In today’s always-on media environment, reputation is no longer shaped by a handful of headline moments. It is continuously formed, and reformed, by thousands of stories, posts, and perspectives across traditional and social media. For communications leaders, the challenge is no longer whether reputation matters, but how to measure it in a way that drives smarter decisions and tangible business outcomes.

This is where the next frontier of reputation measurement begins.

From Media Monitoring to Media Reputation

Media reputation is a brand’s standing in the media, driven by both the visibility and significance of coverage and the impact that coverage has on brand credibility. Crucially, recent stories and the perspectives of key stakeholders—employees, investors, policymakers, healthcare providers, customers, the media, and consumers—play an outsized role in shaping that reputation.

Traditional media monitoring tools tell you what was said. But they rarely explain what actually matters. Volume, impressions, and basic sentiment fail to capture how specific stories, outlets, authors, and topics meaningfully influence how a brand is perceived right now, and where that perception is heading next.

Introducing the Media Reputation Score

PublicRelay’s Media Reputation Score is designed to close that gap. It is a proprietary, data-driven metric that quantifies a brand’s media reputation, so communications teams can improve execution and actively influence reputation outcomes.

By leveraging GenAI alongside the expertise of experienced analysts, PublicRelay ingests, enriches, segments, and analyzes millions of traditional and social media articles and posts. This approach surfaces emerging narratives and evaluates their sizing, velocity, and impact at scale and with precision.

The result? Agile insights that moves beyond dashboards and into decision.

What the Media Reputation Score Enables

At its core, the Media Reputation Score provides clarity in complexity. It translates sprawling media ecosystems into insights leaders can act on. Key capabilities include:

• Performance Measurement: A clear, high-level snapshot of current reputation, grounding executive conversations around risk, opportunity, and performance.

• Reputational Driver Analysis: Identification of the specific stories, topics, outlets, and authors that are disproportionately shifting reputation, positively or negatively.

• Stakeholder Opportunity and Risk Identification: A focused view into how different stakeholder groups currently perceive the brand and how those perceptions are changing over time.
• Benchmarking (Peer, Industry, and Aspirational): Contextual understanding of how your reputation compares to competitors and the broader sector, separating company-specific issues from industry-wide dynamics.

• Campaign ROI Calculator: Insight into how campaigns, announcements, or issues moved reputation and what the score would have been without them.

• Tie to Business Outcome Data: Connecting media reputation to broader business objectives, enabling communications to demonstrate strategic value.

Answering the Questions Leaders Actually Ask

What makes the Media Reputation Score especially powerful is how it aligns to real-world leadership questions like:

• What does our current reputation suggest about how we are perceived right now?

• Which stories or outlets are driving week-by-week shifts in perception?

• Which journalists truly influence how we are viewed by investors or policymakers?

• How is sentiment evolving over time and what does that signal about our trajectory?

• Are we closing the reputational gap with peers, or falling behind?

By isolating the stories, authors, outlets, and topics that matter most, communications teams can move from reactive reporting to proactive reputation management.

Why This Matters Now

As scrutiny intensifies and stakeholder expectations rise, reputation risk and opportunity are accelerating. Leaders need more than anecdotal evidence or lagging indicators; they need a forward-looking, defensible way to understand how media is shaping credibility and trust in real time.

The Media Reputation Score represents a shift from measuring noise to measuring impact. It empowers communications leaders to explain why reputation is moving, what is driving it, and how to influence it next.

The Future of Reputation Measurement

The next frontier of reputation measurement isn’t about more data; it’s about better answers. With agile insights at scale, grounded in both advanced AI and human expertise, the Media Reputation Score gives organizations a clearer line of sight between media coverage and reputation outcomes.

For communications leaders tasked with protecting and building trust, that clarity isn’t just valuable; it’s essential.

Want to learn more about the Media Reputation Score? Contact us to learn more.

By Alyson Atwell, Director of Marketing, PublicRelay

March 11th | 12:00pm ET | Virtual

In today’s environment of heightened scrutiny and rapidly evolving expectations, communications teams play a critical role in guiding CEOs through complex decisions about when, and whether, to speak publicly on social and policy issues. Leaders must weigh opportunities to advance their organization’s mission against the risks of misalignment, reputational harm, political consequences or stakeholder backlash. At the same time, newly-appointed CEOs rely heavily on their communications team to help them establish credibility, articulate a clear vision, and define their leadership voice.

