AI Utilization in Public Relations

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the public relations (PR) industry, with tools such as ChatGPT, Brandwatch, Character.ai, and QuillBot boosting efficiency, providing data-driven insights, and enhancing media monitoring practices. AI’s capabilities can significantly streamline processes and offer valuable analysis for PR professionals, but the real magic happens when AI and human expertise combine. Successful integration happens when PR professionals blend technology’s strengths with the irreplaceable human elements of creativity and empathy. This human element ensures that PR efforts resonate personally and authentically, whereas AI can make messaging more targeted and impactful and efficient. It’s this human touch that ensures PR efforts resonate personally with the human decision-maker on the receiving end of message’s delivery.

How Can PR Pros Best Utilize AI?

EFFICIENCY AND PRODUCTIVITY

AI is transforming PR by automating time-consuming tasks like trend spotting and data analysis. AI tools can identify key trends in large datasets more efficiently than humans. This increased efficiency allows PR professionals to concentrate more on creative and strategic content creation. With AI handling analytical tasks, PR professionals have more bandwidth to develop innovative, eye-catching content that creates the most visible opportunities for the organizations they represent.

DATA-DRIVEN INSIGHTS

AI’s ability to analyze extensive data and reveal unique insights is a major advantage in public relations. Tools can quickly assess information ranging from social media interactions, to news coverage, to public sentiment, which enables PR professionals to predict audience reactions to messages or campaigns with greater accuracy. Although it’s important to ensure the accuracy of AI-generated data, taking advantage of its insights helps develop unique angles more quickly in the pursuit of achieving more impactful client results. For example, AI aids in audience segmentation by analyzing behavior and interests, facilitating more personalized and impactful communication. By automating these tasks, AI allows PR professionals to focus on creating tailored content, media pitches, or messaging strategies that align with unique audience interests.

MEDIA MONITORING

In today’s fast-paced digital environment, media monitoring is key to understanding a campaign’s impact, and pivoting to improve results. AI powered media monitoring provides real-time alert tracking and analyzes brand mentions and conversations across various platforms. This capability encourages proactivity, ensuring that secured press coverage or positive media mentions can be used in a timely and relevant way. This rapid monitoring and analysis also allows for PR pros to reach out quickly and secure corrections, when needed, to limit the impact of the distribution of inaccurate information.

Undoubtedly, leveraging AI for media monitoring helps safeguard client interests, enhance strategies, and reinforce credibility within the industry.

The Value of the Human Touch

MAINTAINING HUMAN OVERSIGHT

Although AI has advanced capabilities, human oversight remains essential in the public relations field. AI is effective for writing initial drafts, refining pitches, or enhancing press releases. However, AI lacks the creativity, empathy and nuanced understanding of human emotions that has long made PR professionals so irreplicable. By using AI to gather data, analyze trends, and generate insights, PR teams can craft more informed strategies, but in order to develop authentic and impactful messaging, it’s important that PR professionals refine AI generated content.

INVEST IN TRAINING AND ETHICAL USE

To fully leverage AI in PR, investing in training is essential. Effectively integrating AI into workflows is only possible with well-researched understanding about how AI works and how the PR pro should interpret its outputs. Training should also cover the ethical use of AI, ensuring responsible data handling and transparency in decision-making. It’s important to recognize potential challenges, such as over-reliance on technology or inaccuracies in AI outputs. Fact-checking remains crucial, as AI-generated content may not always be accurate. Additionally, AI-written content is not always allowable in editorial media environments, so contributed articles need to never be written with the help of AI tools.

With proper training it is easy to manage the likelihood of negative outcomes, enhancing both the efficiency and accuracy of PR efforts.

UNDERSTANDING AI’S LIMITATIONS

Understanding AI’s limitations is key to its successful implementation. While AI can aid in ideation and streamline various tasks, it cannot replace the nuanced judgment and creative insights of human professionals. AI-generated content and data need careful interpretation and validation to avoid errors. AI-written pieces can often come out as very generic or even “fluffy,” a leading to very negative perceptions of any brands generating written material this way. Addressing these limitations early ensures that AI serves as a supportive tool rather than the replacement of a savvy PR mind.

Additionally, privacy is crucial when using AI tools. PR pros need to avoid sharing sensitive information in AI platforms to protect the privacy of the organizations they represent. Using temporary “chats” within ChatGPT for confidential data can help maintain the integrity of the sensitive information.

Like in any industry today, AI has significant potential for the public relations field – some of which is still untapped. By utilizing AI thoughtfully and maintaining human oversight and integrating a human touch, PR professionals can enhance the effectiveness and reach of their work in the years ahead, and even achieve more impactful results.

