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While AI may have made the basics of generating content easier and more efficient, it has also made it more difficult for a brand to stand out from an ever-growing crowd of voices and platforms.
That’s one of the conclusions reached in a new report from the Public Relations Global Network and Greenough Communications. “The Evolving Landscape of Brand Influence” finds that brand influence is growing in importance, but there is a gap between that importance and the ability of brands to manage it effectively.
The PRGN/Greenough study polled more than 1,800 professionals across 48 countries to find out how they are handling a communications environment in which complexity reigns and the control that brands have over their messages is declining.
Nine out of 10 (90 percent) survey respondents said they regarded brand influence as being either “extremely” or “very” important. In addition, a significant majority (70 percent) of them expect its importance to rise over the next three to five years.
However, there seems to be a strong sense of doubt about whether or not communicators are up to meeting the challenge of that growing importance. Only 17 percent of respondents say their organization's approach exceeds expectations or is outstanding, with more than four in 10 (41 percent) reporting that their approach needs improvement.
One of the biggest obstacles on the way to achieving effective brand influence is the number of channels where content can be placed.
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Survey respondents found some channels to be far more successful than others in developing brand influence. At the top of the heap is social media, which was thought to have an impact on brand influence by 80 percent of respondents. Following close behind were consumer advocacy (72 percent), earned media (68 percent), influencers (57 percent) and AI platforms (51 percent).
It also matters what audiences those platforms are reaching. Not surprisingly, consumers are the most desirable target, with 83 percent of respondents saying they have an effect on brand influence. Other major players are mainstream media (67 percent), content creators (61 percent), employees and content creators (both 48 percent).
When it comes to the impact of AI on developing brand influence, the upside consists of improving responsiveness to trends (39 percent), improved performance analysis capabilities (31 percent) and improved customer engagement (28 percent).
One big downside? Exposure to misinformation or deepfakes, which were cited by 30 percent of respondents.
That’s a major hurdle when the pivotal role played by trust is factored in. Trust (60 percent) and reputation (57 percent) were the top two drivers of brand influence, followed by authenticity (47 percent) and relevance to consumers (40 percent).
The economy is also a major factor in how companies allocate their spending in the attempt to gain brand influence. No one item really stands out, but among the decision makers are maintaining influence (25 percent), lower-cost channels and tactics (21 percent) and value and ROI (21 percent).
“The channels keep multiplying, but the fundamentals haven't moved. Trust, credibility, and consistency still determine whether influence actually sticks,” said Greenough CEO Nikki Festa O'Brien. “What's changed is where brands need to earn that trust. AI is now where discovery happens, which makes visibility inside these models the only metric that truly matters. “
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