Guest hosted by CEO communications pro, Pete Weissman, this virtual roundtable will bring together senior communicators to explore how organizations can navigate this evolving leadership landscape.

This conversation will examine questions like:

• How can comms help leadership determine when to speak up—or stay silent—on social and policy issues?
• What opportunities and pitfalls do leaders face when engaging publicly on sensitive topics?
• How can organizations ensure executive messaging aligns with their values while minimizing reputational risk?
• What strategies can new CEOs use to make their mark and communicate a compelling, credible vision?
• How can communications teams best position executives as trusted voices inside and outside the organization?

This session will give leaders a chance to compare approaches, share challenges, and refine how they guide and support their CEO’s voice in an increasingly complex public landscape.

We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

February 18th | 8:00am CT | Chicago, IL

The pace of change facing communications leaders continues to accelerate. Technology is transforming how work gets done, altering career paths, reshaping team structures, and redefining what effective leadership looks like. At the same time, leaders are being asked to develop talent, maintain stability, and deliver impact amid ongoing uncertainty and evolution.

In this breakfast roundtable hosted by Geoff Curtis, we’ll bring senior communications leaders together for a candid, peer-driven discussion on what it takes to lead communications teams effectively today and in the future. Rather than focusing solely on tools or technology, the conversation will explore broader questions of talent development, leadership adaptability, and long-term capability building.

We’ll explore questions such as:

• How are career paths, team structures, and talent models evolving as technology takes more tactical and executional work?
• How should leaders mentor, coach, and develop professionals whose roles may fundamentally change in the next one to two years?
• Which capabilities truly future proof a communications career, and how should leaders balance technology and tactical mastery with foundational hard and soft skills?
• In an environment of constant change, how can leaders provide stability, direction, and confidence — while remaining transparent about uncertainty?

This conversation is designed for communications leaders looking to thoughtfully prepare the next generation of talent, evolve their leadership approach, and navigate the intersection of people, technology, and change with clarity and intention.

We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

February 12th | 12:00pm ET | Virtual

In today’s fast-moving policy and business environment, the stakes are high and how organizations communicate is critical. Policy decisions can accelerate or impede innovation, reshape competitive landscapes, and redefine a company’s reputation.

Guest hosted by Tim Doyle, Partner and Head of US Public Affairs at Stillpoint Global Advisors, and a former policy communications leader at Amazon and the US Chamber of Commerce, this virtual roundtable will gather senior communicators to explore how policy communications can advance or impact business objectives. The conversation will examine:

• How the environment has shifted over time and why state capitols play an even more important role 
• How narratives about policy developments and American innovation impact corporate strategy
• How to tell a compelling story using data both internally and externally
• Ways communications teams can translate policy into business relevance
• Best practices for elevating corporate affairs as a driver of business impact

This session will give leaders a chance to compare approaches, share challenges, and refine how they tell their organization’s story in a complex policy landscape.

We welcome CCOs, VPs, and Directors of Communications to request an invitation to join this roundtable discussion.

Upon qualification, you will receive a follow up email from a member of our team confirming your participation.

As geopolitical uncertainty and rapid technological change continue to reshape the landscape, communications leaders are being called on to do more than ever before. Chief Communications Officers are increasingly being seen as protectors of their brand and reputation and are earning a bigger seat at the executive table as a result.

Recent industry polling shows many leaders expect their communications and PR budgets to grow next year, but with that comes heightened scrutiny and pressure to prove value. Whether your budget is expanding or tightening, vanity metrics alone will no longer suffice. To make the most of your budget in 2026, communications leaders must rethink how they measure and demonstrate their impact.  

So, what should leaders prioritize in 2026? Here are five key areas to consider during your planning: 

1. Anchor Communications Strategy to Business Objectives

The most effective communications strategies start with business alignment. Leaders should clearly tie PR and communications efforts to organizational priorities such as growth, risk mitigation, regulatory readiness, or brand differentiation. When the function is framed as a driver of business outcomes, not just visibility, it becomes easier to justify investment and defend budgets at the executive level.

