Performance marketing may offer clear ROI, but in today’s AI-driven landscape, earned media is regaining its seat at the table. On the PR’s Top Pros Talk podcast, Brian Hoyt, Vice President of Communications and Industry Relations for ⁠EF World Journeys⁠, explains why the future now lies in integration. “Performance marketing is essential, but if you’re only focused on the lower funnel, you’re missing the big picture,” he says.

EF World Journeys, which operates three distinct tour brands including EF Ultimate Break for Gen Z travelers and the recently launched EF Adventures for active adults, is embracing a broader, more connected strategy. That means bridging PR and marketing, especially as the cost of performance channels continues to rise. “Companies are starting to run unprofitable campaigns just to get traffic,” Brian says. “To fix that, you have to invest at the top of the funnel – earned media, organic social, and brand.”

A longtime proponent of earned media, Brian sees its value amplified by the rise of AI. Algorithms now prioritize signals from trusted sources like digital news stories, academic studies, and broadcast clips. “AI sees these as non-biased, qualified sources,” he explains. “If you want to show up when someone asks ChatGPT which tour operator to use in Rome, your name better appear in that context online.”

Doug Simon, the show’s host, reinforces the point with data: 37% of local TV news viewers are now watching through digital platforms – views that often go uncounted in traditional Nielsen ratings but still hold enormous influence. For EF, video is central to that strategy. “We’re not just on YouTube,” Brian notes. “LinkedIn, TikTok, and other platforms all prioritize video. If we can repackage a TV segment and share it across those channels, it becomes another signal AI can pick up.”

Brian’s career path from working for press secretary Jody Powell to helping digitize the travel and music industries has taught him the value of adaptation. “I’ve always worked at the intersection of policy, tech, and media,” he says. “But the lesson is the same: When the signals change, so should your strategy.”

He brings that ethos to EF’s internal structure as well. Performance and PR teams aren’t siloed; they collaborate on integrated campaigns that reflect what Brian calls “the Kellogg School of Integrated Marketing.” Whether the goal is to drive conversions or build long-term credibility, the message must be consistent across all channels.

As marketers recalibrate in response to AI, Brian urges peers not to ignore traditional media. “Broadcast is becoming more important again, not less,” he says. “Those digital companion pieces from news segments are feeding AI signals. That’s why earned media has moved from being just nice-to-have to strategically essential.”

For communicators navigating today’s media environment, the takeaway is clear: earning trust and attention starts at the top of the funnel.

View all of the interviews in the “PR's Top Pros Talk” series. Interested in taking part? Contact Doug Simon at [email protected].

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Suchi Sherpa is a Marketing Communications Specialist at D S Simon Media, a leading firm specializing in satellite media tours.