The Neverending Noise
- Houston Holmes
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
Public relations pros are tasked with sending signals through impenetrable noise to reach audiences that are increasingly tuning out external information. Would you believe the solution is simple?
The Impossibly Difficult Reality
The statistics on information overload are incredible, especially if you actually stop and think about them for a moment (a rare occurrence, since you’re in such a hurry to get to the next bit of information).
Even gathering data on this topic is an exercise in semantic satiation and decision fatigue. But look through enough articles and you’ll see the theme: something like 80% of people report regularly experiencing information overload. About half say that irrelevant information makes their jobs more difficult. The total amount of data in the world will reach 180 zettabytes sometime in 2025.
Those numbers frankly all seem low to me, and I don’t even know what a zettabyte is. But they are also generalized; people working in all industries responded to the surveys that gathered these numbers. Narrow the scope to just comms professionals (and our counterparts in journalism and other media) and we could switch from surveys to unanimous consent.
Our job is to send out signals through media and influencers to reach audiences on the other side. Our challenge is the neverending noise. It has consumed the entire ecosystem and grows louder by the minute. To make matters worse, AI tools are changing how people access information and making targets seemingly harder than ever to hit.
How do we break through? The answer is simpler than many care to admit, and in some cases may require re-evaluation of goals and KPIs.
The Quick and Easy Solution
It’s authenticity.
No, really. Authenticity has become a buzzword, the “synergy” of the comms world, and now tends to mean “adherence to brand guidelines” more than anything else. But there is still incredible value to be found in authenticity. And it starts in your strategy, not your content.
“Authentic content” is, frankly, an oxymoron. The function of anything under the corporate communications umbrella is ultimately sales enablement, investor relations, or some other value generator. It’s business, after all. But that means there is no expectation of authenticity from consumers, media, or other businesses when you send out all that noise.
My point isn’t that you must be pure of heart when you lay out your earned media strategy (though it wouldn’t hurt). Doing things the way they should always be done in any given situation—honestly, accurately, efficiently, respectfully—does not give you any authenticity brownie points.
Real authenticity must be a core goal of your communications, acting as the foundation of your strategy and any content that follows. And the goal should be simple: provide the best possible information to the people who would benefit the most from hearing it.
I can hear your thoughts. Yeah, that’s a fun, feel-good concept. Altruistic, even. And a great way to end up in KPI hell explaining yourself to an exec. But this strategy will pay off, and here’s why.
The Unbelievable ROI
The AI boom has done plenty to make the noise of the internet louder. But with these challenges comes opportunity, particularly in public relations. Earned media is rapidly becoming more valuable than ever, as services like ChatGPT refer to it for virtually all of their answers.
Whether you’re pitching journalists, angling for appearances on podcasts, nominating for industry recognition, or preparing for a speaking engagement, earning media requires that your approach is authentic. Sharing timely, clear information that educates people and helps them make informed decisions on matters they care about is inherently valuable.
Phoning in messaging is not only bad for earned content itself, but bad for your relationships with media and influencers. An earned placement isn’t a win if the message is something you shoehorned in that doesn’t resonate. Authentic communication leads to better relationships, better earned media placements, better GEO, and the type of credibility that money can’t buy.
Is AI search going to dethrone traditional search platforms like Google? Time will tell. But an authentic strategy that increases your quality (and soon after, your quantity) of earned media across the board is a future-proof win that sets you up for success no matter where the industry moves next.
