United States – October 23, 2026 -- More than half of the prospects who contacted The Hoffman Agency over the past six to twelve months said they found the firm by asking an AI assistant such as ChatGPT or Claude, according to Gerard, who spoke for the agency on a podcast hosted by Doug.
Prospects typically prompt the tools for the top ten tech PR agencies in Silicon Valley, the United States or Asia, Gerard said. Doug, the host, said his own firm saw no leads from ChatGPT three years ago.
Earned media feeds the models that buyers consult
Gerard said earned media often informs large language models. The models track respectability and third-party validation rather than product specifications such as speed, size or energy efficiency, he said. The agency therefore frames technology stories around their impact on people.
Agency audits competitor mentions in AI answers
The agency examines where competitors are mentioned in large language models and why. It then targets the media outlets, topics and story types that feed those models. Gerard compared the process to earlier SEO work, noting that domain-specific language still matters.
The agency also looks for white space in messaging, so clients avoid being seen as just another SaaS software solution.
Conversational storytelling raises odds of AI discovery
Gerard said models answer long, phrase-based prompts rather than keyword searches. He advised brands to use conversational language and to contrast their story with competitors' claims, adding some levity and humanity. He said this applies whether a company sells soda or a semiconductor chip.
Doug cited a US Chamber of Commerce study in which a large number of small businesses using different technologies outperformed competitors and reported higher satisfaction.