In our recent webinar, The New World Order of Communications, I sat down with:

• Toni Iafrate, VP and Head of Global Communications at AlphaSense
• Kristina O’Connell, CMO at Thrive
• Christian Potts, Senior Director of Global Communications at UiPath

We discussed how AI is changing audience behavior, what that means for messaging, and how communications teams need to evolve. A few clear themes emerged that point to a more disciplined, always-on approach to communications.

Why AI must be treated as a core audience

AI systems are “heavily shaping what decision-makers actually see,” and how they understand brands, Iafrate described. With 58% of consumers now turning to AI instead of traditional search, communications teams need to treat AI platforms as a primary audience.

That shift has practical implications. AI systems rely on clear, structured signals to interpret and surface information. Content needs to be:

• Consistent in message
• Easy to parse (think FAQs, structured formats and clear language)
• Distributed across earned, owned and shared channels

This has a direct impact on brand communications. Driving coverage and shaping perception still matter, but plans must also account for how your brand is interpreted and surfaced by the systems standing between you and your audience.

How consistent and integrated messaging determines visibility

Consistency is key to establishing visibility with AI engines. Because AI systems pull from multiple sources across the web, they reinforce narratives that appear repeatedly and coherently.

As O’Connell describes, “Consistency and clarity [matter] more than ever… our messaging and narrative need to be so consistent across the board.”

When messaging is aligned across channels, it strengthens brand visibility. When it’s fragmented, brands lose control of how their story is represented.

Potts offered a simple test: “Go ask ChatGPT to write your mission statement… it will tell you how consistent your messaging actually is.”

This makes integrated communications essential. PR, social, content and web teams need to operate from a shared narrative and reinforce it everywhere it appears. The goal is to create enough consistent signals that both humans and AI arrive at the same understanding of your brand.

How human insight and connection drive differentiation

As teams scale content efforts to “fuel” AI-driven channels with updated information, they – ironically – often rely on LLMs to generate content. While AI can be an incredibly helpful content generation tool, brands that over-rely on the technology run the risk of perpetuating AI slop, or high-volume, low-quality generic content.

“AI can generate content, but what it can’t do is replicate differentiated perspectives,” Iafrate said.

That’s why leading comms teams are doubling down on original inputs:

• Executive POVs
• Proprietary data
• Real customer experiences

These sources anchor messaging in something specific and credible: something AI can’t replicate.

Third-party validation strengthens that further. Customer stories, analyst perspectives and influencer engagement help turn messaging into proof.

Underpinning all of this is a renewed emphasis on direct human connection. In-person events and customer engagement are becoming more valuable because they generate unfiltered insight.

O’Connell described a recent Customer Advisory Board event, where her team brought together high-profile clients for an open discussion. Conversations quickly moved past surface-level talking points, with clients getting candid about what they were experiencing and how they were approaching AI in practice.

That kind of real-world perspective is what leads to more relevant and credible messaging, grounded in how customers actually think and operate.

How to measure brand visibility and performance

As AI becomes a more prominent discovery layer, teams are rethinking how they measure success.

Communications teams are starting to evaluate how their brands show up in AI-generated outputs, not just whether they generate coverage or impressions.

That includes:

• Whether the brand appears in AI responses
• How accurately the messaging is represented

Many are beginning to name this metric an “AI index,” optimizing for it through generative engine optimization (GEO).

This reflects a broader shift in how success in communications is defined. Visibility alone is no longer enough; accurate representation is what matters.

What this means for the future of communications

The fundamentals of communication haven’t changed, but the environment has become significantly more complex.

Success depends on:

• Maintaining a clear, consistent narrative
• Reinforcing that narrative across channels over time
• Grounding messaging in real, differentiated insight

Now, these same principles also determine how your brand is interpreted and surfaced by AI systems, making them even more critical.

Kristen Leathers is an executive vice president at V2 Communications, where she leads the firm’s B2B technology practice. Building upon her nearly 15 years of crafting and executing high-impact communications programs for her clients, Kristen counsels brands on integrated strategies that support their marketing and broader business objectives – whether those be building brand or category awareness, establishing market leadership, or managing brand reputation.

V2 Communications is an integrated communications and PR firm that helps technology companies build visibility, strengthen reputation and adapt to how audiences discover and evaluate brands in an AI-driven landscape. To evaluate and take hold of your brand’s AI visibility, reach out to [email protected].