ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews have become a new gateway to information — and to brands. For communications and marketing leaders, the key question is no longer only what appears in search results, but what AI systems say about a company, and how those answers can be influenced.
The issue is becoming strategic because consumer behavior is already shifting. According to the article, 58% of consumers have replaced search engines with AI interfaces for at least part of their information searches. That means brand visibility is increasingly shaped by the sources and signals these models draw on, rather than by traditional web rankings alone.
In this context, public relations regain a central role. The article argues that PR can help companies “take back control” of what AI says about their brand by strengthening the quality, consistency and authority of the information available online. Well-placed media coverage, credible third-party references and a coherent narrative across channels all contribute to the material that AI systems are likely to surface and synthesize.
The implication for brands is clear: managing reputation now also means managing AI perception. Communications teams must think beyond classic SEO and media relations to ensure that the most visible, trustworthy and up-to-date information about the company is what generative AI tools are most likely to find and repeat.