Introducing Proper Gander, a new series which unpacks the issues reshaping PR and communications. The line up opens the lid on the big issues like AI, unearths the latest tactics and takes a hard look at today’s news cycle.
Gander one:Storytelling is the heart of PR – but are experts beginning to outsource the sacred craft?
Right now, nothing has captured our collective imagination (or anxiety) quite like generative AI. Depending on who you ask, it’s either the greatest productivity unlock since wifi – or the beginning of the end for truly memorable storytelling.
So,, let’s strip away the hype and look at what’s really happening on the factory floor. Because while some teams are quietly using AI to sharpen their edge, others are still pretending it’s “not really in the writers’ room”.
One: Five Ways PR Execs Are Using AI (and hitting targets)
1. Rapid‑response drafting that fires up a busy press room
AI is becoming the first stop for quick‑turn copy: reactive statements, Q&As, and fluster-free crisis comms. It’s not replacing judgement – it’s accelerating it. Teams who use AI tactically are simply getting to “first draft ” faster.
2. Media landscape scanning without the 6am panic scroll
AI tools can summarise sentiment or deliver emerging narratives before they hit mainstream. For overstretched teams, this is is priceless: less time trawling, more time advising busy stakeholder audiences with a cool head.
3. Message testing before it hits the real world
Smart comms teams are using AI to simulate audience reactions and stress‑test copy authenticity. It’s not always perfect, but it’s a useful rehearsal room before the big pitch to the media. It’s all about the right prompts.
4. Content repurposing at scale
One founder interview can instantly become: a) a press release ; b) a LinkedIn carousel c) a byline or d) a script for a short video. The less time spent slaving over Powerpoint slides, the better.
5. Levelling the playing field for smaller agencies
Mom and Pop consultancies are using AI to their advantage – producing research insights, polished content, and strategic proposals without the overhead of a 20‑person team. It’s stretching capability, while reducing people burnout.
Part Two: Five Ways AI Lets PR Teams Down (and why humans always matter)
1. It can’t read a room
AI doesn’t understand politics, power dynamics, or the unspoken tension in a boardroom. It can draft a line, but it can’t tell you how the CEO will .react to your high level strategy. It simply cannot replace senior PR counsel or resolve conflict.
2. It hallucinates – and how
AI will give you an answer, even when the answer doesn’t exist. Often, it spills out pure fantasy. In general the text is geared towards a US audience. You need a skilled set of detailed prompts to produce an acceptable draft, before heavy editing stages follow.
3. It doesn’t understand brand nuance
Tone of voice is hard to nail. The good stuff comes from a great writer with deep subject knowledge who crafts it with a mix of local culture, brand history, and witty comparisons. AI can mimic — but it can’t originate (yet).
4. It can’t build relationships
Media, influencers, partners, stakeholders – these are human ecosystems built on trust. AI can help you prepare, but it can’t get a journalist to pick up the phone.
5. It can’t replace strategic counsel
AI can summarise. It can draft. It can analyse. It can rustle up images and nifty videos. But it fails on the thing clients pay for: skilful judgement. The ability to say, “This is the right call – and here’s why.”
So where does that leave us?
AI isn’t the enemy of PR. It’s a tool to get ahead. It’s the intern who works fast, never sleeps, and needs careful supervision.
The comms experts who win aren’t the ones who resist AI, they’re the ones who integrate it tactically and more affordably. It’s almost impossible to keep up on YouTubers, so I rely on an AI tech associate who runs regular training sessions keeping me abreast of the fast evolving landscape. And we meet up in person.
