AI - the new age PR tool

It amazes me how technology has made its way into our daily lives. Well, the clock has been waking us up for centuries now – but now, it even tells us whose birthday it is today! Yes, the technology-aided transition over the last decade or so has been so rapid yet smooth, so aggressive yet easy that it has made the world a far more convenient place than what it once used to be.

Having started my career as an intern in one of the leading PR agencies of the country, I still remember vividly those days of drafting press releases, pitch notes, sourcing and organizing calls, trying to analyse data and persistently following up with the media to ‘crack’ a story. Yes, two species in this world are the happiest if a certain piece of news is out in the next day’s newspaper – journalists and PR professionals.

With almost no experience in the field, it was a huge challenge to understand this whirlpool of a system.  But looking back at that era after more than a decade and half, I can see how the industry has changed. And this has been possible because of technology.

Keeping a track

Imagine sitting behind a mountain of newspapers, going through every page in relevant sections and taking a cut-out of every single news piece that has appeared on behalf of your client. Now, imagine this every single day. Yes, that was what ‘media tracking’ used to be. We would wish that if only we could just land up at work every morning and be served with all the clippings, so that we could do the same to our clients. It was a stupid thought then. Little did we know that we’ll actually witness this someday when softwares and online applications would track this down and we’ll be dishing out hourly coverage reports for the clients to relish on the MAVs.

But in 2020, even that is ‘usual’. Post the Barcelona Principles, just MAVs don’t work anymore. Now it’s not just tracking — we are talking about scenario mapping, consumer sentiment, market analysis and forecasting, budgeting, target audience, spokesperson training, sustainability modules, campaigns and content matrix... and at the end of it all, evaluation and success measurement – for every platform, for every market.

That’s where the PR industry has evolved, and it’s impossible to function without technological aid – some Artificial Intelligence (AI) supporting the human diligence.

AI and Us

My first brush with AI was the simple auto-correct on my handset. I was in love with the convenience, and even without knowing I let technology to seamlessly become an extension of myself. My mobile was suddenly so humane.

Now, Google completes sentences for you and Alexa orders dinner, you receive Live score notifications from an OTT platform and your social media handles get pleasantly flooded with hotel booking options today morning because you were flipping through some ‘places to visit in Himachal’ before going to bed yesterday – EVERYTHING is AI.

Yes, we can debate how the dependence is crippling basic human abilities and that data privacy is a threat. But one can’t ignore the basic truth – in order to consume, people would want information and in order to sell, people would need information. Can we ask people not to enquire about today’s AQI? Will they not search for metro routes? People will compare everything from shoes to foreign universities and they will order groceries too. In the process what will flow out is information.

That’s what the businesses needs, and that’s what the PR industry needs too. Standing somewhere in between the businesses and the media, it must analyse, comprehend and package this massive data for both. It’s a massive task, and technology is the only support.

Authentic & Accurate

So, if softwares and applications equip machines with intelligence, will that make humans redundant? Are job cuts ‘due to mounting cost’ an indicator? No, that’s not a lame question at all. ATMs have replaced bank tellers and stationery shops have turned into computer accessories stores; buses will soon ply on their own and pretty much every customer care call is received by an automated voice. 

But that’s evolution and the PR industry too will have to evolve along with it. The expectations are that of having a public relations-digital-content-marketing-advertising-policy advisory organization all rolled into one, and the industry will have to respond. And yet, it must be creative, responsive and authentic. In a world that is riddled with fakes and gimmicks, the emphasis will be more on ‘real’. With consumers getting empowered with information, authenticity will be the key factor. And that’s why, the human element can never be replaced.

For the PR industry, AI would mean Authentic and Accurate Information.

How AI can aid the PR & Communication industry:

Focused Communication Campaigns -

Foresee and plan relevant and focused PR campaigns with strong analytics and research reports, survey findings and assessing consumer behavioral studies.

New Breakers:

Readily available and accurate data helps draft stronger pitch notes, story pegs and even predict the news before-hand.

Makes content the king:  

Generate high quality, impeccable and error free content. Data-based content where facts are of paramount importance, Artificial Intelligence (AI) definitely comes across as a boon.

Impactful digital campaigns:

Empower the brand to target their campaigns with best strategies and determine specific outcomes. Dig deep into the psyche of end consumers - what they want, purchase, or expect from the brand. These aspects are important to determine sensitive areas such as price points and brand loyalty. Whether it is an influencer marketing, social media campaigns or media outreach programme, Artificial Intelligence (AI) plays a vital role in making or breaking a campaign.

With each day as technology is improving, I am sure the PR and communication space certainly will reap the benefits of the same. It is time when I can indisputably say that the PR world is no longer a monotonous field but an industry that is bound to take leaps with technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) by its side.

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of exchange4media.com