2. Embrace Budget Fluidity and Scenario Planning

2026 will demand more flexibility than ever before. Rigid annual budgets are giving way to more fluid models that allow teams to reallocate spend as risks, opportunities, and narratives shift. Communications leaders should plan for multiple scenarios and ensure they can quickly pivot resources toward crisis management, executive visibility, or emerging platforms as needed.

3. Build Business and Data Fluency Across the Function

With greater influence comes greater expectation. Communications leaders must speak the language of the business, using data to explain not just what happened, but why it matters. This includes moving beyond volume-based metrics to insights around audience reach, message penetration, sentiment, and reputational risk, data that resonates with CFOs and CEOs alike.

4. Prepare for AI Search and the Rise of GEO

As AI-driven search and generative engine optimization (GEO) reshape how information is discovered, earned media is becoming even more critical. Credible third-party coverage plays a growing role in how brands show up in AI-generated results, making strategic PR investment essential for long-term visibility and trust.

5. Invest in Reputation and Brand Resilience

In an era of constant scrutiny, reputation management is no longer reactive; it’s foundational. Leaders should use data to identify gaps in audience reach, understand where narratives are forming, and proactively build brand credibility before issues arise.

Driving Real Value in the Year Ahead

As communications leaders head into 2026, the mandate is clear: budgets may be growing, but expectations are growing faster. Increased influence and visibility bring an opportunity to redefine how communications proves its value. By tying strategy to business outcomes, remaining flexible, and investing in smarter measurement, leaders can position themselves to guide their organizations through uncertainty.  

At PublicRelay, we help communications teams turn data into actionable insights that demonstrate real impact. Contact us to learn more.

By Alyson Atwell, Director of Marketing, PublicRelay

In our last post, we covered why Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is a long game: AI assistants are answering questions directly, zero-click behavior is surging (nearly 60% of searches now end without a click!), and PR is finally pulling its weight in search rankings.

Now the question is: What do you actually do about it?

The job is no longer just “drive every query to our site.” It’s to map where answers are coming from and ensure your brand shows up in those “source-of-truth” nodes. Here is a practical, comms-led strategy to stop yelling into the void and start becoming the answer.

1. Start with Intent, Not Channels

Before you debate “Press Release vs. Blog,” ask: What questions must we answer, and where are those answers living today?

We generally see two big intent patterns:

• “What is the best…?” queries: These lean on social proof. AI cites reviews, forums, and communities like Reddit, Quora, LinkedIn, and G2.
• “What does this company do?” queries: These lean on authority. AI looks for clear corporate sites, “Top Platforms” lists, and high-authority media.

The Play: Don’t just chase the biggest logo. Target the ecosystem the AI trusts for your specific topic. Interestingly, don’t sleep on press releases. Studies show wires and business media frequently appear in AI citations. Treat them as “source-of-truth nodes” rather than just vanity metrics. A boring, well-structured explainer in a trusted mid-tier outlet is often more valuable for GEO than a flashy, hype-heavy interview.

2. Turn Your Content into “Citation Bait”

AI models love structure. They want evidence, not marketing fluff. You need to treat your comms assets—from press releases to executive quotes—as structured evidence.

Format for the Machine:

• Be Answer-First: Lead with a direct 1–3 sentence answer, then follow with context and example.
• Use Q&A Blocks: Literally write “Q: What is [Category]? A: [Definition]” in your releases and product pages. It makes it easy for bots to lift discrete answers.
• Chunk It: Keep sections to 200–300 words with descriptive subheads like “Why this matters for CISOs”. Models don’t read linearly; they scan for specific intents.

Optimize Your Evidence:

• Scope Your Quotes: Avoid generic praise. Use specific structures: “In 2025, [problem] costs [segment] roughly [impact]”.
• Explicit Data: Make sources linkable and clear (“According to [Firm] 2025 report…”) so the AI can verify the stat.

3. Exploit the “Freshness” Gaps

The biggest domains capture a huge share of citations, but they can’t cover everything. This is your opportunity. Models struggle with emerging topics and niche regulatory nuances.

