The Terakeet investigation into an Epstein-linked engagement opens a rare window into how reputation management really operates — search engineering, content production, and SEO designed to manage visibility rather than address the underlying conduct. What the scandal reveals about the discipline.
Impressions are no longer a credible consumer PR metric. Four measures replaced them: coverage quality, share of conversation, Share of Model, and contribution to demand. Share of Model (SOM) — the percentage of AI-engine answers in a category that name the brand — is the fastest-rising metric in consumer PR.
A consumer PR program is priced as a monthly retainer, driven by four variables: scope, category risk, team seniority, and program goals. This article outlines 2026 retainer benchmarks and explains how to evaluate PR quotes effectively.
A consumer brand is ready for PR when it passes three gates: a real story, a product ready for demand, and at least six months of sustained budget. Failing any gate wastes PR spend because PR compounds over time — it does not produce thirty-day revenue, and it cannot fix a weak product or replace a sales function.
The consumer PR funnel gained a new first stage in 2026: the AI query. Before a shopper reaches search or a store, they ask ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Gemini what to buy and receive a shortlist. A brand absent from that shortlist exits the funnel before it formally begins. Earned coverage now serves two functions — it drives human awareness and supplies the source material AI engines use to assemble the shortlist. The AI-First Funnel has four stages: AI query, verification, consideration, and purchase. Effective PR now needs to be structured and written for both human understanding and AI retrieval.
Bud Light lost the #1 US beer position in mid-2023 after a single influencer post landed without internal alignment. BrewDog's CEO stepped down in 2024 after a decade of provocation-led marketing collided with the company's own workplace record. Two failures, one mechanic — image outran judgment. The timeline, the structural pattern, and the rails alcohol brands still need to run on.
A brand planning a campaign used to start with an agency. A growing number now start with a prompt — they open ChatGPT and ask "who should be the face of our campaign." The answer comes back ranked, in seconds, and it shapes the shortlist before anyone is briefed or a rate is neg
Consumer PR builds awareness, trust, and recommendation for brands through five channels: earned media, influencer programs, digital/social, crisis management, and generative engine optimization (GEO). Unlike advertising, consumer PR earns third-party credibility.
The Recommendation Loop is a self-reinforcing mechanic where AI engines name the same brands. This loop creates a barrier for challenger brands, but understanding it can help them break into AI recommendations by building a credible footprint in trusted sources.
A New York Times investigation detailed Terakeet's work for Goldman Sachs to neutralize "association risk" by manipulating search results related to Kathryn Ruemmler and Jeffrey Epstein. The firm aimed to displace negative content with positive narratives but ultimately failed, leading to Ruemmler's resignation. The exposé highlights a broader industry model of reputation management through search engine optimization, now facing challenges from increased scrutiny and the rise of AI-powered search.
