By Karla Jo Helms, Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR™ Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™.
Forget chasing fleeting trends or scrambling to react to public sentiment. Today’s most disruptive companies are rewriting the playbook altogether. They are not followers of narrative; they are the authors. By strategically engineering narratives designed to shift perception, lead dialogue, and align with their audience’s deepest values, these organizations don’t just stay relevant; they dominate.
Here’s the truth no one’s telling you: public sentiment isn’t some uncontrollable current you struggle to fight. When wielded deliberately, it becomes one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal for market leadership. The brands that understand this are not just responding to change; they are creating it, intentionally shaping the cultural and industry tides. And the result? Sustainable market relevance and lasting competitive advantage.
Redefining the Narrative
The business world is undergoing a seismic shift, with trust becoming a critical currency for success. While trust in traditional media and institutions continues to erode—driven by increasingly informed and skeptical audiences—media consumption itself is far from slowing down. In fact, global advertising spend surged in 2024, surpassing $1 trillion for the first time, while U.S. digital media alone saw a record-breaking $258.6 billion in ad spend—up 15% from the previous year.
What’s changed isn’t the attention—it’s the filter. Today’s audiences still consume news at high volumes, but they increasingly rely on trusted intermediaries like podcasts, industry publications, influential bloggers, and thought leaders to interpret mainstream media through a lens they trust. They want transparency, alignment with their values, and context—not spin.
According to PwC’s 2024 Trust Survey, 93% of executives agree that building and maintaining trust is essential to improving the bottom line. Yet, trust remains in short supply. Alarmingly, four in 10 consumers have stopped purchasing from a company due to a perceived lack of trust, while 46% are willing to spend more with brands they trust.
For forward-thinking organizations, this shift is both a challenge and an opportunity. Brands that cling to outdated, self-serving PR and marketing strategies risk alienating their audiences and potentially fading into irrelevance. Consumers are no longer swayed by hollow promises or surface-level engagement—they are looking for authenticity and genuine connections. On the other hand, companies that adapt, prioritize transparency, and align themselves with their customers’ evolving values can transform trust into a powerful driver of growth, loyalty, and long-term profitability. By rethinking how trust is built and nurtured, these brands can position themselves to thrive in an ever-changing marketplace.
Harnessing Strategic Opportunity
Here’s where innovative brands are seizing the moment. They recognize that narratives are more than marketing fluff; they are tools of influence, capable of steering public opinion and shaping cultural conversations. The stakes are high, but so is the reward.
Organizations that engineer narratives strategically, rather than reactively, are leading the dialogue in ways competitors can’t. Some tactics they employ include:
- Leaning into earned media: Earned media remains the most trusted form of communication globally. According to Nielsen’s report, 92% of consumers say they trust earned media—like recommendations from friends and family—more than any other form of advertising. Online reviews follow closely, trusted by 70% of global consumers. Strategic brands position themselves as authorities by providing data-driven insights, expert commentary, and thought leadership that journalists and media outlets can’t ignore. When respected publications or influencers amplify your message, it carries weight your competitors can’t buy.
- Developing trust-first communication strategies: Transparency is the currency of trust. Brands are replacing salesy, self-promotional language with authentic, research-backed content. They’re moving beyond promotional buzz to create value for their audience. Done right, trust-focused content not only builds credibility but also fosters lasting customer loyalty and deeper consumer engagement.
- Owning the conversation: Rather than following industry narratives, these brands shape them. They’re introducing high-impact initiatives, tactically timing press releases, an onslaught of earned media and using their own platforms to challenge industry norms. This is narrative engineering in action—not waiting for others to lead the conversation, but setting the agenda.
Tactics for Building and Owning the Narrative
To compete in today’s environment, businesses must adopt a more sophisticated, strategic approach to media and communication. Here are three essential tactics:
- Position yourself as a go-to source for earned media: Instead of chasing coverage, provide reporters and analysts with what they need most: unique insights and value-added content. This could include industry reports, original research, or data-backed thought pieces. When media outlets trust your brand as a reliable expert, it ensures sustained visibility.
- Shift from reactive PR to proactive narrative building: Brands that wait for a trending topic or crisis to gain attention are already behind. Proactive companies create high-value narratives that anchor their place in the cultural dialogue, becoming part of the public conversation before anyone else.
- Build trust through multi-platform engagement: Engage directly with your audience across multiple channels. Social communities, webinars, and even private discussion groups give your brand the ability to cultivate personal relationships with audiences. Always, always used your owned and shared channels (and even your paid channels) to amplify your earned media… the more eyes on your publicity, the more you are rewarded. Trust is about consistent, value-driven interactions—not one-off advertisements.
The Future of Narrative Control
Looking ahead, the brands poised to thrive are those that understand the stakes of narrative ownership. PwC’s survey highlights the risks companies face when trust falters—but also reveals the massive upside for those who succeed in building it. Organizations that realign their media and communication strategies around trust-first principles are building more than consumer loyalty; they are constructing the foundation of their long-term market relevance.
The way forward requires boldness, innovation, and a willingness to challenge outdated norms. Shaping public sentiment and leading the industry dialogue is no longer optional; it’s essential. Those who can master the art of engineering the narrative won’t just survive the current disruption – they’ll own it. And for the organizations waiting to make this shift? Time is the only luxury they can’t afford.
About Karla Jo Helms
Karla Jo Helms is the Chief Evangelist and Anti-PR™ Strategist for JOTO PR Disruptors™JOTO PR Disruptors™. Karla Jo learned firsthand how unforgiving business can be when millions of dollars are on the line—and how the control of public opinion often determines whether one company is happily chosen, or another is brutally rejected. Being an alumnus of crisis management, Karla Jo has worked with litigation attorneys, private investigators, and the media to help restore companies of goodwill back into the good graces of public opinion—Karla Jo operates on the ethic of getting it right the first time, not relying on second chances and doing what it takes to excel. Karla Jo has patterned her agency on the perfect balance of crisis management, entrepreneurial insight, and proven public relations experience. Helms speaks globally on public relations, how the PR industry itself has lost its way and how, in the right hands, corporations can harness the power of Anti-PR to drive markets and impact market perception. More information is available at www.jotopr.com/.