The Play:

• Find the Gap: Use GEO tools or manual testing to see where current AI answers are thin, generic, or outdated.
• Refresh Aggressively: Brands with steady updates outperform sporadic spikes. Review your core “What we do” pages and explainers quarterly.
• Make Freshness Visible: Add “Last updated: [Month Year]” to key assets and pitch “New 2026 data” to show models you are the current authority.

4. Unify Your Team Around an Intent Map

Orchestration is hard because everyone sits in different silos (Web, Comms, Social), but the questions you need to answer and the outcomes are shared across teams.

Instead of assigning responsibility by channel, build a Shared GEO Intent Map:

1. Identify the 20–30 questions that matter most to your revenue or risk (e.g., “Is [Brand] good at [use case]?”)
2. Audit where you stand today: visible, weak, or nonexistent?
3. Assign levers:

• Comms: Secure quotes and data in AI-trusted outlets.
• Content: Write the deep-dive playbooks and “citation bait”
• Web: Handle the schema, FAQs, and site structure
• Social: Seed the answers in Reddit/LinkedIn threads where the AI looks for consensus

You can download our free GEO Intent Map Template here.

5. Quick Wins to Start Now

You can’t capture all the mindshare overnight, but you can start feeding better evidence into the models immediately. Here is your checklist for the next quarter:

• Rewrite Core Pages: Update 2-3 key product pages and your media kit to be “answer-first”.
• Add FAQ Sections: Put Q&A blocks in every new press release and thought leadership piece.
• Run a GEO Campaign: Focus one PR push specifically on outlets that appear in AI citations for your category.
• Start Tracking: Pilot a simple manual review or use a tool to track your visibility on priority questions.

GEO isn’t a new channel; it’s the infrastructure underneath all your channels. By balancing these quick structural wins with a long-term commitment to authority, you ensure that when the world asks about your category, you are the answer.

By Brendon O’Donovan, SVP of Product Solutions and Innovation, PublicRelay

AI has a huge impact on how you and your organization will create content, share information, and reach your stakeholders. In 2022, ChatGPT broke all user growth records by getting 1 million users in just 5 days after launch. Today, ChatGPT alone receives 5.4 billion monthly visits and only 20% of people report not using AI at all, with 35.4% of AI users using the tools daily. And they’re using it not just to generate content or to solve problems; they’re increasingly using it for researching answers to questions and for recommendations.

According to SEMRush, zero-click searches are now used by 80% of users for at least 40% of their searches globally. Additionally, almost 90% of queries that triggered an AI summary are informational. However, a recent study showed that the presence of an AI overview in search resulted in 34.5% lower clickthrough rate (CTR) for the top-ranking pages in those results. Another study from Brightedge confirmed this trend showing that year-over-year, search impressions were up by 49%, but CTRs fell by 30%. Simply stated: If users are now relying on AI summaries, they’re no longer clicking to your website, the earned media you’ve secured, your owned content, or your social content – at least not directly.

It’s not all doom and gloom; with all changes there are winners and losers, but there’s always opportunity.

What is GEO (and why should PR teams care)?

Before we go further, here’s a quick breakdown of the differences in the acronyms you’re likely seeing out there today:

Together, these represent a shift from ranking in search results pages to being a trusted source in AI-generated answers.

Why PR is More Valuable Than Ever

So, what does that mean for you as a communicator? It means your work is valuable and potentially gaining in value over time. Why? Generative AI favors:

AI pulls from trusted neutral sources. It avoids overly promotional and paid content. Platforms like Reddit, Linkedin Wikipedia, YouTube, and Medium dominate mentions and citations in LLMs. But go down the list a little further and you start to see media publications, like Forbes and Techradar – and even press release distribution sites. In other words, when you get outside of social and community sites, communications media sources show up frequently in citations. Earned media is finally getting the visibility and weight it deserves.

This probably isn’t news for you, though. GEO is hot right now. And yes — the hype has invited a flood of quick-fix vendors and vague promises. But communicators need real clarity on what actually works — and what needs to change.

This blog is the first in a series that will break down what PR teams must know to influence AI search, track results, and build a future-proof strategy to build credibility and mindshare in AI generated responses (I’ll keep the AI-buzzwords to a minimum to save your sanity — I promise).

