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Outrunning the Narrative: How AI-Powered Intelligence is Reshaping Influence in a Distrustful World

Meltwater Insight Report

Introduction

The media landscape is undergoing a seismic shift, driven by AI, evolving consumer behaviors, and the erosion of trust in traditional institutions. To navigate the course of influence in an increasingly distrustful world, communication professionals must continue to innovate and evolve rapidly to maintain their competitive edge for the digital era. 

This was the strategic context that drove discussions during the recent executive roundtable hosted by Meltwater, supported by Connect Media. Following the theme of How AI-Powered Intelligence is Reshaping Influence in a Distrustful World, the roundtable convened chief corporate affairs leaders to explore how brands can successfully adapt to remain influential in this rapidly changing environment. These discussions focused on three core pillars: The impact of AI and social media on communications strategies, the growing challenge of building trust amidst misinformation, and the future skills every leader will need to prepare for the next wave of disruption. 

Conversations were led by David Hickey, Executive Director, APAC, Meltwater  with exclusive insights from Oren Fixler, Head of Social, Content & Media Relations, Telstra   and Gaven Morris, Executive GM, Corporate Affairs, Commonwealth Bank. 

AI & The New Rules of Engagement: Rethinking Media in a Social-First World

The way audiences consume content has fundamentally evolved, with traditional media losing ground to social platforms, owned channels, and AI-driven discovery. Younger demographics now primarily engage with news and brand narratives through TikTok, Instagram, and other algorithmically curated feeds. According to the University of Canberra’s Digital News Report 2025, one in four Australians aged 18-24 watch news-related videos on TikTok, which equates to one in ten Australians nationally. This shift demands a channel-agnostic approach, where communications strategies prioritise audience behavior over legacy media relations. 

As Oren Fixler, Head of Social, Content & Media Relations at Telstra shared during the roundtable, “For anyone under 45, their primary media consumption is through socials. We need to understand where our audience sit, how they’re consuming their content, and how we are going to move them.” 

Telstra has firmly embraced this consumer evolution. By focusing on owned channels, the company found that its reputation impact doubled compared to earned media. This challenges the long-held belief that third-party validation is the gold standard for trust-building. Brands must act as publishers, crafting content that resonates within the platforms where audiences already spend their time. This also requires evaluating how content is truly moving the needle on brand reputation and how it translates to broader business metrics like customer loyalty. 

AI plays a significant role in accelerating this trend by reshaping how content is discovered and consumed. Generative AI tools are increasingly serving as intermediaries between brands and audiences, summarising news and repackaging information in ways that bypass traditional media gatekeepers. This raises critical questions about how organisations can ensure their narratives remain visible and accurate across an AI-driven ecosystem.

To influence this new consumption cycle, brands must optimise content for AI discoverability, ensuring key messages are structured in ways that AI models can surface effectively. Integrating AI tools into content creation workflows can also enhance efficiency, from drafting press releases to testing headlines for engagement.  

Brands that can establish direct, authentic relationships with their audiences through owned and social channels will ultimately hold a decisive competitive advantage for the future. Yet as AI continues to shape content consumption, leaders continue to face the stark reality of eroding trust in today’s fractured media landscape. 

Trust in the Age of Disinformation: Measuring What Matters in Fractured Channels

Trust is no longer a byproduct of media coverage; it must be actively cultivated through transparency, consistency, and audience-centric engagement. As misinformation proliferates across digital channels, organisations face mounting pressure to establish themselves as credible sources.  

Telstra’s approach to reputation measurement offers a clear blueprint for success. By embedding media intelligence and data insights into its broader engagement strategy, the company moved beyond vanity metrics to track how specific campaigns and channels have influenced trust and reputation.  

“We’ve gotten to a point where we know our channels are more effective at shifting reputation and mindset than our earned channels”, Oren highlighted. “We see it every month in the data, it’s essentially doubled.” 

This data-driven method revealed surprising insights, such as TikTok becoming Telstra’s highest-reputation touchpoint, demonstrating that unconventional platforms can outperform traditional media in building affinity.  

Understanding audience segments is also critical. Commonwealth Bank emphasised the importance of financial literacy content that meets audiences where they are, rather than pushing promotional messaging. By focusing on helpful, non-transactional narratives, brands can foster deeper connections without overtly selling. Misinformation remains a pressing concern, particularly for regulated industries like banking and telecommunications. Proactive measures include monitoring emerging false narratives, collaborating with platforms to flag inaccuracies, and empowering spokespeople to respond swiftly during crises. Combating misinformation however also requires cross-functional alignment. Legal, marketing, and communications teams must work together to balance risk management with agile response strategies. In an era that continues to become ever more distrustful – authenticity and speed are paramount. 

Future-Proofing Communications: Upskilling for an AI-Driven Workforce

The skills required for communications professionals are evolving just as rapidly as the media landscape. Proficiency in AI tools, data analytics, and digital content creation is no longer optional, but an essential driver for success. Telstra’s hiring strategy has illustrated this shift. By recruiting talent from unconventional backgrounds (such as gambling industry media buyers), the company infused its team with expertise in paid social and conversion optimisation – skills traditionally associated with marketing but increasingly vital for communications. Similarly, Commonwealth Bank has fully embraced a mindset of innovation through experimenting with AI responsibly, using tools like Microsoft Copilot while maintaining strict guardrails for sensitive information.

