Newmark, PRGN Celebrate 2025 World PR Day, Release Industry Report

Emma Okonji

Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), in collaboration with Newmark Group, has released the PRGN Influence Insight Report, which dwells on influence, new trends and important findings in the Public Relations industry.

The report was launched in Lagos this week in celebration of the 2025 World PR Day and in commemoration of the 15th anniversary of Newmark Group’s journey as a leading Pan-African Integrated Marketing Communications firm.

In her welcome address to announce the celebration of the three milestones (Newmark Group 15th anniversary, 2025 World PR Day, and PRGN Influence Insight Report), which held in Lagos on Wednesday this week, Country Lead, Newmark Nigeria, Lovelyn Okafor, said each of the three milestones is significant in its own, but together they represent a bold testament to the evolving power of communications and to the role that the entire industry plays in shaping a more connected, trustworthy, and inclusive world.

According to her, today’s global theme: ‘Building Bridges and Navigating Polarization’, is actually more than a slogan, as it’s a challenge and a charge for everyone.

“We live in an era where division seems louder than dialogue, where mistrust often overshadows truth, and where the stories we share, or even the ones we choose not to share, are shaping the course of communities, institutions, and even nations. At Newmark, we believe communication is not just a tool, it’s actually a force that when wielded responsibly can open minds, align values, and ignite change. For 15 years, that belief has driven us from our roots in Nairobi in Kenya, to Nigeria, establishing our presence in over 30 countries globally. For us at Newmark, its about a global strategy, communications, and advisory that empower ambitious organizations, strengthen governments, and build impactful change across the world,” Okafor said.

In his opening remarks, the Founder and CEO of Newmark Group Limited, Mr. Gilbert Manirakiza, who spoke virtually through video conferencing, said the lines between fact and opinion, leadership and populism, influence and manipulation, were increasingly blurred, adding that institutions that once commanded public trust, such as governments, media houses, and corporations now find themselves under constant scrutiny with their credibility hanging by a thread of public perception.
He however said strategic communication would address all of that, stressing that strategic communication is not just a support function, but actually a survival function. It is not anymore a tool to be deployed after decisions are made.
It is actually how decisions are shaped and shared.

Speaking about the theme: ‘Bridging the Divide with Influence, Manirakiza said it could challenge everyone to examine the real power of communication.

According to him, “Power no longer lies in just owning a platform. It actually lies in earning attention, which is very difficult these days. Building trust is important.

But just like power, perception is volatile, it is shaped not only by what we say, but by what we fail to say as well, especially when it matters the most.
“Based on what is happening across the African continent, we cannot afford to be neutral architects in a polarized world. We must be intentional communicators.
We must move from broadcasting to bridge building, from crafting messages to shaping movements. And Africa currently sits at a critical crossroads. We are a continent of deep narratives, of struggle, resilience, and brilliance, but also of division.”

This is why the presentation of the PRGN Influence Insight Report is so important, because it signifies our desire to build our strategies not on assumptions, but on evidence. One of the biggest divides we must bridge is the one between generations, Manirakiza further said.

Presenting the African PRGN Influence Insight Report, the CEO, Southard Communication, Mr. Bill Southard, said the report focused more on influence, considering its importance in terms of how brand influence has changed over the last several years, particularly with the role of social media, digital media, earned media, owned media, and paid media.
“So we worked with a research company, called ResearchGate, and for several months, we surveyed corporate leaders around the world in more than 40 countries, including Africa, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Asia-Pacific region,
our goal being to identify how they view brand influence,” Southard said.

Findings from the report, shows that some of the factors that drive brand influence include: Reputation (94 per cent), Trust (94 per cent), Relevance to Consumers (87 per cent), Authenticity (84 per cent), Digital Presence (78 per cent), Innovation (77 per cent), and Emotional Connection (77 per cent).

The report therefore concluded that brand influence remained critical to success and more important than ever; Brand influence would continue to grow in importance; Social and digital would continue to reshape brand influence; and Evolving customer expectations would continue to drive change.

Highlight of the event was the panel session that assembled panelists from across different sectors like banking, technology, consumer rights, business and public relations. The panel dwelt more on brand influence, building trust, and the need for customer education and awareness, as well as consumer rights advocacy.