✅ AI in PR shifts from experimentation to implementation
Your week ahead in management, media and public relations
We’ve passed the stage of AI experimentation in public relations. The hard work of integrating AI into workflows and determining the impact on the future of practice and society is underway.
This was the upbeat narrative at the PRMoment Masterclass on AI in PR last week. Thanks to Ben Smith for producing such an insightful event.
📷 Stephen speaking at the AI in PR Masterclass. Photo by Andrew Bruce Smith
A Boston Consulting Group study suggests that professional workers can get 25% efficiency and 40% effectiveness benefits from AI. It both underestimates and exaggerates the opportunity.
The challenge for practitioners is that AI tools cannot neatly be mapped into public relations workflow. There is no instruction book and no playbook.
Workflow must be broken down into tasks and tools mapped against activity. Allison Spray shared the perspective of a large agency from Burson. Holding group WPP has developed its own AI platform.
AI in public relations is as much a cultural issue as it is a technology issue, and it’s bloody hard work. Administration and editorial give some of the greatest opportunities for gains.
Using transcription tools improves productivity fivefold or more. Almost half of the masterclass attendees said they use transcription for meetings when polled.
Paul Wooding demonstrated how an AI tool can be trained on corporate information and used to produce the first version of draft documents. He’s done this at TM Forum.
Jonny Bentwood walked delegates through his Golin PR tool data stack, demonstrating along the way how days of research work could be reduced to a few minutes of work to pull together information from multiple sources and spot patterns.
Maya Koleva showed how AI could streamline measurement and evaluation, sharing Commetic's workflow.
AI is an issue for everyone in an agency or communication team. It cannot be siloed. Emily McDaid challenged delegates to ten hours of work to get a basic understanding.
If the Empire States Building represents the sum of human achievement, we’ve reached the 15th floor with the current generation of AI, she said. Significant societal challenges are also ahead as we head to the 102nd floor.
Andrew Bruce Smith said the one thing all AI tool vendors have in common is that they are being sued by publishers.
Lawyer Luke English described the legal landscape and said AI vendors sought to avoid regulation by entering into licensing agreements. This is likely to drive up the cost of tools.
Data augmentation and management are also challenges, and there is a high anxiety surrounding safeguarding and security.
Researcher Dr Clea Bourne from Goldsmiths, University of London, described AI's impact on the future of work. Right now, the main beneficiaries of AI are the investors in AI large language models and tool companies.
If you approach public relations from a communication or media perspective, your work will undoubtedly be impacted. AI can already routinely undertake tasks in both areas.
However, if you view public relations as managing relationships between an organisation and its audiences or public, you’re on safer ground.
Wadds Inc. published a paper last month called The Use of AI in Corporate Communications and Public Relations: The Story So Far. It takes a critical perspective and explores many of these issues and more.
We’re also helping agencies and communications teams get to grips with these issues through consulting and training. Let me know if we can help you.
AI in public relations practice is messy and challenging, but incredibly exciting.
Have an excellent week.
UK Election
📰 MEDIA SHIFT: Right-wing media is set to scrutinise the new Labour government intensely, with only a brief honeymoon period expected. The rise of Reform UK and changing media loyalties have created a complex landscape for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to navigate, with tabloids likely to focus on immigration, 'war on woke' and net zero policies. Source: The Observer.
🌊 MANAGING A LANDSLIDE: Labour's election win, with a majority of nearly 200 seats, is a double-edged sword for party strategists. While celebrating their first victory in 19 years, Labour officials recognise that the majority raises public expectations for swift change despite winning only 34% of the overall vote and facing constrained public finances. Source: Financial Times.
📊 PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION: The Electoral Reform Society has released projections showing how the 2024 UK general election results could have looked under a proportional representation system. Labour would still be the largest party, while other parties would have seat shares much closer to their vote shares, potentially leading to a more representative parliament. Source: Electoral Reform Society.
🗳️ STOP THE PITCHES: With the UK election and new government dominating media coverage, practitioners are advised to delay important announcements for better chances of pick-up. Key dates for the new government include the swearing-in of MPs, King's speech, committee announcements and the budget. Source: Strike Communications.
Industry
💸 CIPR LOSSES: The CIPR AGM takes place this week with guest speaker Caitlin Moran. Despite growing revenue and membership, it has reported losses of almost £280,000 over the past two years. This was attributed to decreased demand for training, slower growth of its on-demand learning platform, and lower-than-expected attendance at its first face-to-face PRide Awards since 2019. Source: CIPR.
🕵️ PR CONFESSIONS: In his new book All the Worst Humans, Phil Elwood recounts his experiences working for controversial clients such as Muammar Gaddafi and Bashar al-Assad. It details Elwood's involvement in reputation laundering for dictators and authoritarian regimes, including securing positive media coverage and influencing global events. Source: The Times.
💼 JOBS IN PR: The UK PR industry job market remained robust in July, with 107 roles posted across major agencies, maintaining a balanced distribution of junior, mid-weight and senior positions. Despite economic challenges in 2023, consistent hiring levels indicate stability in the PR sector, with experts anticipating a positive shift in the market and increased hiring in the latter half of the year as broader economic indicators improve. Source: Jobs in PR.
Governance
🧑💼️ PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT: The Institute of Directors (IoD) is introducing a voluntary Code of Conduct to help directors make responsible decisions and rebuild trust in UK business. Based on six principles, including integrity and transparency, the Code is open for consultation until August, with the IoD seeking feedback on its content and implementation strategies. Source: Sarah Waddington CBE.
🚨 TRUST CRISIS: The BBC's Mark Easton warns that eroding trust in politics threatens democracy, citing scandals and disconnection as key factors. Speaking at a Chartered Institute of Governance UK & Ireland event, he urged a focus on restoring public faith through integrity, fairness, competence, openness and connection. Source: Sarah Waddington CBE.
Artificial intelligence
🤖 SPAM OUTRANKS NEWS: Google search results are still plagued by AI-generated spam content that outranks original reporting, months after the company updated its policies to target such practices. SEO experts express frustration and concern over the prevalence of low-quality, plagiarised content in Google News results, which could disincentivise publishers from producing quality journalism. Source: WIRED.
🧱 JUMPING PAYWALLS: Perplexity, an AI-powered search startup, is facing accusations of plagiarism after its chatbot produced a summary of a WIRED article that closely mirrored the original text, including a verbatim sentence. Legal opinion is divided on whether this practice could expose the company to copyright infringement claims. Source: WIRED.
Society
🚢 BOAT SEIZED: Banksy's migrant rescue boat, MV Louise Michel, has been detained by Italian authorities after saving 37 people in the Mediterranean. The artist called the seizure "vile and unacceptable." The crew described it as a "political game" following their decision to seek shelter near Lampedusa instead of disembarking in Sicily as ordered. Source: The Guardian.
🏴 LYING OUTLAWED: The Welsh government has committed to introduce legislation that would make lying in politics illegal before the next Senedd elections in 2026. The new law would disqualify members and candidates found guilty of deliberate deception through an independent judicial process, with supporters hailing it as a historic move to combat the threat that lying poses to democracy. Source: BBC.
Thank you to Rob Bruce, Ian Coy, Rod Cartwright, Seán Fleming, Shavaun Glen, Justine Lee, Alan Morrison, Matt Pearson, Nigel Sarbutts, Sarah Stimson, Sheena Thomson, Sarah Waddington CBE and Jane Whitham for sharing and debating the stories in the newsletter this week..