How AI is Being Used in Comms: Trends and Real Life Examples

The generative AI landscape is evolving at such a fast pace, reshaping not only how we interact with AI in our everyday lives but also how we can implement it into our brand strategies. 

For marketers, there’s a huge opportunity to level up our AI content game. In this blog post I will explore a few recent examples of AI-generated ‘world-first’ content, before diving into the role of AI in the PR and media landscape.

A ‘World First’ in AI?

Brands continue to need to create a huge amount of content across multiple platforms, with tighter budgets and deadlines then ever before. Add in the diverse production methods and rapidly advancing AI technology, and it can often feel impossible to keep up.

Being first with a campaign or idea is always exciting—but difficult to achieve. This is even truer with AI tech. For example, when news broke that an AI-replicated Michael Parkinson would host a ‘completely unscripted’ new podcast, it was certainly a first!

Virtually Parkinson will create an AI podcast host using data from over 2,000 of the late broadcaster’s interviews. Interviewing celebrities in a “world-first” according to its producers, Deep Fusion Films. The project has been created with the support and involvement of Parkinson’s family and estate.

Parkinson, who passed away last year, was famous for his interviews with the world’s biggest stars. The AI system—dubbed “Squark”—will recreate the presenter’s voice and interview style, drawing from his extensive back catalogue. The technology allows live humans to converse with voices from the past.

I’m really eager to see how this translates into engaging podcast episodes and will definitely give the interviews a listen when they’re released.

How Can We Use AI in Our Own Podcast Content Marketing?

That’s a question our very own Group Head of Marketing, Amanda Mulquiney, sought to answer through her own experience.

“🎙️ This podcast took me five minutes to make… no, really! 🎙️

“With a quick spin of AI magic, I whipped up a full 20-minute podcast on Ride Shotgun’s expansion into the US. And yes, it’s impressively convincing! With a short brief, 3 web sources and a few clicks of my mouse – the AI tool pulled together smart, on-point audio in minutes. 

🚀 Mindblown? Me too.

It’s not perfect, I know – but I’m still impressed with the intonation, the back-and-forth flow, and conversational feel. Totally credible. And this is just the beginning of what’s possible.”

Hol-AI-days are coming….

Coca-Cola has been at the forefront of advertising for years, consistently staying ahead of trends. So, it’s no surprise that the company has embraced AI tech to create a new version of their iconic ‘Holidays Are Coming’ TV ad.

‘Holidays Are Coming’ is one of the most famous festive ads, alongside more recent anticipated Christmas TV spots from brands like John Lewis and Aldi. Coca-Cola’s new AI-generated version is the first of its kind, replacing the original. 

While it mirrors the original 1995 ad—with the same famous soundtrack, red trucks, and shots of wintery roads—the new version features consumers drinking Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, and the cast is more diverse.

European CMO Javier Meza told Marketing Week:

We didn’t start by saying: ‘OK, we need to do this with AI,’” he stated. “The brief was, we want to bring Holidays Are Coming into the present and then we explored AI as a solution to that.

Many consumers are feeling the festive love for the ad while others say it has left a bad taste in their mouths and is ‘soulless’ – I’ll let you decide!

With AI producing more and more content (such as podcasts and advertisements), it’s essential for brands to maintain a genuine voice that resonates with audiences. For marketers, this means ensuring AI integration doesn’t compromise brand integrity.

AI can help optimise content production, but it’s important to remember that human connection is still at the heart of every brand’s identity. Always make sure AI-generated content aligns with your values and doesn’t sacrifice the personal, authentic voice.

When used thoughtfully, AI can amplify your brand’s voice and enhance the connection with your audience, rather than diminish it.

So, Two Very Different ‘Firsts’ Using AI

These two examples show how AI technology is being used to create unique content in very different ways. But as a PR pro – how can AI benefit me?

How AI Can Help PR Pros

Firstly, training your teams to understand and work with AI and data tools can help eliminate mundane tasks, freeing up more time for creativity and inspiration. However, it’s essential that we maintain ownership and quality control over everything we produce.

• Using Generative AI for ideas and inspiration: This is where AI can help spark ‘world-first’ ideas! AI tools can stimulate human creativity and kick start the process. For example, I’ve found that having an actual ‘conversation’ with AI, as opposed to simply giving it instructions, can lead to more engaging brainstorming sessions and meaningful inspiration. For freelance PRs, small teams, or those working in-house or agency-side, this can be a great starting point for ideation.

• AI can support in research and data barriers: AI-powered tools are a valuable asset when it comes to sifting through research and data. They can help PR professionals analyse information quickly, pulling out key insights and trends that would typically take much longer. This allows more time for creative thinking and strategy while staying on top of the ever-changing media landscape.

• AI content generation: Using AI to help with Natural Language Understanding within your content is a great way to assess whether you’re on track or need to make adjustments. AI can analyse your writing and suggest tweaks to improve clarity, flow, and engagement.

• Using AI for media monitoring and reporting: AI can be used to track sentiment and measure the effectiveness of PR campaigns, helping to generate and supplement reports that demonstrate the value of your work. These tools make it easier to understand and present measurable results and showcase how your campaigns are performing.

The Irreplaceable Human Element

Despite AI’s power in transforming PR tools and techniques, the core of the industry still relies on human and emotional intelligence. AI tools are valuable assets, but they can’t replace the strategic thinking and nuanced skills of PR professionals. Combining AI’s technology, analytics, and automation capabilities with human creativity and insight is where the balance lies.

AI isn’t just a solo tool either, it can also foster better collaboration across marketing, PR, strategy, and data analytics teams. By sharing insights and automating tasks, teams can work more efficiently together, driving unified, data-driven brand campaigns that are more impactful.

How are Journalists using AI to speed up content production?

Chatbots are revolutionising how media organisations interact with audiences as well, allowing journalists to leverage AI-powered tools for tailored content delivery.

Regional newspaper publisher Newsquest now employs AI-assisted reporters across the UK. These reporters use an in-house tool that drafts stories based on ‘trusted information’.

Journalists can input information like press releases and quotes from their trusted sources and the AI tool then creates a story for the reporters to review and check based on the media outlet’s style and tone of voice.

This doesn’t replace journalists, but rather speeds up output, enabling reporters to focus on more in-depth local reporting and long-form human interest stories that drive revenue.

What’s next for AI in PR?

While AI has seen significant adoption in marketing and PR, the future holds even more promise. Looking ahead, expect to see more AI-driven personalisation, deeper learning for audience insights, and conversational AI revolutionising customer service. To stay ahead of the curve, make sure you start experimenting with AI technologies in your day to day.

Embrace AI Technology, Don’t Replace the Human Touch

AI should be viewed as a powerful tool to enhance, not replace, the human touch in your campaign efforts. Whether you’re creating a ‘world-first’ AI-driven campaign or speeding up your daily ideation, data research, or content generation, AI technology can help you make more informed, timely decisions. But always remember to keep the consumer and brand experience at the forefront.

At Ride Shotgun, we don’t believe Artificial Intelligence holds all the answers, but we do believe it can enhance the creative process and help us solve client challenges faster. We’ve built a suite of AI tools that allow us to produce high-quality content quickly, clearly, and cost-effectively, while still maintaining the creative thinking that will make your brand stand out.