AI, consumer trust and the media landscape
AI continues to be a key buzzword in PR and communications. The power of a virtual assistant that can generate responses to queries and assist in rewriting any inputs is certainly a dream for any writer. There are countless questions about how and when these tools can be implemented into PR and communications workflows.
Being able to produce more initially seems advantageous, but looking at the larger landscape indicates an issue: what happens when everyone has access to this tool? There is already a massive saturation of content on the internet, and a tool that’s primary use is expediting the process of writing will certainly have a considerable impact. How are you supposed to promote your company in the field of digital marketing when everyone is doing the same thing, especially if you’re an online-only business?
Seemingly every company is feeling the pressure to introduce its own AI tool (or at least some kind of guidelines for their use) and it’s only a matter of time before AI evolves into a truly disruptive type of tech – the impact of which is as of yet impossible to predict.
Contending with the massive rise in paid-for marketing
As for whether PR is still needed in the age of digital marketing, the answer is firmly yes. There’s a vast array of pay-to-play articles, sponsorships, and ads wherever you look; having a cohesive narrative for your company is invaluable when so much of online traffic is simply focused on volume and being SEO-driven, rather than people engaging with your business personally.
Most importantly, PR plays a major role in communicating what the brand wants to express about itself much more than advertising can, due to the sheer volume of ads we see everyday.
Put simply, the white noise of advertisements is astounding. How many ads do we actually see on a daily basis? 6,000-10,000 views of ads per person per day is usually the figure stated by advertising companies, even though the accuracy of this statistic is often debated. As for what counts for really ‘seeing’ an advertisement, that is an entirely different question. In a piece on ‘advertising clutter’, CBS news journalist Caitlin Johnson states that we are exposed to about 5,000 ads a day.
As Johnson writes, “the conundrum for modern day marketers is how to cut through the clutter without alienating the consumer.” Piercing through all this noise without expertise and experience might be tricky – which is why it’s always a good idea to consult a professional.
