When asked to predict 2025 trends for the public relations industry, San Diego PR veteran Joice Truban Curry says to watch for how social media influencers and artificial intelligence will shape PR strategies in the new year.
“Just because an influencer has thousands of followers doesn’t mean they would be best for your clients and their message,” Curry told Times of San Diego. “PR practitioners must be thoughtful in who to pitch in terms of affective target audiences. Practitioners need to carefully vet and select those influencers who speak directly to the audience aligned with their clients’ brand and goals.”
Curry, president and chief executive officer of c3 Communications, is celebrating the start of her firm’s 25th year in business. She founded her San Diego-based firm on Jan. 1, 2000.
“Also, AI is here to stay and we all need to embrace it and incorporate it in the way we do business,” Curry said. “AI will continue to shape the way PR practitioners approach their strategies for their clients. But, our biggest hurdle, as it has always been, is educating clients on what PR can and cannot do, as well as what AI is and how to effectively utilize the many tools and apps. Expectations will need to be set early and show how this new tool can be used to help attain their goals.”
c3 specializes in promoting special events. The firm has expanded beyond San Diego to promote multiple events in Orange, Imperial, and Los Angeles counties, including Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, The Fit Expo and Pacific Coast Sportfishing Tackle Boat, Travel and Outdoors Show, as well as the Pacific Sail & Power Boat Show in Redwood City, CA.
In addition, as a member of the PR Consultants Group, c3 has performed work for clients in Palm Springs, Las Vegas, and South Florida.
“PRCG is a unique collaborative model that allows PRCG members to work together on programs, offering on-the-ground experience in their local markets to clients’ regional and national public relations initiatives,” Curry said.
c3 also offers media relations, crisis communications, community relations, branding, corporate positioning, product placement, social media management, and digital media reputation management.
The event and entertainment space has been a favorite for Curry, who is a member of the Actors’ Equity Assoc., the largest theater union in the U.S. She has performed in numerous community theater musicals, including more than 1,000 performances of “Oklahoma” and, most recently, in “Hello Dolly.”
“What an amazing journey we have had over the last 25 years,” Curry said. “I am truly humbled and thankful to the media, our clients over the years, c3 employees and dear colleagues. I am grateful to have been in this wonderful PR profession that I love, and look forward to the next chapter, which I know will be fabulous.”
Jack in the Box’s 2025 Fan Art Calendar
San Diego-based fast-food hamburger chain Jack in the Box, Inc. is offering a 2025 Fan Art calendar featuring artwork from customers.
A Jack statement said, “The calendar showcases a smorgasbord of fan-created masterpieces celebrating Jack, his legendary menu items, and his unmistakable charm as the most unconventional CEO in the biz. From Jack as a superhero serving up Smashed Jacks to a dreamy anime-style heartthrob sipping a shake or even Taco Jack getting festive with Trick-or-Taco vibes, each month spotlights a different artist’s work.
“This limited-edition collectible is a love letter to the fans who’ve made Jack in the Box the ultimate late night spot and turned Jack Box himself into a certified internet sensation, cultural phenomenon, and, let’s face it, the Sexiest Jack Alive.”
The 2025 Fan Art Calendar is available exclusively at www.shopjackinthebox.com.
Supplies are limited. Jack fans who purchase the calendar will have access to an exclusive promo code to receive a 20% discount with Jack app orders throughout the year.
State Farm Scraps Super Bowl TV Spot Over L.A. Wildfires
Insurance giant State Farm, long a stalwart of advertising during the Super Bowl TV broadcast, has pulled its spot from next month’s big game, citing the catastrophic Los Angeles County wildfires.
“We will not be advertising during the game as originally planned,” a State Farm spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.
“Our focus is firmly on providing support to the people of Los Angeles,” said a State Farm spokesperson to The Hill.
A State Farm statement to news outlets said, “State Farm, its agents, and employees are all focused on helping customers impacted by the Southern California wildfires in the midst of this tragedy. Our claims force is the largest in the industry and we are bringing the full scale and force of our catastrophe response teams to help customers recover, whether they are on the ground in LA or across the country.”
State Farm has been a previous advertiser for the Super Bowl broadcast. As reported last year by Times of San Diego, State Farm’s 2024 Super Bowl spot was considered a fan favorite.
State Farm’s Super Bowl 60-second spot, “Like A Good Neighbaa,” Featuring former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (playing “Agent State Farm) and his “Twins” co-star Danny DeVito. It played off Schwarzenegger’s thick Austrian accent and his subsequent inability to pronounce the insurance company’s longtime tagline.
It also featured imagery of Schwarzenegger in several disaster hero roles, including lugging a pair of dogs to safety as a house burns in the background.
State Farm, reportedly the largest insurer in California, has an 8.7% market share of state’s property insurance market. The company said it has received more than 8,000 home and auto claims, a number that is expected to rise. More than 12,000 residences and businesses have been destroyed, according to news reports.
Cancelling its Super Bowl spot comes as State Farm faces public scrutiny. In May 2023, State Farm announced it would stop accepting new applications for California business and personal property and casualty insurance, pointing to the historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation, rapidly growing catastrophe exposure and a challenging reinsurance market.
Fox Network, which will broadcast the Feb. 9 Super Bowl from New Orleans, already has sold out its inventory of ads and finding a replacement from its waitlist for State Farm’s cancelled slot won’t be a problem. The cost for a 30-second ad is reportedly around $7 million.
Rick Griffin is a San Diego-based public relations and marketing consultant. His MarketInk column appears weekly in Times of San Diego.
