Hello! Monday's Daily PR Brief is here - January 12, 2026
What Universal taught the author about PR; The art of pitching less & winning more; Pros & cons of using AI‑generated drafts for press releases; more!
Read some of today's best PR and Comms industry news clips:
What CES 2026 Revealed About the Future of PR: Community, Creativity and AI Work Together (PRNEWS - January 9, 2026)
The Scoop: A Reddit hoax went viral. Then DoorDash and Uber Eats fired back. (PR Daily - January 9, 2026)
What Universal Taught Me About Public Relations (HMA PR - January 9, 2026)
AI Strategies to Engage Divided Audiences (5W Public Relations - January 9, 2026)
The art of pitching less and winning more, explained (PRmoment (UK) - January 6, 2026)
Pros and cons of using AI‑generated drafts for press release copy (Agility PR Solutions - January 8, 2026)
In 2026, AI Forces Marketing and Media to Grow Up (CommPRO - January 12, 2026)
As AI adoption increases, many IC pros lean on emotional intelligence (Ragan Communications - January 8, 2026)
Where LLMs pull from (and what it means for Generative Engine Optimization) (Muck Rack - January 9, 2026)
McRib or McFib? And the battle between legal and comms teams (Media First (UK) - January 12, 2026)
The Four Most Important Relationships in PR (O'Dwyer's - January 12, 2026)
Beyond awareness: The top PR trends brands can't ignore in 2026 (Agility PR Solutions - January 12, 2026)
Summary Section:
What CES 2026 Revealed About the Future of PR: Community, Creativity and AI Work Together
By Nicole Schuman
PRNEWS - January 9, 2026
From AI to IRL, CES 2026 made one thing clear: the future of communications isn’t about choosing between technology and humanity—it’s about deliberately blending the two.
The Scoop: A Reddit hoax went viral. Then DoorDash and Uber Eats fired back.
By Courtney Blackann
PR Daily - January 9, 2026
A Reddit hoax went viral. Then DoorDash and Uber Eats fired back. Plus: Deloitte says at CES that people want more AI real talk; Equinox shares AI slop campaign strategy.
What Universal Taught Me About Public Relations
By Alison Bailin
HMA PR - January 9, 2026
Some of the greatest PR lessons aren’t found in boardrooms, they are on the ride tracks at Universal Studios.
AI Strategies to Engage Divided Audiences
5W Public Relations - January 9, 2026
Discover AI strategies to navigate polarized audiences using cultural sensitivity algorithms, risk models, and real-time narrative tracking for effective marketing.
The art of pitching less and winning more, explained
By Andy West
PRmoment (UK) - January 6, 2026
Investing in sales training could be the golden key for PR agency founders wanting sustainable growth, says Westofcenter's Andy West.
Pros and cons of using AI‑generated drafts for press release copy
By Kelly Moser
Agility PR Solutions - January 8, 2026
75% of PR pros now use generative AI in their workflows, a dramatic jump from just 28% in early 2023. But does AI hold up under journalistic scrutiny, or reflect your brand’s voice? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t so straightforward.
In 2026, AI Forces Marketing and Media to Grow Up
By Norman Birnbach
CommPRO - January 12, 2026
Now that 2026 is underway, we explore how AI is forcing marketing and media to move beyond hype into a more demanding phase where quality, credibility, and real results matter.
As AI adoption increases, many IC pros lean on emotional intelligence
By Sean Devlin
Ragan Communications - January 8, 2026
A report from Ruder Finn, titled Harnessing AI and Emotional Intelligence to Shape the Future of Work, stated that 66% of internal comms and HR pros felt optimistic about AI.
Where LLMs pull from (and what it means for Generative Engine Optimization)
By Marina Grudeva
Muck Rack - January 9, 2026
Understanding where LLMs pull from is the foundation of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). Once you know which sources carry the most weight, you can be more deliberate about where you earn coverage, how you structure content, and how you respond when an answer is wrong or incomplete.
McRib or McFib? And the battle between legal and comms teams
By Adam Fisher
Media First (UK) - January 12, 2026
McDonald's has been hit with a lawsuit accusing it of misleading customers and raising pricing and quality concerns. How is it handling the crisis?
The Four Most Important Relationships in PR
By Dustin Siggins
O'Dwyer's - January 12, 2026
Relationships aren't the product in public relations. They're the process.
Beyond awareness: The top PR trends brands can't ignore in 2026
By Ronn Torossian, Founder of 5WPR
Agility PR Solutions - January 12, 2026
The role of PR is no longer limited to generating visibility. It has become a central component of comprehensive marketing strategies that shape perception, influence audiences, and drive measurable outcomes. Here’s what the most successful brands will do in 2026.
If you're interested in setting up a customized report for your company or need any help with monitoring or media research feel free to reach out.
All reports made with the help of Report Mule.