Brand influence today is no longer simply a matter of presence across a few dominant platforms or traditional media visibility. The development of generative artificial intelligence, the growing number of communication channels, and changes in the way audiences access information are reshaping how companies build reputation, credibility, and relevance.
A new global study commissioned by the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) and conducted by Researchscape International with the participation of more than 50 PRGN agencies worldwide shows that organizations across the global market are actively adapting their communications strategies to the new AI era.
The research included more than 1,800 business, marketing, and communications professionals across 48 countries, and the results confirm how important the topic of influence has become for companies. As many as 90% of respondents consider brand influence “very important” or “extremely important” to organizational success, while 70% expect its importance to increase further over the next three to five years.
At the same time, the study also reveals a significant problem in the way influence is being managed. Only 17% of respondents believe their organizations manage brand influence above expectations or at an outstanding level, while 41% say their approach requires improvement.
The results also show how much the ecosystem shaping brand perception has evolved. Social media continues to have the greatest influence according to 80% of respondents, but consumer advocacy models, earned media, influencers, AI platforms, owned and paid media, as well as employee advocacy also play an important role.
Consumers themselves continue to have the greatest impact on brand reputation, followed by mainstream media, content creators, employees, industry analysts, and regulators.
The research further confirms that AI is no longer just a tool for more efficient content production. Nearly half of respondents believe artificial intelligence helps organizations through faster content creation, stronger analytics, and improved responsiveness to trends, while at the same time raising questions around authenticity, differentiation, and trust in communication.
Despite technological changes, the key drivers of influence remain almost unchanged. Trust and reputation were identified as the most important elements of brand influence, ahead of authenticity and consumer relevance.
Commenting on the findings, Nikki Festa O’Brien, CEO of Greenough Communications, emphasized that AI is changing where brands build trust, but not the fundamental principles that determine long-term influence.
“The channels keep multiplying, but the fundamentals haven’t moved. Trust, credibility, and consistency still determine whether influence actually sticks. What’s changed is where brands need to earn that trust. AI is now where discovery happens, which makes visibility inside these models the only metric that truly matters.”
At the same time, Greenough Communications is expanding its focus on AI visibility strategies through the promotion of Christine Williamson to the position of Executive Vice President and Director of AI Visibility. The move comes amid growing interest in the company’s Marka+ AI reports, a tool that tracks brand visibility across large language models and AI systems.
The study also shows that companies are increasingly adapting communications to different markets, cultural differences, and global events. As many as 88% of respondents say their approach to managing influence has significantly evolved over the past year.
The findings clearly show that AI is no longer influencing only the way content is created, but also the very logic of brand discovery and reputation. For the communications industry, this means visibility will no longer depend exclusively on social media, media space, or SEO rankings, but increasingly on how AI systems interpret and recommend brands to users.
