858 Marketing and PR Leaders Reveal the Widening Gap Between PR’s Growing Strategic Role and Execution Readiness
San Diego, California, May 8, 2026 — A new global benchmark report released today reveals a significant shift in how organizations view public relations. PR is no longer a support function, but a primary driver of authority, discoverability, and business outcomes in the age of AI-powered search.
The 2026 Benchmark on AI, Visibility & Revenue, based on a survey of 858 marketing and PR professionals conducted in March 2026, finds that 7 in 10 organizations now consider PR important to their go-to-market efforts. Nearly half (48.7%) report full integration of PR with marketing and sales, a structural shift that reflects PR’s evolving role from media relations to revenue enablement.
The key catalyst for this change is AI-driven search. As generative AI tools increasingly become the first stop for information discovery, 63.5% of respondents say the rise of AI-driven search has already influenced their PR strategy, and 73% expect PR to become even more strategic over the next two years as a result.
“PR has entered a new era where authority is the currency of visibility,” said Saul Marquez, CEO and Founder of Outcomes Rocket. “As AI increasingly shapes how buyers discover and evaluate brands, PR is no longer just about generating awareness. Now, it is about building trust, credibility, and influence in the sources that matter most. The organizations that win will be those that treat PR as a revenue-driving function, not simply a communications channel.”
Organizations are turning to PR to strengthen what the report calls AEO signals (Authority, Expertise, and Trustworthiness): the criteria AI systems use to surface and validate information. Yet only 21.8% have clearly defined AEO as a strategic priority, revealing a significant gap between awareness and action.
Key findings include:
- Hybrid PR models are now the norm. Media relations (66.7%) and brand and reputation management (54.1%) remain core tactics, but digital PR (52.7%) and community engagement (47.7%) are widely adopted. Thought leadership content (41.9%) is also growing in importance as organizations compete to build third-party authority.
- Awareness still dominates objectives. Brand awareness remains the top PR priority for 66.3% of organizations, while only 17.1% currently prioritize AI visibility or citations, even as AI reshapes how audiences discover brands.
- Measurement is inconsistent and largely output-focused. Half of the organizations still rely on traditional metrics such as mentions and impressions. More than 11% do not measure PR impact at all. Budget constraints (30.9%), missing KPIs (26.2%), and disconnected data (21.3%) are among the leading barriers to proving PR’s business value.
- PR outputs are underutilized. Only 13.1% of organizations share earned media coverage with sales teams, and just 6.1% integrate PR insights into sales enablement. This operational gap is identified as a clear missed opportunity for revenue alignment.
- AI adoption in PR is widespread but ungoverned. While AI tools are present in most PR workflows, fewer than one in four organizations (21.4%) have formal, documented AI policies governing their use. Top concerns include data privacy (40.1%), accuracy and hallucination risks (37.9%), and loss of brand voice authenticity (29.2%).
Despite these execution gaps, the directional consensus is clear: 84.1% of respondents believe PR will play a larger role in sales enablement and business outcomes within the next two years.
The report’s central conclusion is that organizations leading the next era of PR are not the ones generating the most coverage. They will be the ones building the most credible authority in the places AI looks first.
The full report is available here.
Methodology
Data was collected in March 2026 via Prolific from 858 marketing and PR/communications professionals across industries including professional services, SaaS/technology, education, ecommerce, financial services, and healthcare. Respondents represent a range of company sizes and seniority levels.
About Outcomes Rocket: Outcomes Rocket is a leading healthcare marketing agency that helps health tech, med tech, and healthcare organizations accelerate growth and achieve measurable results. Founded by Saul Marquez, the firm combines healthcare expertise with data-driven strategies to shorten sales cycles, boost visibility, and deliver strong ROI. Learn more at www.outcomesrocket.com.