Yes, this is an article on artificial intelligence. Wait, wait: before you close the tab, we understand that AI stories feel inescapable. Open up your newsfeed of choice and there’s a good chance you’ll quickly see a headline that references AI, generative AI, or a new tool like ChatGPT.
If you’re feeling exhausted or disinterested in the latest take, you’re not alone. The deep well of AI continues to bring up bucketfuls of storylines that waterboard editors and consumers alike.
As a B2B SaaS PR agency, many of our clients are vying for attention for their AI offering or point of view (POV) on the technology. To continue securing high-impact media coverage, here’s our take on the tired angles and the fresh and wired ones.
Tired: Fear and “Friend or Foe” Narratives
The first trope that has run its course is the “friend or foe” debate around AI. To ask questions like this now indicates that your finger isn’t on the pulse of today.
Yes, we understand the existential angst around superintelligent AI. Personally, I tell Gemini and Claude “thank you” after every interaction just in case they remember me when/if they go Terminator. But hyping up a doomsday scenario today is a tired talking point that the media and general population have grown numb to. Yes, your thought leaders can have a perspective on either, but leading with this angle will not secure an opportunity. AI is here and deeply woven, or weaving itself, across the enterprise technology stack, which is the point of this Forbes piece featuring retail technology client Bloomreach, Artificial Intelligence Is Already Taking Over Grocery Stores.
Tired: AI can do “More With Less”
Efficiency is important. Businesses like to get things done faster, quickly, and more affordably. The promise of AI to speed up X process is positive, but it is not new or novel. As a talking point, this won’t have the media jumping out of their chair to craft a story.
But that doesn’t mean you should keep quiet about these developments; if this is a new product capability that will excite your customer base, communication around this is likely better suited for a blog and customer email. Valid8, a Verified Financial Intelligence tool, approached this opportunity by crafting a blog that also addresses a sensational topic like high-net-worth divorce, Artificial Intelligence speeds Lifestyle Analysis for Family Law firms.
Wired: Optimization & Implementation
Media and readers are more interested in moving from “if AI can” to “how to.” This shifts the storyline to something practical and replicable on how companies optimize and implement AI to derive meaningful business impact.
For VentureBeat, PolyAI’s COO contributed an article that dissuades from giving AI all the keys to the kingdom and instead suggests how teams can own the implementation process, Generative AI is a toddler — don’t let it run your business.
Wired: Data-Driven Vertical Transformation
Today, specificity is an easier sell to media than philosophical musings. And, as so many trade publications today exist to serve a niche community, spokespeople will benefit from verticalized stories.
For example, take customer experience. How is AI solving problems today that benefit businesses and buyers in a B2C industry like retail? Or what about in B2B client success for the pharmaceutical industry? These POVs aren’t as common and therefore may provide the fresh take that media are looking for.
Here’s where we’re really seeing the goldmine of opportunity: InformationWeek quoted Authenticx on Should You Feel Good About Emotion AI?; Bloomreach’s customer case study Sur La Table uses AI to power customer experience was featured on MarTech; Quorum’s AI product was spotlighted in a local business journal D.C. tech firm’s AI tool can summarize complex legislation, regulations in seconds.
Wired: Governance & Ethics
I’m going to use this last angle to bring us back full circle. Having already shared how the narrative of “friend or foe” is tired, we want to emphasize that overly optimistic statements on how automation will make lives and jobs easier are disingenuous. AI will absolutely cause people to lose jobs, and people have a right to be concerned.
So, if you’re looking to pursue an angle like this, we recommend wrestling with accountability, governance, and ethics — like PolyAI’s CEO who suggests security processes and infrastructure are critical in CMSWire. If AI is here and capable of harming society, what are you suggesting can be done, and who will handle it?
So what’s next? Here’s the equally fun and challenging part of the media landscape: AI will continue to make headlines, and new innovations, opportunities, and concerns will arise. The suggestions above are what’s working for now, and that’ll change. Media orgs and readers don’t want to engage with something stale, so my team at BLASTmedia will continue to seek out the most impactful opportunities amidst all this change.
Have an AI angle you think is wired? Let’s chat.