From Pitch to Post: Four Ways AI Can Strengthen Communications
By: Allison Gross, associate director, Vanguard Communications
Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to speak about artificial intelligence (AI) in communications at the National Disability Rights Network Annual Conference. In a Zoom room filled with advocates, attorneys and communicators, the questions were less about the technology itself and more about its purpose. How can AI help us reach more people, tell stories more effectively and serve communities better — all while keeping the human connection at the heart of our work?
That experience reinforced what we’ve been learning at Vanguard: AI is changing how communicators do their work, from pitching stories to managing social media to analyzing campaign results. But for PR professionals, AI is not about replacing human insight. It’s about having a smart and ethical assistant that helps teams move faster and think more creatively.
At Vanguard, our approach to AI is intentional: we embrace it where it enhances outcomes and skip it when it doesn’t add value. When used thoughtfully, AI can take on routine tasks, spark new ideas and bring clarity to complex data. But the most important work — strategic thinking, sound judgment and relationship-building — is still powered by people.
Here’s how AI can support communicators in four key areas.
- Media Relations: From Idea to Placement
Effective media relations have always depended on thoughtful strategies and trusted relationships. But if you’ve ever stared at a blinking cursor while trying to craft a new pitch, you know very well that the process can be time-consuming and difficult.
AI can help us get past that blank page by generating a draft pitch tailored to a reporter’s beat or recent coverage. ChatGPT or Claude can quickly produce a rough outline, leaving you free to refine the language and add the context and nuance that only a person can provide. Some platforms, like Muck Rack, are experimenting with AI features that analyze recent journalist coverage in order to suggest relevant contacts in the media. This exercise does not replace the careful vetting we must undertake to provide a valuable media relationship strategy, but it can trigger new ideas and leads you might not have otherwise considered.
It’s worth remembering, though, that no AI tool will build relationships for you. Thoughtful follow-up, credibility and trust are still rooted in human connection.
- Social Media Management: Strategy Meets Speed
Social media moves quickly, and keeping up with its constantly changing trends and platforms can be overwhelming. AI can provide meaningful support by suggesting post ideas, creating draft captions and even recommending when content is most likely to perform well. For example, Hootsuite’s OwlyWriter AI can generate quick caption drafts aligned with campaign themes, while Buffer’s AI Assistant can repurpose existing posts and adjust them to fit different platforms. The constant need for new content can drain a team’s time and energy, but social media also offers unmatched opportunities to connect directly with audiences.
Design tools are also incorporating AI assistance. Canva now suggests layouts and brand-friendly graphics to speed up production. While not every AI suggestion will hit the mark, it can make it easier to turn an idea into a polished post.
The real value comes when teams spend less time formatting and scheduling and more time engaging directly with their communities.
- Content Development: Collaboration, Not Substitution
PR professionals know the challenge of producing written content on tight deadlines. Whether it’s a blog, a report or a set of talking points, the hardest part is often getting started.
AI can serve as a collaborator in this process. A platform like Gemini or ChatGPT can take a carefully written prompt — for example, “Write a 300-word blog post about free hypertension screenings in plain language with a friendly tone” — and produce a draft that gives you an outline to get started, as well as fresh ideas to move past any lingering writer’s block. Of course, this initial draft still requires editing, fact-checking and polishing, but it shortens the distance from idea to first draft.
AI can also help repurpose content. A webinar transcript, for example, could be transformed into a one-page summary, a series of social media posts or a blog highlighting the key takeaways. Writing assistants such as Grammarly can further fine-tune the tone for different audiences. Tools like Perplexity AI can help verify facts and identify credible sources, while translation features across platforms can make it easier to adapt content for multilingual audiences.
Even in crisis moments, AI can help generate possible “holding statements,” giving teams a head start while they gather facts and align messaging. Still, like all AI work products, final responsibility rests with people to ensure accuracy and accountability.
- Data Analysis: Turning Noise into Insights
Communicators often find themselves surrounded by data they do not have time to fully interpret. Campaign metrics, survey responses and web analytics can quickly overwhelm even the most experienced teams.
This is where AI shows real value. Platforms can scan large datasets and highlight patterns that matter most. MonkeyLearn, for instance, can categorize open-ended survey responses into themes, while Tableau can summarize engagement results and generate clear visuals.
Picture a citywide campaign that just wrapped up. Instead of spending weeks on manual review, a PR team could use AI to see which neighborhoods were most engaged, what messages resonated and where efforts fell short.
Of course, numbers alone do not tell the whole story. AI can point to patterns, but human interpretation is still needed to understand why audiences responded the way they did.
The Takeaway
AI offers clear advantages. It can take some of the weight off routine tasks, shorten the path from idea to draft, and help uncover insights in data. Efficiency, however, is only the starting point. The true value communicators bring lies in their ability to build trust, foster relationships and create work that reflects an organization’s values. AI can play a supporting role, but people shape the message and carry it forward.
To learn more about approaching AI with intention, I recommend reading my colleague Brenda Foster’s blog on guiding your ethical AI strategy. She shares simple questions to help you decide whether a tool aligns with your organization’s values.
ABOUT ALLISON: Allison Gross is an associate director at Vanguard Communications in Washington, D.C. and a member of WWPR. She has extensive experience in health communications and marketing activities for government and nonprofit clients. At Vanguard, she is part of the AI task force and oversees the production of communications campaigns and materials for a Medicaid managed care organization in D.C. Before joining Vanguard, Allison led the overall marketing and communications strategy for the Primary Care Collaborative (PCC). Prior to PCC, she developed and executed communications campaigns to promote the 340B Drug Discount Program at the American Pharmacist Association.
