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With Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) set to rewrite the rules of discovery, brands debate: should reputation be optimised for AI algorithms, or reclaimed through raw human authenticity?
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The public relations industry is undergoing a reset. While the global PR market is projected to exceed USD 130 billion by 2029, the nature of that spend is shifting. Clients have stopped paying for noise; they are paying for clarity, protection, and verified trust.
The 5 Key Shifts:
If you ask a room full of communications experts what the future holds, the answers are rarely about writing better press releases. The industry is navigating a transition that is less about evolution and more about a reset.
Noise no more. Brands are now paying for clarity, protection, and verifiable trust.
At Ellerton & Co., we recently analysed insights from hundreds of agency owners, sparked by a viral industry debate led by Inc. Magazine’s Annabel Burba, to answer a pressing question: What will "Good PR" actually look like in 2026?
The consensus is that we are exiting the era of "getting coverage" and entering the era of Trust Engineering. Here is what that looks like in practice.
For the last decade, the PR playbook was heavily influenced by Google. We wrote for the algorithm, optimised for keywords, and hoped for a page-one ranking. By 2026, that battleground will have shifted entirely.
We are witnessing the rise of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
Gartner predicts a 25% drop in traditional search engine volume by 2026 as users shift to AI-driven answers. Audience behaviour has changed. People are stopping the habit of clicking ten blue links to find an answer. They are asking platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini a direct question, “Who is the most reliable fintech partner in Southeast Asia?”, and receiving a single, synthesised answer.
In this environment, traditional SEO metrics like "click-through rate" become irrelevant. The new metric is Citation Authority.
If your brand is not cited by the authoritative sources that feed these AI models (tier-one media, white papers, verified review platforms), you effectively do not exist to the machine. The goal has shifted from "did we get the hit?"; to asking "did this hit teach the AI model to associate our brand with the right narrative?"
However, there is a critical nuance that brands often miss.
LLMs don't create credibility; they reflect it. If your brand has no earned media, no third-party validation, and no "word of mouth" in the real world, you will have no footprint in the AI world. The algorithm cannot recommend what it cannot verify. Therefore, the goal of GEO is not to "hack" the machine, but to generate enough high-quality, real-world trust that the AI has no choice but to cite you. We create the credibility; the AI just catches up.
“We are seeing a shift where clients don't just want to be on Google; they want to be the recommendation ChatGPT gives when a customer asks a specific question.” – Michael de Waal-Montgomery, Director at Ellerton & Co.
As AI tools scale, the cost of creating "average" content drops to zero. By 2026, the internet will be flooded with what the industry calls "AI slop", technically accurate, grammatically perfect, but emotionally hollow content.
In an ocean of synthetic perfection, raw humanity becomes a premium asset.
Industry veterans argue that "human-forward communication" will be the ultimate differentiator. As the authenticity gap widens, audiences are becoming hyper-sensitive to polished corporate-speak. They can spot a ChatGPT-written executive quote from a mile away.
This creates a paradox for brands: To build trust, you must embrace imperfection.
The most effective campaigns in 2026 will leverage unscripted video, "rough around the edges" audio, and behind-the-scenes commentary. The goal is to prove there is a pulse behind the brand. Facts inform, data validates, but emotion moves.
The risks of removing the human element were made painfully clear in late 2025, when Deloitte Australia was forced to refund the federal government after using generative AI to draft a compliance report. The AI model "hallucinated" non-existent academic references and fabricated data, resulting in a critical failure of professional standards.
This incident serves as a stark warning for 2026: AI is a powerful accelerator, but it cannot be the pilot. "Good PR" will be defined by the human judgement that vets, verifies, and adds nuance to the message.
This creates a paradox for brands: To build trust, you must embrace imperfection. The most effective campaigns in 2026 will leverage unscripted video, "rough around the edges" audio, and behind-the-scenes commentary. The goal is to prove there is a pulse behind the brand.
The days of relying solely on top-tier mass media to drive a narrative are fading. A feature in a major broadsheet still carries prestige, but it no longer guarantees influence.
Influence is migrating to what experts call the "Cozy Web"—private Substack newsletters, niche Reddit communities, and specific podcast ecosystems. These are spaces where trust is high, but entry is difficult.
In 2026, a mention in a specialised industry newsletter with 5,000 subscribers is often more valuable than a general mention in a publication with 5 million visitors. The strategy moves from Reach (how many saw it) to Resonance (who actually cared).
For decades, the PR industry has been able to hide behind vague metrics like "Brand Awareness" or the outdated "Ad Value Equivalent" (AVE). By 2026, that excuse expires.
Economic headwinds and the integration of advanced marketing technology mean that PR is rapidly converging with sales and growth functions. Companies are evolving into "communications architectures," where knowledge and insight must flow directly to the bottom line. This means that every piece of communication, whether it's media relations, social media engagement, or internal messaging, now plays a crucial role in driving measurable business outcomes, from sales to reputation management. No longer can PR be an isolated function; it's now a key driver of business strategy.
In this new landscape, PR is viewed not as a cost centre, but as a strategic lever for growth. The successful PR director of 2026 is data-literate, linking reputation management directly to business resilience:
"At Ellerton, we view PR as a strategic lever for growth. In 2026, if you can't map your reputation management back to business resilience, you aren't doing PR." - Michael de Waal-Montgomery.
Perhaps the most critical evolution for 2026 is defensive. With the rise of hyper-realistic AI video and audio, impersonation fraud and deepfakes pose an existential threat to corporate reputation.
Imagine a scenario where a realistic AI-generated video of a CEO making an offensive statement goes viral. In 2020, this was science fiction. In 2026, it is a common reality.
Traditional "holding statements" and slow approval processes will fail in this environment. "Good PR" in 2026 requires operating as Strategic Truth Bankers.
Brands must establish "cryptographic" newsrooms, verified channels where the public knows they can find the absolute truth. When a fake video surfaces, the only real defence is a reservoir of deep, existing trust with the audience. If the audience knows the CEO’s true character because they have seen authentic content for years, they are less likely to believe the fake.
The tools of our trade are changing faster than ever before. Yet, the core objective remains timeless. No amount of AI optimisation can replace the fundamental human need for connection.
To prepare your brand for this landscape, we are prioritising:
The future of brand communications belongs to the companies that understand a simple truth: Trust cannot be automated. It has to be earned, nurtured, and engineered through every story a brand chooses to tell.
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Are you ready to future-proof your communications strategy?
Contact Ellerton & Co. today to discuss how we can engineer your reputation for the AI era.
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