variety, and enjoying the journey along the way.
Having fun while building strong relationships is important.
Hopefully, we will be able to say we had a great year, gained great clients, and worked with great people.
Read more from TechComms
Coffee with Rahme
Humanising technical stories
Working with industry analysts at Mobile World Congress
