From the Power of "Hi" to the Rise of AI

Insights from a PRSSA field trip on brand discovery, visibility, and storytelling in the agentic era.

By: Dylan DeSilva

On Monday, November 10th, UD PRSSA had the chance to visit Hunter, an independent

agency specializing in earned media, digital storytelling and brand visibility - an experience

full of insights that reshaped the minds of developing PR students. What started as a typical

agency tour quickly turned into a masterclass on the future of communications.

Start with “Hi”

Right when you walk into the door of Hunter you are greeted by big, bold, light up letters

“Hi.” Just as the tour began with Hi, so does every interaction we have in our lives. As Hunter’s CEO, Grace Leong stated, it is a simple phrase, but carries enormous weight in the

PR industry. A genuine greeting is the first step in building trust, opening doors and

forming relationships - whether with clients, journalists, or teammates.

Starting with “Hi” reminded us that PR is built on people, but now can be boosted by AI. AI

is reshaping the way stories are told and audiences are reached. We’re no longer just saying

“hi” to people, we’re also saying hello to AI.

The Rise of AI

Say “Hi” to Michael Lamp, Chief Digital & Social Officer at Hunter who gave an enlightening

lesson on how AI is changing the PR world. The way people discover information and how

brands are seen can be determined by AI. Today, audiences don’t just search for links, they

ask AI for lists, recommendations and advice. That shift is reshaping how PR stories are

told, measured and amplified.

“AI is not taking our jobs, it’s the people that know how to use AI” - Grace Leong,

HUNTER

With that said, let’s dive into how you can strategically utilize AI as we step into the Agentic

Era. In this new time, PR content needs to serve two audiences at once: humans and

machines as both influence how stories are discovered and shared. To navigate this shift,

we explored several key areas at Hunter: how press releases must evolve for AI search, the

new hierarchy of influence, the core four AI tools every communicator should know, how to

reframe PR for an agent-driven world, and the Three C’s that guide effective AI searching.

Press Releases in the AI Era

Press releases are no longer just for journalists. They are now powerful tools for AI

driven visibility. Imagine someone asks. “What is the best hair tool?” With the right

keywords and a concise, impactful sentence, your press release could show up in an

AI generated answer, alongside trusted sources.

To make press releases AI-friendly:

- Include one strong, clear sentence that communicates your key message

- Utilize a TL,DR (Too Long; Didn’t Read) List at the beginning of a press release to summarize the information, and preview the content of the release

- Keep content recent, accurate and factual so AI will trust it

This approach ensures your content reaches both human and machine audiences,

amplifying your earned media without losing the personal touch, and keeping it

more concise for machines to quickly scan it.

The New Hierarchy for Search & Influence

AI has created a new landscape for how people find information. Michael introduces

the Hierarchy which highlights how PR content can be discovered.

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization): Traditional strategies to rank content in search engines and drive traffic

2. GEO (Generative Engine Optimization): Optimizing content so AI can digest

it - like press releases, blogs or social posts

3. AEO (Answer Engine optimization): Ensuring your brand appears in short,

AI-generated answers (Siri, ChatGPT, Gemini)

Utilizing these tactics ensures successful communication with humans and AI,

reaching and resonating with the correct audiences.

The Core Four: Tools Shaping AI

Below are four major AI tools that were highlighted as well as their differentiating

factors.

- ChatGPT: Great for brainstorming and drafting content quickly in a natural,

conversational style.

- Claude: Excellent for structuring ideas and frameworks, helping PR teams

plan campaigns and organize complex messaging.

- Gemini: Works seamlessly with Google tools and supports multiple formats,

making it useful for presentations, and multimedia content.

- Perplexity: Focused on research and fact finding, helping PR pros verify

information and gain insights from multiple sources.

Together, these tools allow PR teams to create, organize, and generate content more

efficiently, assisting in each step of the development of a campaign.

Tip: While these AI tools are powerful, it’s essential to double-check the validity

and trustworthiness of the information they provide. Misusing inaccurate

AI-generated content can lead to campaigns being based on false information,

which could damage a brand’s credibility. Always verify facts before including them

in any PR materials and ideations.

Reframing PR for the Agentic Era

We are now in what is called the Agentic Era, a period of rapid transformation driven

by AI agents that can act autonomously to complete goal oriented tasks. These

agents navigate the web on behalf of people and brands, impacting how work is

done and how audiences receive information.

Audiences are increasingly trusting AI, so PR professionals have a responsibility to

utilize this new tactic as a way to create more visibility for their clients and when

using AI as a research tool, ensure the information encountered is accurate,

trustworthy and useful. This new landscape means rethinking PR practices:

- Focus on factual storytelling to mitigate misinformation and provide reliable

guidance

- Expand earned media opportunities across AI platforms to reach both human and

machine audiences

- Optimize coverage for discoverability so content is accessible and engaging for

people and AI alike.

- Measure impact in new ways, including Ai visibility, syndication and perform social

listening to trace the digital amplification of content across touchpoints

By combining human connection with AI-optimized communication, PR

professionals can amplify their influence, maintain trust, and ensure their work

resonates in both the human and digital worlds.

The Three C’s of AI in PR

To help navigate AI effectively, Hunter introduced the Three C’s: Context, Clarity

and Constraints. This is specifically useful when searching through AI sites to find

information.

- Context: Define context including who, what, why to frame your search to

ensure it delivers useful and relevant information.

- Clarity: Insert clear, specific prompts that are direct in order to minimize

guesswork and result in better outputs on the first try.

- Constraints: Set boundaries to control the quality and relevance of AI’s

response

- Ex. Limit to sources from the last 100 days

Together, the Three C’s ensure your AI searches are focused, accurate, and tailored

to deliver reliable insights you can confidently use in PR strategy.

As PR students stepping into a new era, the biggest takeaway from Hunter was clear:

the future of communications isn’t replacing human connection, it’s expanding it. AI may

change how stories are found and distributed, but it's our curiosity, strategy, and creativity

that give those stories meaning. If we can master the tools, and stay grounded in

authenticity, we won’t just adapt to the Agentic Era - we’ll help shape it.