Redefining Visibility in the Age of AI: PRSA ICON 2025 Recap
This year’s PRSA ICON 2025 was an inspiring reminder of how fast communications is evolving and how essential it is for public relations professionals to adapt. Business Wire was proud to return to the conference floor, reconnect with so many talented communicators, and share new ideas about visibility, credibility, and the role of AI in brand visibility.
From conversations at Business Wire’s booth to questions raised in our breakout session, one theme came through loud and clear: AI is transforming how visibility is defined. It’s no longer just about being seen; it’s about being understood and trusted across search engines, generative AI platforms, and human networks.
What We Heard at PRSA ICON 2025:
- Top Takeaways from the Conference
- Experts Answer How GEO and AEO are Redefining Brand Visibility
- Your Questions About AI Adoption & Measurement
- Business Wire's Take on PR & AI Platforms
Conversations and Takeaways from the Floor
The exhibit hall was buzzing with ideas, questions, and new perspectives from across the PR community. Here are a few highlights and themes our team found most exciting.
AI and Visibility Took Center Stage
AI-driven visibility dominated the conversation. Communicators wanted to know how to optimize websites, press releases, and owned content for AI engagement. They also wanted guidance on preparing for a world where AI recommendations increasingly shape public perception and decision-making.
As Millicent Hasandras, Agency Relationship Manager at Business Wire, noted, ICON attendees resonated deeply with Business Wire’s concept of the “Visibility Engine.” It helped them visualize how a press release fuels more than media coverage. Press releases power search visibility, shape brand reputation, and inform AI-generated answers that millions of people now see before clicking a link.
From Reach to Relevance
Across panels and discussions, a shift was clear: PR professionals are moving away from measuring success purely by reach and starting to focus on relevance and reputation. Visibility today means appearing in the right context, with the right message, and in a way that strengthens credibility.
Culture, Crisis, and Communication
Beyond AI, another recurring theme was the connection between organizational culture and communication.
Janice Essick, Customer Success Account Manager at Business Wire, highlighted key takeaways from Elizabeth Whittington’s session, “Culture Is Your Crisis Plan.” The message was simple yet powerful: how your company behaves daily determines how it will respond under pressure.
Whittington emphasized that culture is a living system shaped by leadership behavior, shared values, and internal communication. When culture and reality align, organizations are better equipped to respond to crises with authenticity and speed.
For PR professionals, that means embedding culture into messaging, leadership training, recognition programs, and measuring not just operational readiness but “cultural readiness.”
The Visibility Engine in Action
A special thank you to everyone who joined Business Wire’s breakout session, “The Visibility Engine: Building Brand Reputation in the Age of GEO and AI” featuring Michael Brito (Zeno) and Jacqueline Jakovac (Citi). The session explored how Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) are redefining brand visibility and the relationship between AI platforms and brand reputation.
The insights shared by Michael and Jacqueline framed a crucial truth for modern communicators: visibility is no longer about being everywhere; it’s about being understood and trusted where it matters most.
AI and LLMs: Creating Content AI Can Trust
Jacqueline shared that AI and large language models (LLMs) are increasingly shaping how Citi is perceived online. Their marketing team evaluates what’s being said about the brand, how it ranks against competitors, and what actions the company should start, stop, or continue. LLMs gather information from earned media, owned content, and other credible signals across the web, placing the most weight on authoritative sources and fresh, up-to-date content. Rather than simply counting keywords, AI analyzes patterns, credibility, and relevance, meaning that third-party coverage, recent developments, and well-optimized content are critical for visibility.
To effectively adopt AI-driven insights, Jacqueline recommends focusing on creating answer-oriented content designed to provide clear, authoritative responses. Optimizing for snippets, not just clicks, ensures content can be surfaced directly by AI systems. Building executive and brand authority pages further establishes thought leadership, while training LLMs with original, high-value insights helps reinforce a brand’s position as a trusted source. By aligning content strategy with these principles, companies can improve AI recognition, strengthen credibility, and enhance overall brand visibility.
From Reach to Recognition
In the session’s Q&A, Michael captured the shift perfectly; “Corporate communications teams can move from chasing reach to building recognition with relevance by treating visibility as a reputation metric.”
AI and GEO are changing how audiences discover, interpret, and rank brands. Every mention now carries weight, signaling credibility. That means focusing on narrative consistency across all channels and ensuring every piece of content reinforces expertise, reliability, and trust. Instead of measuring clicks, teams should track citations in authoritative contexts. For example, whether a brand is being quoted accurately in AI-generated summaries or referenced by trusted outlets.
Michael encouraged teams to think of visibility as a long-term reputation play, not a short-term metric. When content is structured clearly, factually consistent, and aligned with brand purpose, it becomes “safe to quote” for both journalists and AI systems.
The Power of Owned + Earned Media
A recurring theme in the discussion was the synergy between owned and earned media, and the role of press release distribution in bridging the two.
- Owned media (your newsroom, blog, and website) provides the foundation for credibility and long-term discoverability.
- Earned media validates those stories, expanding reach through trusted third-party sources.
- Newswire distribution connects the two, delivering content directly to journalists, analysts, search engines, and AI systems that feed global visibility.
Michael emphasized, “Each citation or mention becomes a signal of authority, extending your visibility into new communities through both human and algorithmic networks.”
This synergy is central to Business Wire’s Visibility Engine concept: combining targeted news distribution with best practices for SEO, AEO, and GEO so your press releases are seen and trusted.
Applying AI to Communications Strategies
The conversation didn’t stop when the breakout session ended. Attendees wanted to dig deeper into how AI and generative search are transforming visibility. We’ve gathered a few of the top questions Business Wire received and provided our perspective below.
How can PR pros use AI search and AEO to ensure accuracy?
Keep factual consistency across your newsroom and distributed press releases. Consistency helps AI systems match and verify the original source.
What about organizations hesitant to adopt AI?
Start small. Use AI for insights and stay guided by human judgment and mission-driven ethics.
How do we teach new professionals to use AI responsibly?
Prioritize strategic and critical thinking before automation. AI should enhance creativity, not replace foundational PR skills.
How can teams measure AI visibility?
Track owned citations, sentiment accuracy, and prompt coverage across AI platforms—not just click-through rates.
Connecting Press Release Distribution to Real Outcomes
Business Wire supports discoverable and measurable press release distribution across media, search, and AI platforms. From traditional outlets to generative platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, Business Wire powers press release visibility and citation. Every press release is optimized for SEO, AEO, and GEO, maximizing overall visibility.
With the rise of AI, consistent high-quality news distribution is critical. Frequent press release syndication keeps your company top of mind and continuously feeds the data pipelines that inform LLMs. Because Business Wire does not block AI crawlers, your news remains accessible to the search and generative systems that shape how audiences find and act on information.
This visibility translates into measurable impact, connecting strong news distribution, optimized content, and actionable analytics to real business outcomes.
Looking Ahead: Visibility, Reputation, and the AI Revolution
PRSA ICON 2025 made one thing clear: the future of communications is intelligent, data-driven, and reputation-led.
As AI systems, search engines, and media ecosystems continue to evolve, visibility will depend on how well organizations align credibility, structure, and storytelling. Press releases remain essential, not just for reaching audiences but for teaching AI what to trust.
Business Wire is proud to help communicators bridge this new era of discovery, combining trusted news distribution with AI and GEO optimization to ensure every announcement strengthens your visibility, reputation, and authority.
