PR Trends for 2023: ESG and AI | David Fuscus of Xenophon Strategies

PRGN Presents • Season 2, Episode 1 • Originally published as an audio podcast on January 12, 2023. What will ESG and artificial intelligence mean for PR in 2023? David Fuscus, CEO of Xenophon Strategies in Washington, DC, and 2022–23 president of PRGN, joins Abbie Fink and Dr. Adrian McIntyre to look at the forces shaping the year ahead. David sees Europe leading on ESG regulation, the United States bringing up the rear, and too many companies treating the E as more important than the S and the G. He describes reading a blog draft he judged 75% of the way there, then learning that ChatGPT wrote it. Adrian argues that cheaper content production makes strategy more valuable, and David makes the case for what PR does best: bringing clarity and one coherent narrative to everything a company says. KEY TAKEAWAYS • Companies tend to treat the E in ESG as the capital letter, but social and governance issues need attention at the same time. • ESG work isn’t finished when the report is done. Companies also have to explain it to stakeholders and investors. • AI can get a draft 50 to 75% of the way there, which cuts the cost of content but still leaves the storytelling to people. • Cheaper production lets agencies run more experiments and shift their billing toward thinking and strategy. • PR’s biggest value is clarity and focus: every piece of content should point back to one underlying narrative. Read the full episode notes and transcript: https://prgnpodcast.com/episode/david... --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE GUEST David Fuscus is the 2022–23 president of the Public Relations Global Network and CEO of Xenophon Strategies, PRGN’s Washington, DC member agency, which he founded in 2000. He began his career on Capitol Hill, worked for President George H.W. Bush, and served as chief spokesman for the airline industry at the Air Transport Association, where he conducted more than 6,000 media interviews. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/xenophon-stra... • Connect with David:   / davidfuscus   --------------------------------------- ABOUT THE HOSTS Abbie Fink is president of HMA Public Relations, the oldest continuously operating PR firm in Arizona and a founding member of PRGN. • Learn more: https://prgn.com/agency/hma-public-re... • Connect with Abbie:   / abbiesfink   Dr. Adrian McIntyre is an anthropologist and communications advisor specializing in the marketing and selling of expertise. He is a founding partner at Speed of Story, where he helps entrepreneurial experts and boutique firms clarify their positioning, package their intellectual property, market their premium services, and get paid for their thinking, not their time. • Learn more: https://adrianmcintyre.com/ • Connect with Adrian:   / adrianmcintyre   --------------------------------------- CHAPTERS 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:59 Meet David Fuscus of Xenophon Strategies 01:56 ESG in 2023: Europe Leads, the United States Trails 03:51 Beyond the E: Why Social and Governance Issues Matter Too 05:46 A ChatGPT Blog Draft That Was 75% of the Way There 08:01 Why Hire a PR Strategist if AI Can Write? 09:21 Cheaper Content, More Experiments and Billing for Strategy 11:06 AI Content Ethics: Transparency, Authenticity and Credibility 12:37 PR’s Value: Clear Messages and a Coherent Narrative 14:18 Podcast Outro --------------------------------------- PRGN Presents features conversations with members of the Public Relations Global Network. No matter where you do business, there is a PRGN member agency in your region with the deep industry expertise, international experience, and local market knowledge you need to connect with your target audience and achieve your goals. Find a PR firm near you: https://prgn.com/pr-agencies/