Revolutionizing Public Relations: The Impact of Technology
by Aakriti Bhargava*
In the fast-paced realm of public relations (PR), technology has emerged as a game-changer, reshaping traditional practices and propelling the profession into uncharted territories. According to recent industry reports, over 80% of PR professionals believe that AI will fundamentally change the industry. At the forefront of this technological revolution stands AI, poised to disrupt and transform PR strategies like never before. As the founder of Wizikey, I've witnessed firsthand how our AI and tech capabilities are empowering PR professionals to achieve more with less, revolutionizing the way they strategize, research, write content, distribute information, analyze data, and report results.
Moreover, in an era where attention spans are rapidly diminishing, the credibility fostered by PR becomes more crucial than ever. Recent studies indicate that the average human attention span has decreased to just eight seconds, shorter than that of a goldfish. With the proliferation of information channels and the rise of social media, consumers are inundated with content, making it increasingly challenging for PR messages to stand out. In this landscape, establishing trust and credibility through strategic communication has become paramount, driving the need for PR professionals to leverage technology to craft authentic, resonant narratives that cut through the noise and resonate with their target audiences.
Strategy:
With advanced data modeling and AI capabilities, PR teams are now delving deeper into insights that transcend the ordinary. Real-time analysis of headline share of voice and narrative allows users to make informed decisions on the fly, eliminating the need to wait days or weeks for campaign results. Furthermore, brands can now gain comprehensive insights into the performance of their PR strategies across geographies, enabling them to develop actionable plans tailored to specific markets and audiences. This ability to see strategy unfold globally in real-time empowers brands to adapt swiftly, optimize their approach, and drive impactful results on a global scale. Additionally, with the growing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, brands can leverage AI-powered tools to identify which publications and reporters are most engaged with their competition on ESG-related topics. Moreover, PR professionals can pinpoint which reporters are consistently producing viral news pieces, allowing them to tailor their outreach strategies for maximum impact and visibility.
Research and Building Insights:
Technology has leveled the playing field for PR and communications teams, providing instant access to intelligence on competitors and spokespersons worldwide, regardless of language or geography. For instance, consider a Corporate Communications professional tasked with launching a product in multiple countries. Traditionally, this would involve extensive research to identify PR agencies, understand local media landscapes, and assess competitor activities, requiring up to three months of investment. However, with AI-powered platforms, this process can now be completed within minutes. By leveraging real-time data and insights, PR teams can swiftly identify key stakeholders, assess market dynamics, and develop tailored communication strategies, significantly reducing time-to-market and maximizing launch impact.
Writing Content:
Maintaining consistency across communications is a key challenge in PR. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude AI, Gemini etc analyze data to provide real-time content suggestions keeping messaging on-brand and on-target. By using AI in content creation, PR teams can focus on crafting compelling narratives and tailoring messages to specific audiences. For example, when writing a press release for a product launch, AI-assisted tools can generate a high-quality first draft by analyzing key details, historical campaign data, and industry insights. This approach saves time and ensures a higher level of quality and consistency across all PR materials.
As the need for timely, superior content rises, AI-powered tools become indispensable for PR professionals to stay competitive. Embracing these technologies allows PR teams to boost efficiency, creativity, and impact, providing increased value to their organizations and clients.
Distribution of Content:
Ensuring that the right message reaches the right audience at the right time is crucial for success, but navigating the complex and ever-evolving media landscape can be a daunting task. Identifying the right reporters in each geography and engaging them effectively is critical in PR content distribution.
AI-powered tools like Wizikey revolutionize content distribution by enabling PR professionals to swiftly research and target journalists based on their past articles, interests, and social media activity. For example, when promoting a new sustainability initiative, a PR team can use AI-powered media monitoring tools to identify journalists who have previously written about similar initiatives or expressed interest in environmental issues. By leveraging sentiment analysis AI tools to gauge media tonality and tailoring outreach strategies accordingly, PR teams can maximize the impact of their content and build stronger relationships with key influencers and publications.
Moreover, AI-driven tools can predict the open rates of emails sent to journalists, helping PR professionals optimize their outreach timing. Wizikey's AI-powered heatmap, for instance, provides insights into the best times to send emails to journalists based on their historical open rates, increasing the likelihood of their pitches being read and acted upon. By strategically scheduling their outreach using these predictive insights, PR teams can further enhance the effectiveness of their content distribution efforts and improve their chances of securing valuable media coverage.
Analysis and Learning:
After content distribution, analyzing campaign performance and learning from the results is crucial. However, tracking PR campaigns across multiple channels can be complex and time-consuming.
AI-powered analytics tools revolutionize campaign analysis by collecting and processing vast amounts of data from media coverage, social media, and website traffic. These tools provide real-time insights, identifying narrative placement, high-engagement publications, and influential traffic drivers. PR teams can then make data-driven decisions to refine strategies and maximize ROI.
AI-powered sentiment analysis tools, previously mentioned in content distribution, also play a vital role in the analysis phase. By monitoring brand sentiment in real-time, PR professionals can quickly identify and respond to potential crises or opportunities. This feedback loop enables continuous learning and strategy adaptation. As PR professionals embrace AI-powered tools for distribution and analysis, they can better navigate the evolving media landscape, deliver greater value, and elevate the impact of PR in the digital age.
Reporting:
The final stage of any PR campaign is reporting. AI-powered reporting tools are transforming how PR professionals create and deliver reports from hours to under 5 minutes. Teams that used to spend weeks on compiling coverage dossiers can create dossiers within 10 minutes using Wizikey. AI tools automatically generate visually appealing, data-rich reports that showcase a campaign's full performance, from media coverage online or print and social media engagement to website traffic and sentiment analysis.
Moreover, AI-driven reporting tools like Wizikey’s - Imara leverage advanced technology like LLM to provide insight out of millions of news articles on the web. Imara creates verbal summaries highlighting the most important insights and trends, making it easier for stakeholders to understand PR efforts' impact. This streamlined, data-driven approach saves time and enhances PR's credibility within an organization.
Looking ahead, AI is poised to revolutionize PR even further. However, AI is not a substitute for human creativity and strategic thinking but rather a powerful ally enhancing PR professionals' capabilities. PR professionals will leverage AI to analyze vast amounts of data, identify emerging trends, predict potential crises, and uncover valuable storytelling opportunities.
AI will also transform audience engagement, with chatbots and virtual assistants handling routine inquiries, freeing up PR teams for strategic tasks. Sophisticated sentiment analysis will enable real-time monitoring and response to public opinion, while predictive analytics will help anticipate campaign impact and inform data-driven decisions. As AI evolves, it will play a key role in demonstrating PR's value by attributing business outcomes directly to PR efforts. PR professionals who embrace AI and stay adaptable will be well-positioned to thrive in an increasingly data-driven and technology-centric world, shaping the future of the industry for years to come.
*Aakriti Bhargava is Co Founder of Wizikey (India)
Article published as part of Global Alliance Technology and PR Month 2024.
Any thoughts or opinions expressed are that of the authors and not of Global Alliance.