“A key challenge is helping teams envision what they’ve never seen,” Gaven Morris, Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs at Commonwealth Bank, shared during the roundtable. “Our role is to paint that future state – to make the unimaginable tangible for the work ahead.”

Beyond technical skills, adaptability is the defining trait of future-ready corporate affairs professionals. The ability to anticipate trends, pivot strategies, and embrace new platforms will separate leaders from laggards. This demands a cultural shift within organisations: encouraging experimentation, tolerating calculated risks, and fostering continuous learning. AI’s role in communications will only continue to expand, from automating routine tasks to predicting reputation risks before they escalate. Teams that leverage these tools effectively will maintain a competitive edge in the future, but success will ultimately hinge on balancing automation with human judgment. The most impactful communicators will be those who interpret AI-generated insights and translate them into compelling narratives.

Conclusion

The future of influence belongs to those who adapt swiftly and can engage their audiences authentically. Traditional media relations alone are no longer sufficient. Brands must embrace a multi-channel, AI-centered approach that prioritises audience behavior over legacy practices, supported by platforms that enable real-time reputation monitoring and crisis prediction. Trust must be earned through data-driven strategies and proactive reputation management, while misinformation demands the vigilance and agility that only AI-powered intelligence can provide. 

The path forward requires significant upskilling in digital and AI competencies, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and maintaining a relentless focus on audience needs. To outrun the narrative, corporate affairs leaders must pioneer the tools and strategies that define influence today. These insights represent more than observations – they’re a blueprint for competitiveness. Is your organisation prepared to lead the change? 

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As Connect Media’s sole Designer, Arti is responsible for the creative visual direction and design of our entire suite of multimedia commercial and promotional material. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Design in Animation from the University of Technology Sydney. Arti’s artistic skill extends beyond her diverse corporate portfolio, and she has been known to draw incredibly realistic and stylised portraits of people.

Caprice Jee 

As the Event Producer, Caprice is responsible for acquiring the speakers to perform keynotes and participate in panel discussion. She liaises with C-suite and senior level executives to ensure that they are well-prepared for their speaking arrangement. She also supports sponsor needs through roundtable offerings.
 
Caprice holds a Bachelors in Psychological Science from UNSW, a background in Recruitment, and thus extensive corporate background knowledge. In her spare time, Caprice loves to cosy down with a good book and hot cup of peppermint tea. 

Mitch Cohen

As Head of Content & Strategy, Mitch is responsible for developing  the strategic-agendas for our entire portfolio of industry and bespoke events, as well as the design, execution and editorial oversight of B2B content marketing services for our clients. 

In his free time Mitch enjoys exploring Sydney’s music scene, surfing and a good cup of coffee. 

Lachlan Watts

Lachlan is responsible for driving strategy and partnerships across Connect Media’s portfolio of events and digital services. With a background in marketing, communications, and stakeholder engagement, he’s passionate about delivering value for clients and building strong, long-term relationships. Outside the office, Lachlan keeps busy as a drummer, and is heavily involved in community service & volunteering.

Lisa Eam

As Client Event Manager, Lisa is responsible for the seamless, back-end management of our event operations. She also charges the management of client, speaker and sponsor needs across both our event and bespoke roundtable offerings. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management in Events and Leisure from the University of Technology Sydney and has an extensive background in venue management and hospitality.

She currently holds the office title of ‘In-House Expert’ when it comes to the Sydney culinary scene, and is often the envy of all our office lunches.

Jack Martin

Jack leads sponsorship, business development, and client relationship management for our leading organisations. With a background in supply chain, he brings a strategic approach to creating meaningful impact for clients and building long-term, trusted partnerships. Outside of work, Jack is passionate about meditation, golf, and travel.

Malin Haug

As Event Manager, Malin is responsible for the seamless back-end management of our event operations. She also leads the management of client, speaker, and sponsor needs across our events and bespoke roundtable offerings. Malin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Event Management from the University of Technology Sydney and brings extensive experience from the event space and customer service to her role.

Malin is an eager hobby sewist and creates her own clothes. Whether it’s a carefully crafted blouse or a tailored vest, chances are she’s sporting one of her designs whilst on-site

Jane Forbes

As Marketing Director, Jane plays a pivotal role in realising our long-term marketing agenda. Before assuming her current role, Jane served as Connect Media’s Data Manager for over two years. Jane holds an Advanced Diploma in Hospitality Management, and has over a decade’s dedicated senior experience in the events space. Jane enjoys escaping the hustle and bustle of the city to spend quality time at the beach with her young family.

Bridee Arrighi

As Operations Director, Bridee has operational oversight of our entire event portfolio, including stakeholder relations and end-to-end event management. Bridee graduated from Macleay College with a Bachelor of Business specialising in Event Management, and has over five years’ dedicated experience in the events space.

Bridee has a passion for the outdoors, and was quick to commandeer the best window seat in our office.

Dominic Patterson

Since founding the company in 2009, Dominic has fostered a culture of innovation and creativity, producing world-class conferences and pioneering advancements within the industry.

A media entrepreneur with over 20 years’ experience in B2B communications and events, Dominic has led Connect Media to be twice recognised as a BRW Fast Starter, a BRW Fast 100 Company, and a SmartCompanySmart50.

A keen sportsman and a supporter of the performing arts, Dominic maintains an active interest in public policy and has hosted a radio show with several listeners.

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Management (Economics) from the University of Westminster in London, certificates from AFTRS, NIDA and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.