Survey: pitching is so back

If you pitch media for a living, Muck Rack’s new State of PR report (out today) has some good news:

Nearly half (48 percent) of respondents said media relations will grow in importance over the next five years.

That’s up from 35 percent last year.

If you follow surveys like these regularly, you know a 13-point year-over-year increase on any question is extremely rare. That’s a huge leap.

What’s driving the increased optimism?

The survey itself doesn’t answer that question directly. But a few pages later, it gives us a pretty strong clue: GEO.

73% said GEO, or influencing AI visibility, is at least somewhat important for their PR strategy.

And the most common tactic they listed for improving that visibility?

Securing coverage in high-authority publications, named by 55 percent of respondents.

That tracks with my anecdotal experience. I’m increasingly contacted by SEO/GEO-first agencies that want their teams trained on what I’ll call “old-fashioned media placements.”

Would it be funny if, during a season of much handwringing about AI replacing PR pros, AI ends up accentuating our value?

I know it’s not that simple, and executives/clients surely have a very uneven understanding of AI’s impact on PR and marketing.

But the momentum is real enough to use. Capitalize on it to secure renewed commitments and resources to support your media outreach programs.

One other surprising data point from the study highlights some low-hanging fruit for you. Even with this enthusiasm for GEO, only 25% of respondents are tracking brand mentions in AI-generated responses.

That’s a simple place to start, whether you use a tool like Muck Rack’s Generative Pulse, or just a Google Sheet that tracks a few common prompts.

There’s a lot more good stuff in the State of PR report, including intriguing numbers around PR pros’ after-hours work and stress levels.

Grab your copy here.

P.S. Reminder that I’m a Muck Rack brand ambassador but I’m not compensated for this post. I only pass along data I think is worth your attention.