In 2026, PR can no longer be measured solely by the number of posts, reach, and mentions. Communicators need to show how their work impacts the reputation, business, and decisions of their audience.
At the same time, the information environment is changing. AI is already influencing what information users find about brands, what they learn about them, and how they form their attitudes. Therefore, for PR, it is important not only what the brand says about itself, but also how it is presented in sources that use AI systems.
This transformation was the topic of discussion at u.comms club by Oksana Malychkovych, managing partner at L.B.I. and a specialist in media and public opinion research. She shared her findings from the PR Week Measurement Conference in London and explained how approaches to measuring PR effectiveness are changing.
From SMART to SMARTER
SMART has long become the basic principle of goal setting: they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.
Today, two more criteria are added to this:
E — Ethical — ethics.
R — Result-driven — result orientation.
That is, it is important not just to define a measurable goal, but to understand why it is needed and what result it should bring.
3–5 metrics instead of dozens
One of the key trends in PR measurement is reducing the number of indicators.
Instead of dozens of metrics, it is worth identifying 3-5 key ones that truly demonstrate the impact of communications on the business and reputation.
At the same time, the team and the CEO need different levels of data. The communications team uses metrics to find insights and adjust work. It is important for management to see the value of PR and its contribution to the business.
Therefore, measurement should be a continuous process:
track → analyse → identify insights → implement change → show evolution
A separate source of insights can be internal company data. Research results, customer inquiries, sales data, and other information that already exists within the business are often underestimated by communications teams.
What AI is changing for PR
In 2026, AI becomes another medium in which brand perception is shaped.
Therefore, it is important for companies to have up-to-date and structured information in their own channels. In particular, the press release archive on the website helps to record the facts, the company’s position and key messages in a source that can be consulted to verify the information.
GEO is also becoming important – content optimization for generative search engines and AI-answers.
The content should contain enough context and clearly explain who the company is, what it does, what products, expertise and position it has. This context may be different for different stakeholders.
Consistency becomes the new KPI
If a company uses different wording, terms and positioning on its website, social networks and media, the holistic picture of the brand is blurred.
This also applies to work with AI.
Consistency of messages, terminology, and positioning helps algorithms form a holistic view of the brand. Therefore, consistency is gradually becoming not just a recommendation for communicators, but an important indicator of the quality of work with the information environment.
AI: database or new audience?
One of the issues being discussed in the international PR environment today is: how to perceive AI – as a database or a new audience?
If we consider AI as an information base, the main focus should be on structured content, press releases, facts, and GEO-friendly communication.
If you consider it as a new audience or influencer, tone, positioning, and recognition become important. After all, the information that AI generates in response to a user’s query can influence their perception of the brand.
In practice, communicators need to work with both components: technical and communication.
What does this mean for PR in 2026?
PR measurement is becoming simpler in form but more complex in content.
Metrics have:
- show impact on reputation and business;
- help make decisions;
- demonstrate the result, not just the amount of work done;
- confirm the strategic role of PR.
And working with AI adds another challenge: understanding what information about the brand users see through AI systems and how consistently the brand is presented there.
At the same time, you should not build a strategy around a specific algorithm. AI systems continue to change. Instead, it is important to have a high-quality information base, relevant content, clear positioning and consistent messages.
Conclusion
In 2026, a good PR report is a few metrics that help answer three questions: what has changed, why it matters to the business, and what the communications team should do next. And alongside traditional media and social networks, a new medium that influences brand perception has finally taken hold: AI.
