Beyond the Buzzword: Messaging for AI Companies To Stand Out
Key Takeaways
- Shift Focus from Technology to Human Impact: AI companies need to move beyond just promoting AI as a buzzword and articulate how their technology delivers tangible, relatable outcomes. Emphasizing the real-world benefits of AI, such as enhancing creativity or improving decision-making, will resonate more effectively with both buyers and the media.
- Simplify Messaging and Build Trust: To cut through the confusion and skepticism surrounding AI, companies should use clear, jargon-free language to explain their solutions. Addressing public fears and positioning AI as an enabler rather than a replacement for human roles is essential for building credibility and trust in a crowded market.
- Leverage Real-world Applications and Thought Leadership: Highlighting specific use cases and practical applications of AI can demonstrate its value effectively. Additionally, establishing a strong thought leadership presence and a crisis communications plan will help companies navigate the complex landscape of AI and maintain a positive reputation as trusted innovators.
Why AI Messaging Is Broken—and How Companies Can Fix It
Open LinkedIn today and you’ll find more than 32,000 companies in the U.S. calling themselves ‘AI companies.’ In late 2022, AI was still a differentiator. By 2024, it became a buzzword—used by everyone, whether it fits or not. With so many companies claiming the same positioning, buyers and journalists are overwhelmed and struggling to tell them apart.
AI Exhaustion Is Real
The communication challenges that AI companies face are considerable. Most AI companies don’t want to hear it, but it’s true: you have to be more than AI, and you have to articulate the values, outcomes, and solutions your particular use of AI drives. It’s crucial for messaging that AI companies stand out by shifting their communication strategies to focus on practical, relatable outcomes rather than technical jargon.
Why Sentiment Around AI Matters More Than Technologists Think
For over a year now, it seems like every third headline has included AI, and over half of those drove fear into employees’ hearts, promising that AI was coming for their jobs.
Not only that but according to the 2024 State of Business Communication Report, knowledge workers already spend over 88% of their time communicating.
Even though 90% of Americans are aware of AI, most cannot explain it. Ask someone on the street, “What is AI?” and you’ll get confusion, vague fear, or blank stares.
In 2023, Pew Research reported that 52% of Americans are increasingly cautious about the growing role of AI. “How will AI impact ME?” is the question Americans are asking, and they’re assuming, rightly or wrongly, that the impact will be negative.
Like the TechLash of a few years ago, AI is creeping into tiresome territory. For AI companies to stand out, cutting through the clutter and, more importantly, building trust is essential.
It’s a lot like social media in 2008…
People might not have taken it seriously, but they were curious, and those using social media felt very positive about it. Plus, social media promised us a utopian world of interconnectivity.
The early popularity of social media even if the overall adoption was lower, gave social media platforms a chance to entrench themselves in our lives. Today 63% of the global population use social media yet the current popularity of “social media” is pretty low. AI is heading in a direction opposite social media, where early negative sentiment slows adoption.
Now, perhaps, “Who cares about sentiment? Just like social media, it won’t affect adoption or tech advances.” That’s where AI and social media diverge. What I’ve learned from watching emerging technologies over the years is the overall sentiment of AI will drive things like a regulatory framework. AI adoption will be slowed if the buyers aren’t personally enthusiastic or they see AI as coming for their job.
Why Should AI Companies Care About AI Exhaustion?
In today’s overstimulated media environment, fear can make people shut down; there’s a vague disinterest looming, and reporters are catching on to that.
This affects positive media coverage for AI companies.
And we’re talking about AI by adding to, not reducing, the communication and PR challenges AI companies face. Technologists are way ahead of the average reader and talk in jargon about “agents,” “insights,” and “generation,” with very nebulous explanations and even fewer examples of how it improves lives.
Terms like “agents” don’t help the image of AI. When was the last time an “agent” made your life easier?
AI companies are at a considerable communication disadvantage. To win the popularity war, AI companies should look at the tech cycles of the last 20 years.
Social media promised interconnectivity, eventually improving everything from the economy to world peace; only to deliver confusion and a lack of privacy.
