Artificial Intelligence – PR industry’s new friend or frenemy?

Artificial Intelligence is the buzzing keyword and an emerging player in the PR & Communications industry that offers efficient tools to streamline communications strategies, enhance data analysis, and provide deeper insights into consumer behaviour. It also empowers PR professionals to craft targeted and purpose-driven campaigns, measure their results, and manage crises swiftly and effectively. Like it said, with great power comes great responsibility. The increased integration of AI is also raising ethical concerns and potential pitfalls.

But the question sustains: Will AI become PR's best friend and help professionals in boosting effectiveness and freeing up time for strategic thinking? Or will it become a frenemy that will automate the tasks and leave the human touch behind? 

So, we talked with the industry’s seasoned professionals Aman Gupta, Managing Partner, SPAG FINN Partners, Atul Sharma, CEO Ruder Finn India and Head, Middle East, Nikhil Dey, Executive Director - Adfactors PR, Deepshikha Dharmaraj, Chief Executive Officer, Burson Group India, and Nitin Mantri, Group CEO, Avian We to discuss how PR professionals can manage AI responsibly and with clear boundaries to create authenticity and a distinction between human and machine-generated interactions.

Excerpts:

How does AI impact your daily workflow and is transforming the way agencies communicate internally, with businesses, and with information? 

Talking about how AI impacts the daily workflow internally, Aman Gupta explained, “From automating repetitive tasks, getting deeper data & faster analytical insights to enhancing productivity, AI has revolutionized daily workflows within PR agencies. AI transforms how agencies interact with businesses and manage information. AI-powered analytics provide deep insights into audience behavior, sentiment analysis, and media trends, enabling agencies to craft more targeted and effective communication strategies.” 

Deepshikha explained using Data Analytics and how it is perhaps the most powerful manifestation of AI for communications. “We understood the need for data analytics almost ten years ago when we started our Live! Newsroom, and today, AI has multiplied its capabilities. We can now analyze huge amounts of data with AI and use it to derive insights, trends, and audience behavior. When we create messaging and campaigns with these, they become more relevant and targeted,” she shared.

Atul emphasized that AI is more than just a buzzword for their organization; it's a responsibly and ethically used tool across all operations. To back up the statement, he explained, “We have been focused on building our 'AI Champions' program, which has been pivotal in fostering AI expertise at all levels within our organization. These AI champions are our in-house experts, guiding employees and advising clients on AI integration while addressing ethical concerns. Collaborating closely with client leadership teams, these champions play a crucial role in identifying potential risks associated with AI and developing robust mitigation strategies.” 

Nitin highlighted their role in helping clients transition their organizations into the AI era to capitalize on the technology's immense potential by continually striving for greater productivity, fostering innovation through AI, and emphasizing the importance of human intelligence and creative thinking. 

How is AI helping brands in their communication strategies for the consumer and stakeholders?

Atul Sharma shared about the launch of Sonar 5.5 at Ruder Finn, an AI-powered crisis simulation tool that helps corporations practice their crisis preparedness and refine their communication plans. “Multi-lingual SONAR 5.5 can be operated in multiple languages including English, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. By simulating potential crises and gauging stakeholder reactions, companies can develop pre-emptive strategies and refine their communication plans. Sonar 5.5 even identifies potential areas of future concern allowing for proactive planning and risk mitigation, he elaborated,” he highlighted.

Mantri discussed how AI is revolutionizing brand communication with hyper-personalization and real-time engagement. He further added that for stakeholders, AI analyzes data to spot trends and issues, allowing proactive responses. It also improves crisis management by monitoring social media and news in real time, providing crucial insights for swift action.

Referring to the flip side of AI in communications strategies, Dharmaraj explained, “The negative impact of AI is also driving some aspects of communications. In the post-truth world, misinformation and weaponized information are a clear and present danger, and brands must have a roadmap in place to address it.”

Share some real-time examples of successful PR Campaigns that leveraged AI. 

To this, Nitin shared about the PR Campaign named “The Guarded Bus Stop Project”, which showcases how AI can be harnessed to create a safer environment for the public. 

“This campaign aims to enhance nighttime safety, especially for women, by transforming digital advertising displays at bus shelters into real-time security tools. From 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., these internet-connected screens, equipped with microphones and night-vision cameras, enable video calls to a call center, providing company and reassurance for those waiting alone. During the day, the displays function normally, showing advertisements. This Experiential and Integrated media campaign stands out as a prime example of leveraging AI for strategic, creative communication to drive societal change,” he elaborated.

Deepshikha shared an example of Britannia's 1947% More History, an Independence Day campaign by the brand in 2023. She explained, “This campaign is a great example of how generative AI can help create immersive narratives. The campaign tells the story of the last five surviving freedom fighters of India. Generative AI was used to re-create their life stories, and augmented reality was used to give those stories an immersive feel.” 

Atul illustrated, “Last year, we marked Ola’s #EndICEAge campaign along with their annual launch event, creating awareness around electric vehicles. The event wherein we had select customers, was also streamed in 6 regional languages with the help of AI, for a wider reach. This multilingual approach ensured that the campaign resonated with diverse audiences across different regions amplifying Ola's message about the benefits of electric vehicles.”

Gupta elaborated his thoughts by illustrating the launch of a new HealthTech wearable product, where Gen AI was used to analyze user reviews based on YouTube comments, Amazon/Flipkart reviews, and mainline articles. He further explained that this analysis helped identify key benefits that resonate with different demographics, the USPs that stood out compared to competitors, and the OpenAI model facilitated better tracking of sentiment and feedback across platforms, allowing the PR team to address concerns and highlight positive messaging points in subsequent articles.

Does AI shift the role of PR and communication professionals to the backseat? If not, what does the future hold for the relationship between humans and AI? 

Nikhi Dey expressed that AI is a new ocean of opportunity and the smart PR professional is one who embraces it and dives right in. He further shared that professionals should build a ritual around using AI every day, invite people in for a swim in the AI waters, curate an AI usage policy for themselves and for their organization that articulates guidelines, best practices, do’s, and don'ts of AI, document discoveries, find case studies and discover new use cases or pitfalls to avoid, and lastly, continue to have fun as this will help surf the waves of change with a smile on face.

Talking about the future, Atul shared that AI is here to stay and we must make it an asset. AI is not here to shift our roles to a backseat but it's a tool that we as communication professionals eventually need to use optimally and ethically. 

Nitin believes that human intelligence will still be key and those who master human-AI partnerships will thrive, leading to more effective and impactful PR outcomes.

“The future of PR hinges on a synergistic partnership between AI and human expertise, where AI empowers us to navigate complexities with agility and precision, while human creativity and strategic foresight remain indispensable in driving impactful communication strategies,” Gupta concluded.