Not long ago, robots were just a thing of sci-fi movies. But in the blink of an eye, they’re now the talk of every industry, helping businesses and agencies write articles, create images, and produce videos. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the game regarding how companies manage their workloads and create content. But while it’s not easy to predict the extent of the change we can expect, there’s one thing we know for sure: the human element will always matter in PR.
How can we be so sure? Because SMITHHOUSE has thoughtfully crafted our entire business on precisely that. It’s what continues to bring in big wins for our clients and will only make them stand out even more as other industries and professionals rely too heavily on the technology to work faster, not more strategically.
Here’s what we mean by all that.
Why Humans Will Always Matter in Public Relations
The entertainment PR industry is exceptionally unique in that it’s ripe for disruption. We thrive on finding the pieces that will amplify a brand’s message and make it stand out. So we understand that innovations can change the playing field, but there are some things it simply can’t replace. Here are just a few:
Media Relationships
If there’s one thing AI can’t do, it’s build meaningful relationships. And in PR, these connections with the press, journalists, and media outlets are invaluable. No matter how great your content is or who creates it, you need the right people to get it the right coverage to break it through the clutter.
A PR firm will help clients gain strategic and meaningful media opportunities through their network of trusted media connections. It will also offer media training and personalized feedback to ensure your team delivers that message with confidence and clarity. We’ll put it this way; your script shouldn’t sound like a script, and that’s where a PR agency makes all the difference.
Strategic Planning
AI-powered tools are helping businesses replace very technical tasks/skills, but they don’t offer the consciousness to analyze a problem and a strategic, creative solution to complex problems. When crafting a strategy for a brand or business, PR professionals have to understand the client’s needs, the goals they're trying to accomplish, the nuances of their business, and the landscape in which the messaging has to thrive. There are so many unique factors to consider that are too high level for AI tools.
At SMITHHOUSE, we take this even a step higher as our core team has all lived and breathed the same roles our clients have in each of the industries we’ve served. We know what it’s like to spend the day in their shoes, so we understand their challenges, ambitions, and needs better than anyone — or anything.
Creativity & Branding
While AI tools like ChatGPT may be able to help you write a solid press release, incorporating it into a strategic media plan requires cohesion and creativity. You shouldn’t be producing each element individually; they should all be working harmoniously toward the same goal.
And that not only means having the right conversations and interactions that get inside a client’s mind, but also taking on their brand’s voice. So when you need to draft an executive quote or develop messaging for a campaign, you can’t rely on the basic prompts or emotionless framework that ChatGPT will generate. You need the human touch to convey the unique nuances and tone that are crucial to standing out and striking a chord with your target audiences.
Creativity, imagination, and flexibility are things AI just can’t fulfill like its human counterparts!
How AI Can Support PR Firms
The main takeaway is that public relations firms shouldn’t be afraid of this technology; they should use it to their advantage. In reality, it’s just another tool. We’ve incorporated technology into our processes before, and we’ll do it again.
Here are some ways the top firms do just that to give their people and clients an edge.
- Brainstorm ideas and inspiration through inputs based on the brand, industry, and target audience.
- Write press releases and more technical content that PR teams can edit to their needs.
- Monitor media outlets and identify potential coverage opportunities, which can also help PR firms assess the effectiveness of their campaigns.
- Analyze vast information quickly to generate predictive analytics that can guide decision-making and strategies.
- Analyze historical data and market trends that can help forecast costs and ensure better resource allocation.
- Support repetitive and time-consuming tasks (such as data entry or scheduling), so PR firms can focus their efforts on making the creative and strategic elements even better.
As this technology continues to find its role within the PR world, it's still far from grasping the humanity and strategy that both connect brands to their audiences in the most meaningful ways. And it will never replace the importance of relationships. So as if you’re starting to explore these tools, it’s important to note the valuable piece that the human touch still provides. To learn more about how to take advantage of both, contact our boutique PR firm in New York City, Miami, or LA to discuss your business goals today.
