In late October, I joined a panel at the Sagard Growth Summit in NYC to talk about something we’re thinking about constantly at Avenue Z: the evolution of earned media.
Earned media strategies are being rewritten in real-time by AI, fragmented attention, and shifting trust. For publicists still playing by the old rules, it’s becoming harder to be seen, heard, or trusted.
Here’s what the panel discussed, and what I believe every brand leader should know right now.
LLMs Are Reshaping Discovery
Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Perplexity aren’t just answering questions. They’re deciding which brands show up in the answers.
In July 2025, 5.6% of U.S. desktop search traffic went to AI-powered models. That may sound small, but it’s a seismic shift in how people discover brands and information.
Here’s the key: these platforms increasingly cite earned media, most importantly coverage in high-trust outlets like Reuters, Forbes, and WSJ. When you secure visibility in those spaces, you’re training the algorithm to trust you.
We think about earned media as one of the three pillars of future visibility, alongside owned content and technical SEO. All three work together to feed the AI systems that determine how brands are found.
According to Similarweb, AI platforms generated 1.13 billion referrals to the top 1,000 sites globally in June 2025, a 357% increase from the previous year. The future of earned media is about training the algorithms that shape how your brand is found.
The New Best Practices
Earned media still drives credibility, but the tactics are evolving fast. Here’s what’s working today:
1. Prioritize AI-Cited Sources
LLMs have favorites. Publications like Reuters, NY Post, and WSJ are showing up most frequently in responses. Earned hits in these outlets reach readers the algorithms, and that creates a compounding effect on brand visibility. However, the publications that LLMs are citing the most are constantly changing. So, ongoing monitoring and research is essential.
2. Bring Back the Press Release
Press releases are cool again. Unlike a few years ago, wire services now contribute to AI search visibility, and that means brands should use them not just for launches, but for every meaningful update.
3. Publish Proprietary Thought Leadership
AI visibility favors unique perspectives. We’ve seen this firsthand through our AI Visibility Indexes, sector-specific reports we’ve built that analyze how LLMs surface different brands. Original data and thought leadership give AI more reasons to cite you.
What You Should Stop Doing
Too many PR professionals are still relying on outdated playbooks that ignore how audiences and algorithms have changed.
Stop Over-Investing in the Pitch
Crafting the perfect pitch doesn’t matter if it lands in the wrong inbox. Who you’re targeting matters more than how polished your email is. Invest in better targeting, not just better writing.
Legacy Media-Only = Missed Opportunity
We still respect traditional media, but it’s just one lane. Brands that overlook creators, podcasters, newsletters, and YouTube hosts are missing massive visibility opportunities.
What’s Next: The Rise of “AI-Earned”
Beyond the panel discussion, PR is undergoing a fundamental shift. We’re entering the “Google Zero” era, where publishers no longer rely on Google for traffic, but instead optimize for AI-generated referrals. This is already happening. Early adopters in AI search visibility will have the same advantage SEO leaders had in the early 2000s.
Soon, AI Visibility will become a standard PR KPI. Expect to hear more about:
- AI Share of Voice
- AI Referral Traffic
- Return on Trust (ROT)
- Post-AI Engagement
We’ve already seen these metrics correlate with tangible business results: traffic, leads, and reputation growth. Earned media is still the flywheel, but it’s now feeding the machines, not just the headlines.
The Bottom Line
The earned media landscape is fragmenting, and that’s a good thing for brands that build smartly.
It’s no longer about one big hit in The New York Times. It’s about consistent, diversified, high-authority visibility across traditional media, emerging platforms, and AI-generated responses.
Brands that get this right won’t just be relevant in today’s feeds. They’ll be discoverable in tomorrow’s answers. Let’s future-proof your visibility.
Make Headlines That Matter
From Wall Street Journal to The New York Times, we secure the media coverage that shapes perception, drives growth, and positions your brand as an authority.
