2026 PR, marketing and digital PR for AI predictions

The past year has seen the digital PR landscape shift significantly due to the boom in AI. Press Box PR has pivoted to focus on ensuring all of its digital PR work is optimised for LLMs whilst maintaining the heart of its product - high quality content which lands well with journalists.

We’re proud to partner with so many prestigious companies who choose to work with us on campaigns encompassing launching international brands, selling out stadia and even going viral with Sir Alex Ferguson which have all seen commercial success through our PR work.

We asked our senior team to share some of their predictions for 2026 and how the power of digital PR can help brands flourish in the coming year.

Alex Donohue, M&D and founder

PR earns its stripes as a sales driver. Savvy marketers and commercial teams benefit from the power of earned authority and recommendation. In 2026, the debate as to the value of good PR will end as smart marketing and commercial functions capitalise on the power earning authority in media brings.

This year, brands need to be visible and recommended and 'old-fashioned' PR tactics like earning a positive media profile will become even more overt drivers of traffic and sales when they work hand in hand to increase presence in the places potential customers start their journeys. 

As the world turns to AI, positive media coverage in credible publications demonstrates a real human expert's validation of a brand, which AI and LLM algorithms will feed on even more overtly. These sorts of recommendations cannot be faked. 

Maya Powell, account director

Influencer marketing will become an integral part of B2B campaign strategies, no longer a 'fun' addition or experiment, brands will rely on human authenticity more than ever to boost brand credibility. We'll see this grow in areas such as hospitality and retail as they face pressures due to rising operational costs. Sectors like these that traditionally haven't fully embraced modern marketing tactics will rethink their approach and we look forward to seeing this! Think ingredient manufacturers partnering with celebrity chefs to demonstrate cost-effective recipes and showcase sustainable practices. 

Tom Rawle, director

SEO isn't dead - despite the LinkedIn naysayers. With a focus on AI search and how to tame this new beast, the world of SEO lives on in the background. The engine, the motivation and the mechanics behind this exciting new era, SEO still holds the keys to commercial success.

At this point in time, AI searches only make up a very small proportion of queries (which will of course grow over time) and the real driving force of ranking, traffic and conversion via search engines is strong SEO.

A bi-product of this is improved visibility via AI overviews, but the real catalyst to be visible is trust - built by authentic backlinks from high authority websites eg tier one news publishers. This will not change in 2026 and the wider benefits of this activity will improve the chances of conversion in other funnels such as marketing and CRM.

Jack Mansell, MD, sport
Social holds the keys to unlock sleeping PR giant. As publisher preference decreases and news appetite increases via social media, some of the PR industry's best kept secrets, ideas and executions, which will be brought to life via social media with behind the scenes footage and influencer marketing. 

The way TikTok and LinkedIn have matured over the past couple of years and the ever increasing power of digital creators, suggests a social renaissance, in which consumers will learn more about our industry through dedicated channels and people, rather than relying solely on traditional media.

Josh Davy, account director

Traditional and digital PR will continue to become more entangled. Brands that activate in both lanes are going to see a greater amplification of their real-world presence online, whether that's on social, in search, or in a chatbot. We're already seeing challenger brands getting ahead by strategising through the volatility.

James McMath, head of B2B

What now creates separation is whether AI systems, and the people behind them, treat a brand as a trusted source. Coverage volume matters less than consistency of expert voice, attribution, and reputation across trusted environments.

This doesn't mean traditional SEO becomes irrelevant but it means strategies must evolve. Brands that combine solid technical foundations with genuine authority and expert positioning will win. 

Discovery is now driven more by reputation than by rankings alone. Brand mentions, expert commentary and narrative consistency increasingly outweigh raw domain metrics. Brands that chase links but neglect authority will lose visibility in recommendation environments where trust decides outcomes.

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