What AI Is Doing to Global PR

What AI Is Doing to Global PR – and Why International Networks Are Worth Their Weight in Gold

Sometimes the lines between the personal and the professional blur so naturally that you forget it’s actually work. For me, the ECCO conference in Hamburg was one of those moments. As a Hamburger Deern (a colloquial North German term for a local girl) who now calls Switzerland home, I had the chance to return to my “old harbor” and dive into a global dialogue about trends, tools, and developments that show just how rapidly the PR and communications industry is transforming.

Twice a year, partner agencies from the international ECCO network (over 30 agencies in more than 40 countries) come together to learn from and with one another. This time in Hamburg—between the Elbphilharmonie, the harbor, and the Alster (all under glorious sunshine, which anyone who’s ever been to Hamburg in November knows is a rarity). Experts shared insights on AI-powered PR work, strategic partnership building, and the power of collective voices in driving long-term growth. The program was rounded out with networking events and the ECCO Awards ceremony.

The Power of International Networks and In-Person Encounters

But above all, this gathering of communications and PR professionals from around the world reminded me of the true value of a global network and the richness that comes from international perspectives. And of something else: nothing replaces real human encounters and the energy that emerges from them. Especially in a setting where not only best cases and successes are welcome, but also doubts and questions. A safe space—where colleagues from India, Austria, Poland, the US, Italy, and Germany openly shared what works, where they stumble, and yes: just how profoundly AI is changing their work.

AI: The Toothpaste Is Out of the Tube

…and it’s not going back in. I knew AI was big. But realizing just how massive the topic really is hit me all over again in Hamburg. The emotional range in the room stretched from fascination to nervousness to some very clear takeaways:

• Clients who expect AI-powered solutions. And others who strictly limit AI usage out of fear of reputational risk.
• Freelancers and agencies must redefine the value they create—and how they remain visible within AI systems.
• Teams need empowerment: AI needs to be part of onboarding, part of the tool stack, and part of the culture in communications organizations.

Here are some insights for communications and PR in this “new era” that I took away from our colleagues in the US—and that are likely to become increasingly relevant in Europe as well:

• Media hegemony is crumbling: AI aggregates content, user behavior is shifting—and so are platform logics.
• New KPIs: The key question is no longer “How many are coming?” but “How long are they staying?”
• Share, don’t tease: Content must deliver real value, not just hints.
• Branding matters: Logos and senders must remain clearly visible—even in AI-generated images and videos.
• Think modularly: A story can—and should—be told in multiple formats.

As digital as our work becomes, nothing replaces the feeling of meeting people in real life. These encounters generate an energy that simply doesn’t arise online. You go home with ideas you can’t extract from slides. And despite all differences and across all borders, one thing holds true: people are – and will remain – irreplaceable when it comes to making sense of what truly matters.

Photo: (taken by the author, Claire Jenik, far left in the picture)
From left to right: Kelly Fitzgibbon O’Malley (St. Louis, USA), Patrick Sutter (Munich, Germany), Norbert Ofmanski (Warsaw, Poland), Lutz Cleffmann (Düsseldorf, Germany), and our host, Martina Biesterfeldt from Hamburg, Germany. Colleagues from many other ECCO countries joined online, including India, Austria and Italy.