AI’s Role in PR Strategy

AI has entered the room — and it’s not waiting for an invitation. For PR professionals, the question is no longer whether AI will reshape how brands are discovered, evaluated, and trusted. It already has.

In this forward-looking course, PR strategist and partner at Zen Media Sarah Evans breaks down the forces rewriting the rules of communications strategy — from the rise of generative engine optimization (GEO) to the emergence of AI as a full-blown stakeholder in every brand decision. With hard-won insights from thousands of client engagements and daily immersion in AI’s evolving landscape, Evans gives PR leaders the frameworks, tools and Monday-morning action steps needed to compete in an era where 44 percent of purchase journeys now begin inside an LLM.

Discover why the old earned-media playbook is no longer enough — and what a modern PR system actually looks like when AI visibility, owned content, and agentic commerce are factored in. Learn how to build reusable AI-powered tools without writing a single line of code, and why the PR pros who move now will be nearly impossible to catch.

Gain actionable intelligence on:

• Why AI is your most important new stakeholder. AI models are synthesizing every press release, news mention, Reddit comment, and third-party signal about your brand—24/7. Learn how to feed the system before it fills in the gaps itself.
• How to earn “answer share”—the KPI that could redefine PR’s value. If your brand isn’t showing up when buyers prompt an LLM, you’re not in the consideration set. Learn how to measure and grow your answer share—and connect it directly to revenue.
• The four signals AI models actually reward. Domain authority, citation history, structured on-site content, and content recency are what get you cited. Understand how PR is uniquely positioned to own all four.
• What vibe coding is and why PR teams should be doing it. No coding experience required. Learn how to build custom AI tools—pitch assistants, digital twins, exec prep bots—that eliminate redundancy and sharpen output quality across your team.
• How to make your brand visible in 72 hours. Anchor articles, AI notices, and high-authority digital placements form a content system that delivers consistent visibility—not the campaign rollercoaster.

The future of PR isn’t a single hit in the Times. It’s a system—built for an audience that includes journalists, buyers, and AI models alike. Walk away with a five-step implementation checklist, a new strategic lens for the AI era, and the clarity to start owning AI visibility before someone else in your organization does.