We’re here to help.

The Violet PR team works hard to stay on the cutting edge of technology, integrating it into our work to drive more effective PR campaigns for our clients each year. If your economic development or real estate organization is looking to increase positive perceptions for your city, state, or organization, we are here to help. Reach us at hello@violetpr.com.

Q+A with Adam Perle, President and CEO of Artpride New Jersey

You have worked at ArtPride New Jersey, for nearly nine years. Tell us more about the organization and the work that you do.

ArtPride NJ is the leading statewide arts service organization dedicated to representing and championing arts and culture across the entire state. We have a diverse membership base comprising over 320 members, including nonprofit and for-profit entities. Our members range from large performing arts centers, theaters, museums, galleries and grassroots, locally run arts organizations. At ArtPride, we focus on three key areas: advocating for the arts and influencing public policy, marketing and promoting the arts within our state and providing support for professional development in the arts.

Besides being a passionate advocate for the arts in New Jersey, as the president and CEO of ArtPride New Jersey, I am responsible for effectively managing the organization to ensure our staff can carry out their vital work. My job also involves overseeing operations, setting the vision and strategic direction and engaging in long-term planning to drive our mission forward. A crucial aspect of my role involves securing funding to support our initiatives and programs. As with any executive director of a nonprofit, a significant part of my responsibilities revolves around cultivating meaningful partnerships and collaborations that further our goals and enhance our impact.

ArtPride dedicates a significant portion of its efforts towards safeguarding funding and promoting policies prioritizing investment in the arts in New Jersey. Why is this crucial for sustaining and advancing the arts and culture scene in the state?

The arts are an integral part of who we are in New Jersey. They make us unique and add that special touch to our communities. We are lucky that we don’t just have pockets of vibrant arts communities — our entire state offers rich cultural experiences.

The arts hold incredible value because they are deeply woven into the fabric of our communities. It’s not just about enjoyment; the arts also play a vital role in education. New Jersey leads the way in providing arts exposure in public schools, and studies have shown that it helps kids develop essential skills. The arts also have an impact on healthcare. Art therapy has been proven to be a powerful tool in healing and improving emotional well-being. And let’s not forget about the economic side of things! The arts draw people into our communities, supporting local businesses and boosting our economy.

Unfortunately, the arts community has faced some tough times during the pandemic. Performance spaces were shut down, and recovery is still underway. Nurturing and supporting the arts in every way possible is so important — and that’s where ArtPride comes in. By safeguarding funding and advocating for policies that prioritize the arts, they ensure that our creative community can keep flourishing.

ArtPride recently held the “Discover Jersey Arts Diner Theatre” pop-up performances at some of New Jersey’s most iconic diners. Could you tell us a bit about the success and goal of the program?

The Discover Jersey Arts’ Diner Theatre program in May was very successful — we sold out all three events! It was a great way to bring together two things that make New Jersey special: our iconic diner culture and vibrant theater scene.

We did this program once before the pandemic hit and were happy to bring it back again. We had three diners (Westmont Diner in Haddon Township, The Broadway Diner in Summit and the 1911 Smokehouse BBQ in Trenton) and three theater companies (Ritz Theatre Co in Haddon Township, Vivid Stages in Summit and Passage Theatre in Trenton) collaborate to create these immersive theater performances specifically designed for each diner.

We wanted everyone to know about this incredible program, so we used Discover Jersey Arts to spread the word. A primary goal of this program is to get people curious about the unique arts opportunities in our state and show them that the arts are accessible to everyone. Events like these open people’s eyes to the incredible arts scene we have right here in New Jersey.

How has working with Violet PR helped highlight the work of ArtPride New Jersey?

As a small nonprofit organization with seven full-time employees and limited resources, we often seek outside support to achieve our mission and ambitious goals. Public relations plays a crucial role in our efforts, particularly when we need to promote unique campaigns. Working with Violet PR has been a valuable partnership for us. The team has facilitated many connections and helped us get significant media coverage and interview opportunities. Thanks to their efforts, we are highlighting the vital work of ArtPride New Jersey.

As someone who has lived in New Jersey for their entire life, what are some must-visit spots in the Garden State that you recommend for a weekend trip?

We are lucky that New Jersey has incredible cultural destinations from corner to corner and coast to coast. You can’t get me to pick favorites! But I do recommend that people check out the Jersey Arts Road Trip guide. It’s the perfect way to explore some of the unique towns throughout the state that offer dining, nightlife, shopping, and accommodation options. The guide highlights some of the best cultural experiences, including theater and visual arts, for people of all ages to enjoy.