The growing use of AI within companies is making it easier to create content and distribute it across multiple channels, meaning communicators working in this space are facing an uncomfortable question: what remains of the humans working in communications when the one communicating wears no face?
Kevin Welman, Co-Founder of ByDesign Communications, shares his thoughts on this topic, explaining what effective external communications is really about, arguing that it entails more than simply producing content or generating attention. In this Q&A, he talks about strategic thinking and authentic storytelling, clarifying how communication is meant to influence specialist expertise and understanding of business outcomes.
Storytelling has become one of the communications industry's favourite buzzwords. What separates genuine storytelling from simply packaging facts in a more entertaining way?
Storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools in external communications, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. Too often, organisations mistake storytelling for simply wrapping facts in a more engaging narrative and, while presentation matters, genuine storytelling goes much deeper than making information entertaining.
The purpose of a story is not to capture attention for a few moments. It is to shape understanding, build belief and create an emotional connection that people remember long after the message has been delivered. Facts inform, but stories help audiences understand why these facts matter and what they should take away from them.
This is why authenticity is non-negotiable. A compelling story that lacks substance or feels disconnected from an organisation's values will always undermine credibility rather than strengthen it. And, audiences are increasingly adept at recognising narratives that have been manufactured simply to generate attention.
Every story should also serve a strategic purpose. Before deciding how to tell a story, organisations need absolute clarity on what they want their audience to believe, understand, or do differently. The narrative should steadily move people closer to this objective.
When storytelling is authentic, strategically aligned and grounded in real experiences, it becomes far more than a communications technique. It becomes a way of building lasting trust, reinforcing reputation and creating meaningful connections that influence how people think, feel and, ultimately, make decisions.
Media relations, paid media, SEO, social media and influencer marketing now sit under the same communications strategy. Where do you see specialist expertise outperforming integration?
The expansion of external communications has created extraordinary opportunities, but it has also made the discipline significantly more complex. Media relations, paid media, SEO, answer engine optimisation, influencer marketing and social platforms all contribute to reputation and business outcomes, yet each demands highly specialised expertise.
Integration is essential because audiences experience brands as a single entity rather than through isolated channels. Strategy, messaging and objectives therefore need to remain consistent across every touchpoint, but this does not mean every communications professional should be expected to master every technical discipline.
The greatest value often comes from combining broad strategic oversight with deep specialist knowledge. A communications strategist or client consultant should understand how every discipline contributes to the overall objective, where each channel is most effective, and how they work together to amplify results. Their role is to connect the dots, challenge assumptions and ensure every activity supports the broader business strategy.
Execution, however, frequently belongs with specialists. The skills required to optimise paid media campaigns, interpret data, or manage sophisticated digital performance are fundamentally different from those required to build relationships with journalists or develop executive thought leadership.
As communications continue to evolve, collaboration becomes a competitive advantage.
The strongest outcomes emerge when specialists bring depth within their own disciplines while experienced strategists integrate these capabilities into one coherent approach that serves both reputation and commercial objectives.
Since AI has been introduced in the workforce, it has brought many ethical considerations and questions of its capabilities restrictions. Which parts of agency work do you believe should never become automated, regardless of how capable the technology becomes?
AI has transformed the way agencies operate by improving efficiency, accelerating research and reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks. These gains are valuable, but they should never be confused with replacing the distinctly human responsibilities that sit at the heart of external communications.
Relationships should never become automated.
Whether engaging with clients, journalists, industry partners, stakeholders, or audiences, trust is built through authenticity, empathy and judgement. These relationships develop through conversations, shared experiences and an understanding of context that extends well beyond data or prompts. They depend on credibility, and credibility cannot be generated by an algorithm.
The same principle applies to strategic thinking. AI can process information at remarkable speed, identify patterns and assist with drafting content, but it cannot determine the nuanced decisions that shape reputation over time. It cannot weigh competing priorities, recognise shifting stakeholder expectations, or understand the emotional dynamics behind complex communications challenges.
Technology should therefore be viewed as an enabler rather than a replacement. It can handle much of the operational workload, creating more capacity for people to focus on the work that matters most. Human expertise remains responsible for asking better questions, exercising judgement, integrating multiple perspectives, and making decisions that further business objectives and recognise human realities.
The future of external communications is not about choosing between people and technology. It is about ensuring technology strengthens human capability without replacing the relationships and critical thinking that credibility depends on.
The media celebrates creativity, but clients ultimately invest in commercial outcomes. How do you balance the pursuit of standout ideas with the discipline of delivering measurable business value?
Creativity has always been central to effective external communications because memorable ideas help organisations capture attention and create emotional connections. However, creativity is not an objective in itself. Its value is measured by the business outcomes it helps achieve.
An idea can win admiration for its originality while contributing very little to reputation, customer engagement, or commercial performance. Equally, a campaign that delivers measurable business value without creative distinction may struggle to differentiate an organisation in increasingly crowded markets. The objective is not to choose between creativity and commercial impact, but to ensure they reinforce one another.
This starts with strategy. The strongest creative ideas emerge from a clear understanding of the business challenge, the audience's needs and the behaviour the organisation hopes to influence. Creativity should simplify complex messages, strengthen recall and make strategic priorities more meaningful to the people they are intended to reach.
Measurement also plays an important role. Success should extend beyond impressions, clicks or media coverage to include outcomes that demonstrate genuine business value, whether this means strengthening reputation, improving stakeholder confidence, supporting sales, attracting talent, or building long-term credibility.
Creativity matters because it helps organisations become memorable. It becomes commercially valuable when that memorability moves audiences closer to trust, strengthens belief in the organisation and contributes to measurable business objectives rather than existing simply for its own sake.
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