This week’s Big Talk newsletter covers:
How PR people are using AI
Cool podcasts & PR community news / wisdom to keep you motivated through the post-holiday sads
Don’t forget about LA now that the news headlines have calmed down.
How PR People Are Using AI
Today, Muck Rack dropped its annual The State of AI in PR report that gathers the thoughts of more than 1,000 PR professionals to see how they’re using AI in their workflows.
What it covers
Currently, three out of four PR professionals use generative AI at work, nearly three times the number from March 2023.
93% of PR pros using AI say it speeds up their work and 78% say it boosts the quality of their work.
98% of PR pros say they often or always edit the output of AI.
Despite the widespread usage of the technology, only 38% of PR pros report having company guidelines for AI use.
More than half of PR pros say they use a paid version of AI services.
What it doesn’t cover
A concept I’ve been thinking a lot about when it comes to AI and PR is how it could replace certain comms roles all together. From a consultant standpoint, I’ll be curious to see how many Founders, Marketers, and other non-comms pros in the startup world will try to use AI to develop pitches and press releases in replacement of an actual comms strategy built by a pro. It’s a prediction that I dive into more in episode 15 of the Smart in Public podcast.
With tighter headcount budgets and non-PR people having a generally low understanding of what goes into building and executing on a successful PR strategy, I would be interested to know how many founders gave AI a crack to build a comms strategy instead of hiring support from an expert.
What it all means
From my perspective, the findings that came through from the data wasn’t a huge surprise. What I did find interesting were the signals when piecing all the data together:
Signal 1: AI has moved beyond the experimental phase to become a fundamental tool in PR practice. The 3x growth in just 9 months shows that at this rate, AI usage could become nearly universal in PR within another year. The high percentage of paid users (over 50%) further indicates this is being treated as a serious business tool worth investing in.
Signal 2: The high satisfaction rates suggest AI is delivering tangible value and providing ROI will likely drive investment in AI tools specifically designed for PR workflows.
Signal 3: There’s a significant disconnect between adoption and regulation. This could likely lead to:
A rush to implement AI policies as companies realize the risks of ungoverned AI use
Industry-wide standards emerging for ethical AI use in PR
More structured approaches to AI training for PR professionals
Signal 4: The future could be really cool for AI and PR tools. The high percentage of PR pros using paid tools could lead to more specialized AI tools designed specifically for PR tasks like pitch writing, media monitoring, and crisis communications.
January is a long month. Here’s some Podcasts & PR Community news and wisdom to keep you motivated through the post-holiday sads
This podcast changed my brain chemistry so much this week that I’ve literally applied it to every element of my work.
Hear me out – I know we just talked about evolving and not making resolutions, but maybe there’s a bridge in the middle that’s needed for when we DO need to make a change.
Breaking into Podcasts: Media Relations Tools, PR News Online
Last week I met with approximately 20 CEO comms pros and podcasts were at the top of list for what they’re going to explore this year. Let me know if you want me to do a special deep dive on podcast pitching and best practices!
Hear me out CEO comms people – what if, instead of endlessly chasing the biggest outlets, what if you broadened your strategy for 2025?
Under Embargo shares some awesome ideas for all of you building C-suite strategies at the moment in this post.
If you’re looking to leverage social media trends for your brand this year, here’s where consumers want you to show up.
Don’t F up your internal comms around these upcoming holidays. Thanks Axios HQ for always having our back!
Each month Axios HQ shares best practice templates with Axios HQ users so they can get communications around key moments right.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan 20)
Feeling out of control with how to help with the LA Fires? Here’s some resources
The fires that we’re seeing across LA are horrific and have absolutely leveled the city. If you’re like me and are completely consumed with worry for friends, loved ones, animals, and just the amount of people that have had their lives turned upside down, here are some resources to help out.