Blockchain promised to unhinge us from a federally controlled economy, only to deliver fraudsters who stole hundreds of millions from excited and perhaps naive cryptocurrency investors. Of course, blockchain is more than digital currency, and the applications are exciting, but these days, the term blockchain is synonymous with Sam Friedman, who was on the cover of Forbes only two months before his very public arrest.
Is it any wonder that the latest advances of AI are viewed with skepticism? Witnessing these utopian promises become an Orwellian disaster impacts purchasing decisions at all levels. But what those technologies all did well at the beginning of their technologies was paint an aspirational picture of how the technologies will radically and positively affect people’s lives. AI hasn’t done that very well. And for companies looking to IPO in 2025 or beyond, this is critical.
PR and AI Companies: The Media’s Role in AI’s Reputation
From August 2023 – August 2024 there were 4.8 million online stories in the USA about AI.
Press releases made up 52% of those online pieces.
NVIDIA, now a household name, grabbed 8% of those articles.
4% included the word “agents.”
MSN News AI coverage included an article almost every single day.
Forbes averaged 1.4 AI articles per day.
Ambitious AI companies should note how the media covers AI. Journalists want:
- Human-centric stories
- Data-driven insights
- Trustworthy companies
- Real-world examples
No one wants to feature a company that might be the next New York Times exposé.
AI companies who want to raise capital, IPO, and become ubiquitous must clarify messaging and speak directly to the AI buyer’s preconceived perceptions.
Strategic PR Approaches AI Companies Should Implement Now
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Build a Human-Centric Story
Technology stories today must connect emotionally. Focus on the humans your product helps—the “superstars” of your product.
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Communicate Value and Impact (the Why).
Beyond efficiency or cost savings, explain the deeper benefits—like enabling creativity, improving decision-making, or fostering better customer relationships. Make sure this “Why” aligns with your audiences’ values and business objectives.
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Be Mindful of Sentiment.
Acknowledge concerns. Position AI as an enabler, not a replacement.
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Highlight Real Problems (the What).
Tangible Solutions. Articulate the specific problems your AI solution addresses. Use everyday language that resonates with your audience’s current challenges. For instance, if your AI helps reduce manual data entry in accounting, say that instead of “streamlines processes.”
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Simplify Your Language.
Remove jargon like “deep learning,” “agents,” or “neural networks” unless absolutely necessary. Your goal is to make the solution understandable and relatable to those who are not AI experts.
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Invest in Trust and Authority Building
Thought leadership, transparent privacy policies, and a clearly articulated vision are essential. PR is an excellent tool for building trust, but it also takes a genuine interest in creating trust and a clear “why.” CEOs should lead with a vision that includes more than technology but also lifestyle and culture because that resonates with the reader and media.
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Practical Applications of Utopian Promises.
Focus on how your AI technology is currently being used to solve real-world problems, not just its potential. AI in B2B products needs to be approached in practical vs. utopian communication terms.
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Clarify Your Audience (the Who).
Be specific. Who exactly do you help? In which sectors? At what stage? (This is a good time tlook at your website too – if it doesn’t say who you help above the fold, it’s time to change that.)
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Reevaluate your “About Us” Page.
Your About page should clearly communicate the who, what, and why – without jargon.
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Create a Crisis Communications Plan
Because AI is so visible, any crisis will be too. It’s better to prepare for a crisis that never happens than to have a crisis without a plan.
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Use Metaphors
Metaphors paint a picture, but they also engender trust by making complex ideas accessible.
Closing Perspective: AI’s Future Depends on Communication, Not Just Technology
As the AI landscape becomes more crowded and complex, the challenge isn’t just building cutting-edge models, it’s explaining the value in a way that resonates.
Your ability to articulate clear, practical outcomes and build trust through transparent communication will determine whether you stand out or get lost among 32,000 competitors.
By focusing on real-world applications, simplifying your language, and addressing the emotional and ethical concerns surrounding AI, you can position your company not just as a tech leader, but as a trusted partner in innovation.
The AI revolution is here. Whether your brand thrives will depend largely on the story you tell. Let Avaans Media be your guide.
