The Good Comms Edit - Issue #18 - 13.07.26

A Monday briefing on the biggest shifts in PR, marketing and brand storytelling.

One thing became very clear this week ... the communications industry isn't simply adopting new tools, it's changing what it values and that's really exciting.

This week's three stories all point towards the same conclusion ... human judgement is becoming more valuable, not less.

Here's what caught my attention this week ...

1. AI visibility is replacing SEO as the next communications battleground

For years we've obsessed over Google rankings but recently, a growing number of marketers began talking about something different altogether ... AI visibility.

Research and industry commentary published over the past fortnight suggests many brands ranking highly on Google are barely appearing inside AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT and Google's AI Mode. Marketers are beginning to track not just search rankings, but whether AI systems actually mention their brands.

Why it matters

This feels like one of the biggest shifts we've seen in years ... SEO was about being found but AI visibility is about being remembered, referenced and trusted. Those aren't quite the same thing.

It also reinforces something we've spoken about before at Everything & Nothing ...

Brands with distinctive points of view, original thinking and recognised expertise are far more likely to become part of AI's understanding of a category than brands producing generic content.

What I'd be thinking about

If someone asked ChatGPT, "Who are the most respected organisations in our field?"

Would your business appear? If not, that's becoming a communications challenge, not just an SEO one.

2. Cannes is changing the conversation around AI

As Cannes Lions gets underway, something interesting is happening.Last year, much of the conversation centred on whether AI would replace creativity but this year, the tone feels noticeably different. Interviews with agency leaders, CMOs and strategists, highlight that the conversation has shifted towards something more nuanced ... AI is becoming infrastructure, not the headline.

The discussion is moving back towards judgement, originality, strategy and human creativity, with AI positioned as the tool, not the idea.

Why it matters

Every new technology follows the same curve ... first we obsess over the tool, eventually we start talking about what people actually do with it and communications seems to be entering that second phase. That's really good news because the competitive advantage isn't becoming access to AI, it's becoming better taste.

What I'd be thinking about

If everyone has access to the same tools, where does your organisation create difference? Increasingly, the answer isn't the tech, it's your human judgement.

3. The role of the CMO is quietly changing

One story that received less attention than it deserved this week was Business Insider's annual list of the world's most innovative CMOs. Reading through the list, one pattern kept emerging ... the marketers being recognised weren't simply running impressive advertising campaigns, they were leading organisational change. Many are now responsible for AI adoption, customer experience, product positioning, creator partnerships, company culture and growth strategy alongside traditional marketing responsibilities.

Why it matters

Marketing is becoming less of a department, and more of a strategic operating system and that's a significant change. The strongest communications leaders are no longer just brilliant storytellers, they're becoming translators - connecting technology, culture, customer behaviour and commercial strategy.

What I'd be thinking about

Whether you're a solo founder, a creative or leading a global team, this raises a useful question ... are you measuring marketing outputs or are you measuring business outcomes? They're increasingly becoming part of the same conversation.

The Pattern

Across all three stories, the same theme emerges ... we're entering an era where information is becoming abundant, but human judgement is becoming scarce.

AI can generate anything, the algorithms can distribute it anywhere and automation can accelerate it's reach and growth but deciding ...

• what's worth saying,

• when to say it,

• who needs to hear it,

• and why it matters

  
  

... still belongs to people and that feels like really good news for communications.

Karen's Take

This week I've found myself writing one sentence over and over in my notebook ... "The future belongs to the best editors, not the biggest publishers."

There's more content and AI in the world than ever so to stand out doesn't necessarily mean you have to produce the most, you'll simply have to make better decisions about what deserves people's attention and that, to me, feels like the real job of modern communications. I genuinely think this is the evolution we've all been looking for.

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About Everything & Nothing

Everything & Nothing is a PR, marketing and communications studio working with organisations, artists and brands who care deeply about how they show up in the world.

We help people find the signal in the noise shaping clear, credible stories that build trust over time. Our work sits at the intersection of strategy and storytelling, combining sharp thinking with calm execution, and a belief that good communication should feel human, considered and purposeful.

We’re interested in work that lasts, not just what lands loudly, but what lands well.

Enjoyed this edit? The Good Comms Edit is published every Monday ... a gentle, thoughtful briefing from the world of PR, marketing and modern storytelling.

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