4 Questions You’re Too Scared to Ask About PR in 2026

PR can unlock so much in your organization. But first, let's ask...why?

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If public relations keeps coming up in conversations about marketing, reputation or AI—and you’re not entirely sure why—boy, have I got a blog for you.

It’s this one. The one you’re reading.

If you haven’t heard, PR is having a moment, and it has the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) and AI search to thank for that. For me, it’s exciting. Finally, executives are seeing PR for what it has always been: a critical driver of positioning, credibility and long-term trust.

Of course, this focus on PR can also feel a little nerve-wracking, especially if you didn’t come up through marketing, or if true PR has never been a major part of your role. Unlike paid media or website updates, PR doesn’t always come with a neat-and-tidy playbook or immediate feedback loop. It’s harder to see, harder to explain and often harder to defend when leadership wants quick answers.

For some, this uncertainty can lead to silence, or worse: inaction. So, let’s slow it down and talk through the questions that tend to come up most often, whether people are brave enough to ask them out loud or not.

1. What does PR actually do?

First of all, let’s get a few things out of the way early. No, “PR” doesn’t stand for “press release,” yes, PR should be included in all those meetings, and no, we can’t guarantee coverage, especially not in The New York Times.

At its most fundamental level, PR is responsible for how your company is positioned and how it’s perceived—by customers, partners, media, competitors and, increasingly, by search engines and AI platforms.

Here’s a simple way to think about it. Marketing and advertising are about what you say about your company—through ads, sponsorships, websites or sales collateral. PR is about what others say about you, and whether people believe it.

A strong PR function helps answer questions like:

• What do we want to be known for?
• Who is qualified to speak on behalf of our company?
• Where should our expertise show up so it feels credible, not self-promotional?
• How do we make sure the story being told about us is accurate and consistent?

In practice, this means PR is responsible for setting the guardrails for how a company shows up externally.

PR helps define the core story, identifies the right spokespeople, determines which topics are worth owning publicly and ensures those messages show up consistently—whether that’s in media coverage, executive interviews, speaking opportunities or broader industry conversations.

When PR is doing its job well, it creates clarity (another important signal in how brands are surfaced and trusted online). Internally, teams know what the company stands for and how to talk about it. Externally, audiences hear a consistent story—one that’s easier to recognize, understand and trust.

2. Is PR worth the investment?

You can be honest. This is the real question that you and your leadership are asking.

Because of the nature of PR, starting a PR program can feel a little bit like a leap of faith, especially when budgets are tight and leadership is focused on tangible, near-term results. Unlike advertising, you won’t necessarily be able to point to a certain spend and immediately show impressions or reach. Similarly, there’s no launch date where everything will suddenly look different, like a website refresh.

I’d urge you to challenge your (and your leadership’s) thinking on this, because PR isn’t an expense in the way that many people think about. It’s an investment in credibility, and that credibility compounds—and today, that credibility matters more than ever.

As search evolves and AI tools increasingly influence how people find and evaluate companies or products, credibility has become a deciding factor in visibility. AI looks for signals that validate that a company is trusted, relevant and worth surfacing. Earned media, consistent third-party validation and clear positioning all play a role in those signals.

Still need more convincing? Strong PR also reduces friction everywhere else. It makes sales conversations easier because prospects recognize your name or your leaders. It makes marketing more effective because your messaging is reinforced by third parties, not just your own claims. And it protects your brand when things don’t go exactly as planned, because you’ve already established trust.

For manufacturing and industrial companies in particular, PR often delivers value in quiet but meaningful ways. It shapes how distributors talk about you, influences how customers compare you to competitors and affects whether journalists, analysts and even AI-powered search tools see your company as a reliable authority.

3. What does good PR look like in practice?

Good PR is about showing up in the right places, for the right reasons—and doing it consistently.

It can take many forms. It might look like your company showing up regularly in the trade publications your customers actually read, offering perspective on the topics they care about most. It could mean your executives being quoted not to promote a product, but to help make sense of an industry trend or challenge.

Good PR can also be about how you show up authentically for your customers. It’s events that put their needs at the center, not just your logo. It’s educational content that helps them do their jobs better. It’s moments that surprise and delight because they’re thoughtful, relevant and genuinely useful.

You’ll also see good PR in the relationships you build. Journalists come back to you because you’re responsive and credible. Partners trust you because your message is clear. Customers recognize your point of view because they’ve heard it before—and it’s been consistent.

Strong PR reinforces the same core story across media coverage, leadership interviews, events, online search results and social platforms—without ever feeling scripted or forced. When that alignment is in place, your brand feels familiar, reliable and trustworthy.

If PR feels chaotic, random or disconnected, that’s usually a sign something’s off. Good PR brings focus, clarity and confidence—not noise.

4. What’s a realistic expectation for PR?

I’m a PR pro through and through, but even I can admit that it has its faults. One of the biggest pain points is that PR isn’t instant.

Unlike paid media, PR doesn’t flip on with a budget increase. It builds over time, as relationships develop, stories take shape and credibility is earned. Early on, progress may look subtle: better conversations with journalists, clearer messaging, more confident spokespeople.

Over time, those efforts add up. Coverage becomes more consistent. Your company starts showing up in the right places, for the right reasons. And your story becomes easier to recognize and repeat—by others, not just you.

A realistic expectation for PR is progress, not perfection. It’s momentum, not immediacy. The goal isn’t to control every mention, but to steadily influence how your brand is understood.

PR works best when it’s treated as a long-term discipline, not a short-term campaign.

If you’ve read this far, hopefully I’ve got you thinking about what your PR program could look like. The next question that might come to mind is about bandwidth. Sure, all of this looks great on paper, but what if you don’t have the team to get it done?

That’s usually the point where a PR partner becomes part of the conversation.

PR usually breaks down not at the idea stage, but at execution—because consistency and follow-through are hard to maintain. If your internal team is stretched thin, if PR keeps getting pushed down the list of priorities, or if no one truly “owns” it day in and day out, outside support can help make real progress.

If you do set your sights on a PR partner, approach and strategy matters just as much as expertise. A good partner should understand your industry well enough to know what credibility looks like in your space (because it is different!), not just how to generate attention. They should help you focus on what’s worth talking about, rather than encouraging you to chase every opportunity.

Find a partner that acts like an extension of your team—I personally believe this can make or break the success of a partnership. They should be able to explain the why behind their recommendations, help you build confidence in your decisions and give you language that you can use to get buy-in internally. You should feel comfortable looping them in early and often on all company initiatives. If you feel the need to gatekeep from them, it’s a red flag.

Most importantly, a good PR partner thinks long-term. They think about positioning and reputation—not just quick wins—and how today’s decisions shape the business years down the road.

PR is about being intentional—about how your company shows up, what it’s known for and who others trust it to be. That work has always mattered. What’s changed is how visible its impact has become, especially as AI and modern search tools rely more heavily on credibility and consistency to decide which brands rise to the surface.

If this blog has done its job, you should feel a little more confident asking questions, setting expectations and recognizing the importance of a long-term PR program, especially today.

If you like what you’re reading, reach out. Let’s put PR to work for you.

We’re here to help you get started. Fill out the form below or email ellen.presutti@akhia.com 

Image: NanoBanana