Published
8th January 2026
Read time
4 min read

The traditional press office often gets unfairly labelled as the unglamorous side of PR. It’s considered the engine room no one fights to work in while shiny, big-budget brand campaigns take centre stage.

But that perception is outdated. In today’s search-led, AI-powered landscape, the press office is one of the most commercially valuable tools a brand has.

And here’s why.

A modern press office is responsible for generating the high-authority, credible content that LLMs and AI search engines rely on to form answers and make recommendations. When Google, Gemini, ChatGPT, Perplexity and other AI tools decide which brands to suggest, they prioritise trusted, third-party validation. This is something only earned media can deliver.

As Luke Cope put it at this year’s BrightonSEO: “PR is your most important tool for visibility in LLMs.”

To understand why, let’s look at what a press office function is, and we’re going to separate it into three very simple categories: 

To understand why, let’s look at what a press office function is, and we’re going to separate it into three very simple categories:

1. Product Placement

Product placement is the structured, always-on discipline of placing your brand’s products in the most relevant media for your audience. It requires seasoned PRs with strong relationships and an instinct for what journalists need. When done well, its impact is huge.

Why it matters for LLMs:

  • Lists and roundups (“best of,” “top picks,” gift guides) mirror how LLMs present information.
  • Industry and trade coverage acts as an authoritative signal to AI models.
  • Consistent placement creates a web of trusted references that LLMs repeatedly draw from.

60% of Gemini’s cited results come from industry media, making it more influential than many national outlets.

In other words: the more high-quality placements you earn, the more visible your brand becomes in AI-generated recommendations.

2. Proactive Storytelling

Proactive storytelling is how you shape your brand narrative, establish expertise, and build topical authority. It’s the foundation of what you want to be known for and how you train both audiences and AI systems to associate your brand with key topics.

This type of storytelling generates expert commentary, trend stories, insight-led features, and data-driven hooks.

These earned media mentions directly strengthen discoverability. They tell LLMs: this brand is relevant, trusted, and expert in this space.

3. Reactive PR

Reactive PR, when done well and at the speed of light, will see referring domains increase along with organic traffic. Speed is critical, and so long as you have planned for this occasion, it can be quite low effort but result in a huge impact.

Recency matters more than ever. Almost 50% of Gemini’s media sources come from 2024 onwards, proving that freshness is a major ranking signal. Reactive PR ensures your brand stays constantly present in the sources LLMs trust most.

Why this matters for brands

A press office can support your brand’s growth at many levels, attracting investors and building resilience by strengthening your reputation before a crisis ever hits.

Importantly, it supports sales, helping to improve brand trust when used as a long-term investment. Brand trust is an important purchase factor, as we know that searchers are twice as likely to click on a brand that they recognise and trust.

Proof that it works

A plant in a can next to a picture AI-generated content may be incorrect. We’ve seen the impact firsthand. Take a look at how we increased footfall and awareness for Twycross Zoo and how we drove thousands of additional bookings for Mitchells & Butlers.

The evidence is clear: when executed well, the press office is one of the most powerful growth levers a modern brand can invest in.