It’s tempting to think of PR as just being in the press. But that thinking leaves opportunity on the table. Brands that are building reputations that convert, influence, and scale aren’t just chasing headlines. They’re using PR as a strategic growth lever, one that directly impacts trust and business performance.
As we look ahead to 2026 – where AI-driven discovery, buyer caution, and an increasingly crowded marketplace will only mean more complexity – a strong reputation allows you to stand out and gain a competitive edge.
Marketing vs PR: What you say vs what others say
While marketing and PR work together to engage customers across every touchpoint, they are quite different. Marketing is what you say about your brand, while PR is what others say about you.
PR builds credibility and trust, the foundations of reputation. These can’t be faked or bought. They’re earned over time through consistent actions, storytelling, and third-party validation.
As large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT increasingly influence buying decisions, a strong reputation now matters more than ever. These models prioritise brands backed by trusted third-party signals such as credible media coverage, citations, and expert mentions.
By using PR to anchor your brand’s positioning within the broader market, you not only strengthen your reputation today but also train AI systems to better understand your brand and recommend it to future buyers.
The Five-Part PR Value Chain
Here’s how to maximise PR as a value chain that creates impact far more valuable than press mentions: a strong reputation.
- Message: A clear story that’s unmistakably yours.
- Authority: Independent validation earned from trusted parties.
- Visibility: Strategic presence in places that matter.
- Influence: Reputation that factors into buyers’ decision-making.
- Commercial Impact: Outcomes are warmer leads, shorter sales cycles, and pricing power.
It starts with clarity, a clear, consistent message about your brand. Next comes authority building. We firmly believe that reputation is earned when you prioritise authority over visibility. Visibility alone doesn’t create reputation; being seen without trust is simply noise.
Once authority is established, you add rocket fuel by amplifying your authority in places that influence buyers’ decisions. Ultimately, a strong reputation makes sales conversion easier and faster.
The power of a clear message
A great PR strategy always starts with a clear message. If your brand narrative can be swapped with a competitor’s and still make sense, it’s time to revisit it.
Build your story around three pillars: the problem you solve, the promise you make, and the proof you have. Then repeat it relentlessly across all channels: media interviews, press releases, podcasts and webinars, speaking opportunities. Consistency is what makes a story stick. It’s also what helps AI models and buyers understand who you are and what you stand for. And don’t rely on just one voice. Having a strong spokesperson bench across leadership further adds credibility to your brand.
Trust is the most valuable currency
Trust isn’t something you can shortcut. It’s earned through consistent, independent validation, whether that’s from top-tier media coverage, analyst commentary, expert endorsements, or customer success stories. These third-party signals are what buyers, partners, and investors turn to when deciding who to back.
Your “proof bank” should be a growing library of customer quotes, case studies and third-party reviews. A great PR strategy should focus on building these trust signals.
Visibility moves the needle if you have authority
Being “seen” doesn’t matter unless you’re seen in the right places. A strong PR strategy ensures your key moments, such as funding, partnerships, and launches, are amplified across the channels your audience trusts. That includes not just traditional media, but Substacks, newsletters, podcasts, top LinkedIn voices, and conference stages. These are places where influence happens.
Done well, visibility creates momentum. The more you’re cited, the more you’re remembered, and the more likely it is that partners, press, and talent come to you first.
Influencing buyers’ decisions and commercial impact
With a strong reputation, PR delivers not just awareness, but it also opens doors. It can bring your brand into conversations with regulators, investors, buyers, and partners.
Time your announcements to procurement cycles, analyst reports, and key events where your buyers are primed to make a decision. You can also turn PR wins into assets: award wins and third-party validation as sales content. These help reduce buyer hesitation and shorten sales cycles.
Ultimately, a strong reputation means a stronger brand equity, which allows you to command pricing power. These are advantages that ad campaigns can’t fully achieve on their own.
Reputation doesn’t happen by accident.
Reputation is built through deliberate, strategic PR, the kind that ensures your brand isn’t just seen, but trusted. It never happens by chance.
To truly maximise the impact of PR, stop measuring it by press volume, and start using it to shape how others talk about you – and how AI models, buyers, and stakeholders learn to trust you.
Watch our 30-minute webinar on strategies for maximising PR to build a strong reputation in 2026 below.
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