PR Briefing: AI Agents, Search Intelligence, and a 30-Year Milestone
Stagwell launches NewVoices.ai
Stagwell introduced NewVoices.ai, an independent AI agent that books appointments, drives conversions, answers questions, and resolves customer concerns. Teams can use ready-made setups or customize the agent to match their workflows.
Use cases span:
- Sales and revenue
- Customer support
- Retention and renewals
- Payments and operations
- Surveys and feedback
Built on Stagwell's proprietary data, the agent learns from each interaction to respond with one-to-one personalization. "Agents like NewVoices are at the center of Stagwell's strategy of AI transformation and new revenue opportunities," said Stagwell chairman and CEO Mark Penn.
Why this matters for PR and comms
- Convert interest faster: route media inquiries or demo requests, book briefings, and pass warm leads to humans.
- Keep messaging consistent: 24/7 answers trained on approved narratives, FAQs, and talk tracks.
- Improve retention: proactive nudges for renewals and upsells based on behavior and timing.
- Capture better insight: every interaction adds structured data on objections, sentiment, and intent.
Cision acquires Trajaan
Cision acquired Trajaan, a search intelligence platform that captures behavior across search engines, e-commerce platforms, social channels, and emerging GenAI assistants. Cision plans to integrate Trajaan across its portfolio to help teams anticipate trends, read intent, and make faster decisions.
"By bringing Trajaan fully into the Cision ecosystem, we're unifying search intelligence, conversational insight, and AI-driven analytics to give customers a deeper, more predictive understanding of the 'why' behind consumer behavior," said Cision CEO Guy Abramo.
How to use this shift
- Build intent-led briefs: map queries, product searches, and social chatter into messaging angles and content calendars.
- Cover the full funnel: monitor search, social, e-commerce, and GenAI assistants to spot early signals before they trend.
- Tighten measurement: pair search intent with media outcomes to show how coverage moves consideration and action.
- Speed up response: use real-time search insight to update pitch lines, FAQs, and creative in near-real time.
The McRae Agency marks 30 years
The McRae Agency in Scottsdale, AZ celebrates three decades in business, focused on strategic communications, media relations, and brand building. The firm has supported brands including Google, Red Bull, and Skanska, as well as clients in technology, real estate, and consumer products.
The team has also backed local institutions like the Phoenix Art Museum and the Phoenix Symphony, and was named "Scottsdale's Favorite PR Firm" by the Scottsdale Independent in 2024. "Thirty years in business isn't just a milestone, it's a reflection of the trust we've built, the transformations we've supported and the stories that have shaped brands and connected with audiences," said founder and president Beth McRae.
Agency takeaway
- Trust compounds: consistent delivery and clear positioning beat short-lived wins.
- Balance marquee logos with local impact: both build durable reputation and referrals.
- Diversify thoughtfully: steady sector spread protects margins without diluting focus.
What to do next
- Pilot one AI agent workflow (support or lead-qualification). Define success metrics first: time-to-first-response, booking rate, or CSAT.
- List your top 20 intents (press, prospect, customer). Write approved responses and escalation rules.
- Tighten data policy and consent. Make sure training data comes from cleared sources.
- Upskill your team on AI workflows for PR and marketing. A structured track saves trial-and-error.
Need a practical starting point? Explore role-based AI learning paths here: Courses by job.
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