Brand Influence Expands in Complexity as Organizations Adapt to an AI-Driven Landscape

Boston, MA; May 19, 2026 – Greenough Communications, a leading brand marketing and communications agency and member of the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN), today announced a new global survey that highlight show organizations are navigating an evolving landscape for brand influence, with artificial intelligence, expanding communication channels and a broader set of stakeholders shaping how influence is built and managed. The research, commissioned by PRGN and conducted by Researchscape International with the involvement of PRGN's 50+ member agencies globally, surveyed business, marketing and communications professionals across48 countries and highlights how organizations are adapting their strategies in response to these changes.

The study found that 90% of respondents view brand influence as 'extremely' or 'very' important to organizational success, with 70% expecting its importance to increase over the next three to five years. The results also point to an opportunity for organizations to further align how influence is managed: 17% say their approach exceeds expectations or is outstanding, while 41% say it needs improvement.

For Greenough, the findings mirror what we see across our brand partners every day. Last week, CEO Nikki Festa O'Brien presented on this topic at PRGN's Semi-Annual Summit in Brussels, where agency leaders from across the globe gathered to discuss how the industry must evolve as AI reshapes discovery, reputation and brand visibility.

The promotion of Christine Williamson to Executive Vice President and Head of AI Visibility is a direct extension of that work. In this role, Williamson will drive AI enablement, helping teams think, plan and create with confidence, accelerating cultural adoption of emerging technology, and building the AEO mindset brands need to stay visible.

Williamson's promotion reflects the sustained growth of Greenough's Marka+ AI reports, a proprietary offering that measures and tracks brand visibility across large language models. Demand for Marka+ AI has continued to increase as clients recognize that AI-generated answers, rather than search rankings, are increasingly where brand impressions are formed and buying decisions begin.

“The channels keep multiplying, but the fundamentals haven't moved. Trust, credibility, and consistency still determine whether influence actually sticks,” said O'Brien. “What's changed is where brands need to earn that trust. AI is now where discovery happens, which makes visibility inside these models the only metric that truly matters.Christine's expanded role and the demand we're seeing for Marka+ AI are both reflections of where brand strategy is and will continue to go.”

Among the key findings of the survey:

·      Influence is shaped by a broader mix of channels and audiences: Social media (80%) was identified as having the greatest impact on brand influence, followed by consumer advocacy (72%) and earned media (68%). Additional channels, including influencers, AI platforms, paid media, owned media and employee advocacy, also play a role. Consumers (83%) were seen as having the greatest influence, alongside mainstream media, content creators, employees, industry analysts, and government or regulators.

·      AI is expanding capabilities while introducing new challenges: Nearly half of respondents (48%) say AI enables more efficient content creation, while others cite improved responsiveness to trends, stronger performance analysis and enhanced customer engagement. At the same time, respondents note that AI-generated content can make it more difficult to differentiate and raises concerns around authenticity and trust.

·      Trust and reputation remain foundational to brand influence: Trust (60%) and reputation (57%) were identified as the most important drivers of influence, followed by authenticity (47%) and relevance to consumers (40%). Customer-focused metrics such as customer loyalty (28%) and brand equity (19%) were identified as leading indicators for evaluating influence, though measurement approaches vary.

·      Organizations are evolving how they build and manage influence: Nearly nine out of 10 respondents (88%) say their approach has changed in the past year, including 30% who report significant change. Many organizations report becoming more deliberate in how they communicate, including increased focus on values-based messaging, closer monitoring of global events, and adapting communications to regional and cultural differences.

·      There is a growing gap between the importance of influence and how effectively it is managed: While brand influence is widely recognized as critical to organizational success, performance remains uneven. Only 17% of respondents say their organization's approach exceeds expectations or is outstanding, while 41% report that it needs improvement — a disconnect between the priority placed on influence and organizations' ability to consistently manage it in practice.

The survey includes responses from more than 1,800 professionals across 48 countries and was conducted with participation from PRGN's global network of agencies, with results weighted by GDP to reflect a balanced global perspective. It builds on PRGN's inaugural global study and is part of an ongoing effort to track how brand influence continues to evolve.

A copy of the full survey results can be found here. 

About Public Relations Global Network (PRGN):

Founded in 1992, the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) is one of the world’s largest international networks of independent public relations and communications agencies, with approximately 900 professionals in more than 60 locations globally. PRGN members are independent, local, owner-operated public relations and marketing communications firms that share expertise and resources while providing broad-based, comprehensive communications strategies to clients worldwide. Companies or organizations interested in the services of PRGN’s worldwide agency network can visit its Agency Directory section for more information. Independent agencies interested in joining the network can visit the member recruitment section of the PRGN website for more information.

About ResearchscapeInternational
Researchscape International is a market-research firm that specializes in custom surveys and provides automated research tools. Founded in 2012, Researchscape focuses on an agile-research methodology, offering full-service research solutions with quick turnaround times as well as the ResearchStory analytical platform. In 2025, Researchscape International surveyed over 550,000 consumers and business professionals in 60+ countries. 

About Greenough Communications

Greenough Communications provides brand marketing and communications for the moments that matter and specializes in creating the moments in between. Named a Top Agency by PR Daily, we hire purposefully and have assembled a team of strategic thinkers with integrated capabilities and unmatched industry experience across industries, including technology, healthcare, business services, and the climate transition. To learn more about our services, visit www.greenoughagency.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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