A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Digital PR Summit in Manchester. It was a full day of insight-packed talks, honest conversations and brilliant people all looking to shape the future of our industry.
One thing that quickly became clear? The lines between traditional and digital PR are more blurred than ever. Whether you work in earned media, brand storytelling, SEO, or influencer, we’re all playing in the same evolving space, and it’s never been more important to measure the digital impact of our work. Coverage alone isn’t the goal anymore. Visibility, searchability, trust signals and how we show up in AI environments are now core metrics of success.
The summit was full of ideas, inspiration and in some instances, important reminders, but these five takeaways stood out the most.
AI is already changing PR, but are we measuring it yet?
The rise of AI-powered search is transforming how people find information. With ChatGPT now used by over 500 million people, and AI Overviews reaching 1.5 billion users, the visibility of our PR efforts now depends not just on traditional SEO, but on how content is picked up and interpreted by AI tools.
PR campaigns will increasingly influence what users see in AI-generated results — but only if we’re paying attention to the signals.
We need to start to track how coverage appears (or doesn’t) in AI search summaries and explore ways to optimise for it.
‘Brand Authority’ is the new link building
While links and keywords still matter, the real long game is brand authority. When people search for your brand by name, it sends a powerful trust signal to Google and feeds directly into the EEAT framework — Experience, Expertise, Authority and Trust.
Something the ‘trad PRs’ have always done exceptionally well is building awareness and brand credibility. When you start to merge this with consistency across digital channels it becomes an essential for future-proofing an SEO strategy.
Our strategies need to merge, maintaining the brand focus but must also span multiple channels so activity considers both digital visibility and real-world reputation.
Reactive PR: do less, but do it better
It’s tempting to jump on every trending story — but effective reactive PR isn’t about volume, it’s about timing, relevance and credibility. The real wins come from responding to the right story, at the right moment, in a way that aligns with your client’s brand and purpose.
In today’s fast-moving digital news cycle, the window of opportunity can close as quickly as it opens. If you’re not ready to act when the moment lands, there’s a chance you’ve already missed it.
That’s why it’s essential to build a clear framework for what a “right-fit” reactive opportunity looks like for each client. Being reactive doesn’t mean being unprepared — quite the opposite. It means having the sign-offs, assets and insight ready to go, so you can move quickly and confidently when the timing is right.
One strong, strategic response can deliver far more impact than a dozen half-hearted ones.
Creativity needs clarity and evidence
As PR professionals, we thrive on big ideas. But just because something feels exciting or original doesn’t mean it will land — especially when you’re presenting to clients who may not share your frame of reference or creative mindset.
The reality is: great ideas don’t sell themselves. Clients (and their wider stakeholders) need to understand not just what the idea is, but why it matters — and how it will work in the real world.
That’s where clarity and evidence come in. Creativity becomes much more powerful when it’s grounded in insight. Whether it’s consumer behaviour, media trends, cultural moments or SEO data, anchoring your pitch in something tangible to build confidence and make it far easier to secure buy-in.
Build the rationale into your creative process from the very beginning. Don’t save the proof points for the end, lead with them.
It’s not just about sparking excitement — it’s about making the idea bulletproof.
Media collaboration still wins
The media landscape is changing fast — from shrinking newsrooms to shifting audience behaviours and AI-generated content entering the mix. But one thing is crystal clear: human collaboration is more important than ever.
In a world where content can be created and distributed in seconds by machines, the value of genuine, journalist-led storytelling stands out. Journalists don’t want generic press releases blasted to everyone. They want relevance, context and ideas that feel considered. They want to work with PRs who understand their beat, their readers and their deadlines.
That means taking a consultative, relationship-first approach. The best results still come from picking up the phone, having a two-way conversation and shaping the story together. That kind of collaboration can’t be automated.
As AI continues to infiltrate content creation, authentic human relationships and tailored, well-pitched stories will become even more valuable.
It’s crucial to prioritise journalist relationships and focus on relevance, working in partnership to create stories that work for both the brand and the reader.
In summary…
The Digital PR Summit was a powerful reminder that our industry doesn’t stand still. The fundamentals — great stories, strong relationships and strategic thinking — still matter. But the tools, platforms and expectations around us are changing fast.
What we once called “traditional” and “digital” PR are no longer two separate disciplines. They’re merging and, in many cases, they already have. Media coverage needs to drive SEO. Brand storytelling needs to show up in AI search. Influencer partnerships need to deliver more than just reach. Every campaign we run now sits at the intersection of visibility, credibility and digital performance.
In this new reality, it’s not about choosing between old-school media relations and new-school digital tactics – it’s about combining the best of both. That’s where the real impact lies.
If you’re interested in discussing our Digital PR services, get in touch with our team of experts today.