By Karla Jo Helms, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist, JOTO PR Disruptors
The Chat Generative Pre-Trained Transformer, colloquially known as ChatGPT, is a hot topic worldwide, with an average of over 1.7 billion page visits each month. Like all transformative technology, ChatGPT aspires to make life easier. For businesses, efficiency is a valuable asset, but above all else, it’s all about increasing profits. Generative AI technology has the potential to amplify brand awareness and reach a wider audience of consumers. But there is a dark side to AI with its inherent ability to sway public opinion. Companies must understand the risk and get ahead of it by executing a proactive strategy to be in the driver’s seat when directing public opinion.
AI Anxiety
For some, AI is a godsend; for others, it brings about feelings of anxiety about how far it will go in dismantling the workforce and influencing public discourse. A Pew Research Center Survey revealed that 52% of Americans are generally more concerned rather than excited about the growing reliance on AI, an opinion that has increased by 14% since 2022. ChatGPT is now competing with a plethora of AI chatbots like Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot. It’s a Cognitive Industrial Revolution rife with possibilities, including manipulating public opinion.
Businesses and their communication teams must enter the fray by developing more creatively initiated and effective communication strategies. By taking advantage of AI’s influence over public perception, companies can steer the narrative by amplifying their brand message by being open and transparent and positioning themselves more aggressively as thought leaders in their industry.
Increasing Communication Through Thought Leadership
Businesses must answer this call to action by being thought leaders and communicating their brand message through reputable third-party channels, including the media and influencers. The influencer marketing industry is thriving and is projected to increase its worth to $24 billion by the end of this year. Sixty-three percent of companies are leveraging AI for their campaign executions, with 55% using AI to identify influencers. And 33% of the entire market cap of the S&P 500 is based on goodwill. Brands must actively (and proactively) control and mold their stories to influence their intended audiences effectively. Neglecting to do this allows others to take control of these narratives instead.
Yet, embracing this change requires a departure from stagnant approaches in public relations and public perception. Traditional methods in these domains have been overlooked, with only a minority grasping the strategic guiding of public sentiment. As AI-generated content gains prominence, the significance of captivating storytelling at the outset of the customer journey or at the apex of the PR>Marketing>Sales funnel cannot be emphasized enough. Succeeding in this evolving era of cognitive engagement demands focused attention on three vital areas, each demanding substantial commitment and examination:
1. Mastering the Codified Body of Knowledge of Public Opinion
Companies should familiarize themselves with the established principles and empirical data that shape public perception. Learning from case studies, contemporary theories, and the evolution of public relations allows businesses to gain insights into the factors that influence public opinion. This knowledge equips organizations to craft messages that resonate with audiences and have a higher chance of widespread acceptance and dissemination.
2. Understanding Algorithms
By understanding the algorithms that drive social media platforms, search engines, and the media, organizations can better predict and control how their content is distributed and viewed by their target audience. This ensures that their brand message gains momentum and resonates effectively.
3. Developing Strong Strategic Communications Plans
Companies need to develop robust communication strategies capable of swiftly adapting to the ever-changing environment of technology and public sentiment throughout all channels of the PR>Marketing>Sales funnel. This entails fostering clarity in their brand messaging, consistency across various platforms, and promptly engaging with audience feedback. Moreover, a strong communication strategy incorporates crisis management protocols to preemptively tackle any emerging issues and effectively safeguard a brand’s reputation.
AI and the Cognitive Revolution
Implementing these measures can help businesses reap the benefits of AI and promote favorable public perception, ensuring their sustained relevance and positive image in an increasingly AI-driven world.
Grasping the mechanics of influencing public opinion empowers businesses to sculpt their brand narrative with precision. AI is ushering in a Cognitive Revolution, democratizing technology, and empowering individuals to further their creative potential.
Many businesses fail to realize their capacity to sway public opinion. However, mastering the principles of managing public perception can heighten their brand awareness, choreograph their brand’s direction, and influence public sentiment toward their company proactively rather than reactively. This opens the door to smoother, and faster, expansion.
About JOTO PR Disruptors™
JOTO PR Disruptors is a public opinion agency that thrives on tackling the biggest challenges and turning them into the greatest opportunities. Specializing in Anti-PR®, they take a disruptive approach to public relations, leveraging controversy, debate, and innovation to spark conversation and effect meaningful change. For more information on how they’re leading the charge, visit their website at www.jotopr.com.
About Karla Jo Helms:
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR® Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line—and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinion—Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight, and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception.
