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| Todd Barrish |
In January, Muck Rack published its “State of AI in PR” study, which found that three out of four public relations professionals use Generative AI at work, nearly three times the number from early 2023. Of those surveyed, 93 percent of PR pros said that using AI speeds up their work, while 78 percent admit that it boosts the quality of their output. The message from the PR industry is clear: We’ve transitioned from the earliest days of experimental tinkering with AI/GenAI features to infusing the technology within our broader strategies. At Indicate Media, we haven’t just arrived at this moment; we’ve prepared for it.
How we view innovation
Over the past 13 years of representing B2B technology companies in a variety of industries, our team has developed a methodology for innovation, carefully analyzing each new trend to determine how we can enhance proven tactics without jeopardizing larger objectives. AI/GenAI is no different, but the stakes are higher. After all, this isn’t just a trend; it’s a fundamental reshaping of our industry and the value that we can provide to our client partners. And as much as I’d like to declare that there’s some prescriptive formula to follow, there isn’t … at least not yet. While we’re well into the strategic phase of leveraging GenAI, we’re still on this journey with our clients as the technology changes at lightning speed. The one thing we know for sure is that every action we take with GenAI should be to further our clients’ business objectives, not experiment recklessly using their brand.
As an industry, PR has a habit of being “excited” (just read any lazy press release quote), but when ChatGPT burst into the public zeitgeist in late 2022, there was a mixture of wonder and apprehension. Would this make our jobs easier or redundant? Would this live up to the hype or join the graveyard of other fads? According to the Gartner Hype Cycle, after the introduction of a new technology triggers public interest, there’s a rollercoaster of stages: from a peak of inflated expectations to a trough of disillusionment and, eventually, rising to a plateau of productivity. I’d argue we’re at a new juncture with AI—a period of ‘AI Enlightenment’—driven by knowledge, clear-eyed to risk and focused on creative execution. And during this period, PR agencies have a big role to play.
Key areas for AI disruption in PR
We believe that effective PR isn’t necessarily about telling more stories; it’s about telling better stories. Content and Search are two primary areas where we’ve really focused on evolving our approach to account for AI/GenAI. There are many more ways we’re working with AI/GenAI—including media relations and monitoring—but in terms of maximizing ROI for clients right now, we’re focused on what we’re saying and who is seeing it.
Content. Let’s be honest: As impressive as the technology can be, it’s still pretty easy to tell when something has been written using ChatGPT. It’s usually soulless and encyclopedic, devoid of any distinguishable personality. That’s why our approach to content—and really all PR strategy—begins with humans, a candid conversation with our clients about their unique insights into a particular issue. Once we’re aligned, then we can use AI/GenAI tools to help refine ideas, create an outline, or get started. And when we have a draft, it’s back to the humans again to stress test the content through fact-checking, additional research and client feedback. In other words, our equation is always: Human + AI + Human = Quality.
“But Todd,” you might say, “What if the client just wants quantity? Do we really need to make our content so bespoke?” Well, consider this. How do you think AI/GenAI is generating these articles? It’s being trained on existing material, a huge input of data that’s mashed together with unqualified sources, opinion pieces and your client’s competitors. You can’t rely on AI/GenAI to autonomously write your content because it’s not providing fresh perspectives; it’s just rearranging words. That’s why PR agencies are so vital, now more than ever. LLMs (large language models) are learning how industries work, what brands have the most authority and which executives are true thought leaders. You owe it to your client to offer something original, or they’ll end up sounding like everyone else.
Search. Here’s an exercise we often do at Indicate Media. Go to a search engine—or a GenAI service like ChatGPT—and tell it to list the top companies in X industry. Do you show up? If yes, that standing needs to be maintained. If not, it needs to be corrected. Either way, these searches are where opinions are formed and decisions are made, so it’s critical we factor search engine performance into our strategy, especially as search itself is in the midst of “profound” changes. Gone are the days of loading up content with keywords and hoping for a better ranking. Now, search is getting much more user-centric, employing AI to analyze the source and credibility of the content more rigorously and prioritize writing that emphasizes expertise and experience.
As Spin Sucks recently pointed out, “This new reality means getting noticed online requires a completely different approach, and your content might become invisible if AI search engines don’t consider it worth surfacing.” That’s why we always strive to craft well-written, substantive content that positions our clients’ expertise and experience in their industry, greatly increasing the likelihood that our clients’ content will be found by AI and search engines alike.
Human-led strategic innovation
What do you get when you combine quality content with better search ranking? Improved reputation. We’re obsessed with reputation at Indicate Media, and it’s something we’ve gotten quite good at elevating. Consumer expectations have shifted to value trust and transparency, and 70 percent of consumers report spending more on brands they feel are authentic. As PR professionals, it’s our job to help our clients communicate more authentically, using whatever tools are at our disposal. There is a huge opportunity with AI/GenAI to enhance our efforts, and outcomes must be genuine and strategic to resonate.
We’ve prepared for this moment and will continue to prepare for the moments to come.
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Todd Barrish is Founder of Indicate Media.
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