The media landscape isn’t just evolving — it’s splintering. From Substack newsletters and podcasts to YouTube creators, AI-powered search, and influencers, consumers are piecing together trust and recommendations from more places than ever before. We tapped industry leaders to weigh in on how brands can adapt, diversify their presence, and build credibility across this fragmented mix of channels.
Move Beyond the “Big Glossy Hit” | Lauren Kleinman, Founder & CEO, Dreamday
“For years, PR has been obsessed with the ‘big glossy hit’–the idea that one placement in Vogue or The New York Times could move the needle on its own. That thinking is outdated. Consumers don’t build trust in one headline anymore, they build it in fragments across Substack newsletters, podcasts, YouTube creators, Reddit threads, and even AI-powered search results.
“The danger for brands is clinging to an old playbook while the channels of influence have already shifted. If you’re still measuring success by marquee clips alone, you’re missing the way your customers actually make decisions.
“The next year is about embracing fragmentation and making it work for you. That’s where Performance PR comes in–an approach that integrates prestige editorial with emerging voices, ensures stories surface in generative search, and creates a presence across the nonlinear journey consumers now take. The brands that win will stop chasing moments and start engineering systems of trust, showing up consistently, everywhere decisions happen.”
Build Relationships Across Fragmented Communities | Josh Rosenberg, Co-Founder & CEO, Day One Agency
“Our business is built upon relationships—and the ability to shape, foster and expand those are key in any media landscape: past, present, and future. Its fragmentation means more influential voices in more disparate places, whether it’s the preeminent fashion Substacker, an active gaming community on Discord, a local print zine, or a Reddit thread dissecting the latest healthcare news, as communicators it’s important for us to build relationships with the gatekeepers of those communities. They are the voices shaping the conversation and influencing opinion.
“Of course, institutional media still plays a huge role in shaping the cultural conversation, there are just more surrounding voices than ever before. When podcasts are TV and TV is in our pockets, you can’t be everywhere. The key is to be where your own audience is, by focusing on your north star.”
Blend Reach with Credibility | Rachele Testa Schaefers, Vice President Global Comms, VaynerX
"Reach may live on social, but credibility still anchors in legacy media. In the year ahead, only brands that master both will break through - building awareness at the speed and cultural pulse of social while backing every claim with verifiable proof, consistent behavior, and transparent communication. With consumers acting as their own fact-checkers and rejecting surface-level polish, this blend of reach and rigor has become the new baseline for earning influence and belief."
Diversify for Discoverability and Trust | Natasha Hatherall-Shawe, Founder & CEO of TishTash
“The shift in the editorial landscape is on the way and will continue to increasingly revolve around where and how audiences consume information, not just what they read. With AI-driven answer engines and ‘overviews’ (in ChatGPT, Gemini, etc.), Substack-style newsletters, podcasts, and YouTube channels gaining ground as trusted curators, brands must diversify beyond traditional publications. There is simply no way around it. SEO is shifting: zero-click searches, role-augmented generative optimisation and earned media attribution will matter more than keyword stuffing. For marketing and communications professionals, the opportunity lies in investing in multichannel storytelling, authoritative content that surfaces in AI-answers, and GEO (generative engine optimisation) so your message is discoverable wherever people are asking for it.
“In the GCC, where digital adoption is one of the fastest globally, this shift is even more obvious. Having said that, we know that the majority of links cited by AI tools are drawn from credible earned media. This means PR is now beyond just building a brand, it directly fuels discoverability, lead generation and performance outcomes. For brands in the region, ensuring consistent visibility across respected media outlets should be just as important as paid search or digital ads, reinforcing PR as a growth channel in its own right.”