How AI Search Actually Works (The simple version)

Traditional search engines match keywords, links, and ranking signals. AI systems do something different:

So instead of sending users to the “best link,” generative search synthesizes the most relevant, trustworthy, and current information it can find and references trusted credible sources to base it’s response.

And that’s where PR-driven credibility becomes essential.

Structuring Content for Inclusion:

To be part of the results, though, it’s important that you write and target organic mentions that will match the intent of the query. For communicators like you, this means writing with clarity on what question the audience might ask—and making sure your content answers the intent with clear and organized structures that are technically sound and easy for AI to reference.

To surface in AI-generated answers, your content — and the mentions you earn — must:

The goal: make your insights easy to extract and confidently cite.

If your content meets the intent of a user query, generative search can feature your brand — even if you’re not winning traditional SEO rankings.

Community Matters:

In the world of GEO, community content, social signals and organic references still play a role like they did in traditional SEO.

That means community engagement is still a powerful lever: Generative systems still look at source authority, trust and linkage. So, PR-driven mentions and engagement on sites like Reddit, Quora, Instagram, X, and TikTok help. PR teams, like you, can lean into this by building forums, community FAQ content, interviews, podcasts and guest posts that lend credible context and help build your brand as an authority.

Why is GEO a Long Game for PR and Comms?

Simply stated: the signals to AI matter here, and that trust, relevance and credibility can’t be built over night. To win in generative search, PR must:

In other words, AI is basically Sting, now: every article you make, every expert quote you place, every trusted source you chase — AI will be watching you (hopefully).

How do you build the strategy and plan for this long game? Our next blog will share some concrete recommendations and strategies to focus your efforts, collaborate with your larger teams, and build toward long term success with some near-term wins.

By Brendon O’Donovan, SVP of Product Solutions and Innovation, PublicRelay

As the holiday shopping season approaches, affordability is once again at the center of retail media coverage. But this year, it’s taking on a different tone. PublicRelay’s analysis of earned media coverage for Amazon, Target, and Walmart from April through October 2025 reveals that affordability is no longer just a pricing story. It’s become a narrative about consumer survival, corporate responsibility, and strategic positioning in a volatile economic climate.

What’s Driving the Conversation: Sales Events, Tariffs, and Shifting Behaviors

Across all three brands, discount and sales events (such as Amazon Prime Day) generated the highest potential reach among affordability-related themes. With 52 million average potential impressions, these events are clearly where media and consumer attention converge.

Meanwhile, narratives about tariffs influencing pricing strategy and consumers seeking more value through memberships and early shopping continue to gain traction. This points to a growing awareness among journalists that affordability is more about the broader economic factors shaping how retailers plan, price, and promote than just about markdowns.

A Subtle but Significant Signal: Affordability and Health

Interestingly, while mentions of “affordability and health” were relatively few, they were the most widely syndicated theme, picked up by 46 outlets on average. This indicates that stories connecting price sensitivity with wellness or sustainability resonate strongly with syndicating publications, amplifying their visibility.

For communicators, this presents both an opportunity and a caution. Consumers and the journalists who influence them are increasingly scrutinizing what “affordable” means. Communicating discounts on healthy, sustainable, or responsibly sourced products will land far better than those tied to disposable or low-quality goods.

What This Means for Black Friday Communications

With consumer fatigue around endless promotions already setting in (CNBC reports “discount burnout”), retailers can’t afford to treat Black Friday like business as usual. Our data suggests this year’s event will be framed less as a celebration of deals and more as a reflection of economic reality. It will be a moment for retailers to demonstrate empathy, transparency, and purpose in how they communicate value.

Communications leaders should prepare for:

• Heightened media scrutiny of pricing tactics amid ongoing tariff impacts (as Retail Brew notes).
• Consumer skepticism toward excessive discounting or “deal fatigue.”
• Greater visibility for messaging that aligns affordability with health, sustainability, and long-term value.

Competing on Principles

Black Friday 2025 isn’t just about competing on price. It’s about competing on principles. Retail communicators who acknowledge the pressures consumers face, highlight the value behind their discounts, and position affordability as part of a responsible brand promise will be best positioned to win trust and strengthen reputation this season.

By Kay Kavanagh, Director of Research, PublicRelay