How to Elevate Your Brand in an AI World
- Jul 24, 2025
- 4 min read
Written by Amie-Leigh Minshull, Seasoned PR Professional
Amie-Leigh has over 12 years of global experience in PR and marketing and is the founder of Shh! PR, a UK-based agency supporting female entrepreneurs. She is also a mentor to emerging PR professionals and a passionate advocate for accessible, strategic PR.
For decades, search has been synonymous with scrolling. You type a query into Google and are met with a sea of blue links, sponsored articles, and banner ads that you need to sift through to find what you're looking for. But that is no longer the case. AI-powered search has arrived, and it's changing everything.
AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude have grown in popularity in recent years. As of 2025, 78% of companies have adopted AI technologies in at least one business function. And now, with AI overviews, the world of AI is expanding into everyday life. AI-based search is quietly revolutionizing how people discover, decide, and trust your brand.
The convenience is undeniable. But for brands, it presents a new, urgent challenge: if you're not part of the answer, you're not part of the conversation. This shift fundamentally alters how public relations, content marketing, and brand strategy must operate. PR is no longer just about generating buzz; it’s about building authority, trust, and long-term visibility in a world where search is now summary.
The rise of generative AI in search
According to a 2024 study by Gartner, by 2027, 60% of consumers will use generative AI applications for search-related tasks over traditional engines. Google's introduction of AI Overviews and Microsoft's AI-integrated Copilot in Bing is just the beginning. These tools don't just refer users to websites; they answer questions directly, drawing information from high-authority content.
This has two major implications:
Click-through rates (CTR) are dropping. In January 2025, the CTR for an organic search result with no AI overview was 3.97%. When an AI overview was shown, this dropped to just 0.64%.
Trustworthy sources dominate. AI models are trained to prioritize content from reputable outlets. This puts a premium on being cited in respected publications and referenced by authoritative figures.
But what feeds the machines?
If asked where AI gets its information, many would instinctively say "Google." And you'd be right, to a certain extent. But beneath that surface lies a more intricate ecosystem: journalism, expert commentary, research-backed content, and credible third-party mentions from authoritative voices. These are the raw materials that fuel AI's responses.
If your brand isn't being talked about in the right way, on the right platforms, by the right people, you're slowly becoming invisible to the very systems that will soon define how people find what they need.
The evolving role of public relations
Traditional PR often focused on creating buzz, grabbing headlines, securing features, and generating hype in the form of product launches, viral moments, and attention-grabbing stunts. While these still have their place, AI doesn't favor flash; it favors fact.
PR is still about grabbing attention. But now more than ever, it's about answers. To show up in generative AI search results, your brand must provide useful, credible, and context-rich content. And here’s how:
1. Expert-led commentary
Position your executives, product leads, or spokespeople as industry experts. Create well-crafted content, such as insightful commentary, expert opinions, and thought leadership, that ties your brand to substance and places it in credible media outlets.
2. Educational storytelling
Go beyond the "what" of your product or service. Answer the "how," "why," "when," and "who it's for." Generative AI thrives on context. This makes long-form explainers, whitepapers, and deep-dive blog content highly valuable. Educate your audience, and you will provide value that AI can recognize and reference.
3. Consistent, cross-platform messaging
AI rewards consistency. Ensure that your brand voice, values, and key messages are aligned across media coverage, website content, LinkedIn thought leadership, and industry forums.
4. Focus on evergreen content
Invest in long-form features and explainers in trusted publications over newsjacking articles. This content remains relevant and is frequently referenced and indexed by AI models over time, so it continues to be a resource long after the initial buzz fades.
5. Optimize for discoverability
Ensure your brand's mentions are well-structured, appropriately linked and tagged, and have the right amount of relevant keywords without sounding like SEO spam. Instead of keyword stuffing, write in the way that people ask questions. For example, content that answers "How can small businesses use AI to improve operations?" will perform much better than generic AI marketing copy.
It's not just about being present, it's about being trusted
In the AI era, authority trumps virality. AI models prioritize information from sources with high domain authority, backlink profiles, and social proof. We are no longer in a world where being the loudest guarantees attention. In the age of AI-powered search, the winners will be the brands that are most helpful, most credible, and most referenced.
Your brand's future isn't just in the headlines; it's in the answers.
By collaborating with expert-led PR teams, investing in educational storytelling, and prioritizing discoverability and trust, you can ensure your brand shows up exactly where it needs to be. Because in the age of AI, you don't just want to be part of the conversation. You want to be in the conversation.
Read more from Amie-Leigh Minshull
Amie-Leigh Minshull, Seasoned PR Professional
Amie-Leigh is a seasoned PR professional with over 12 years of experience in global public relations and marketing, spanning both in-house and agency roles. Based in Grantham, UK, she launched Shh! PR to make high-quality, strategic PR accessible to female business owners. Her expertise lies in crafting compelling brand narratives and leveraging both traditional and digital media to amplify visibility. Known for her results-driven approach, Amie-Leigh has built a strong network and reputation in the industry. She is also passionate about mentoring emerging PR talent and supporting the next generation of professionals.
