Whatever consumers or your stakeholders ask, we can help your brand become part of the answer!
As people increasingly turn to AI tools, such as ChatGPT, Claude and Google’s AI-powered search feature, brand visibility depends on more than website content and keywords. AI tools help individuals compare options and make decisions: instead of scanning pages of traditional search results, users are receiving synthesized content that pulls from a broad mix of sources across the web.
That shift has major implications for brand visibility. Traditional SEO focuses on helping a website rank in search results. Answer Engine Optimization, or AEO, and Generative Engine Optimization, or GEO, focus on whether a brand is included, cited, summarized or recommended in AI-generated answers.
In this new environment, visibility depends on whether a brand is understood as credible, relevant and trustworthy across the broader digital ecosystem.
PR plays a critical role in AEO and GEO because earned media helps create the trusted third-party signals AI tools rely on when generating answers. Media coverage, expert commentary, executive visibility, industry recognition, reviews, awards and thought leadership all help reinforce what a brand does, what it stands for and why it should be considered credible.
The Cookerly PR team can help optimize your program to not only build third-party credibility and strengthen brand associations, but also to actually teach AI how to understand your brand clearly and support visibility in unbranded searches. Consistent messaging across media coverage, executive bios, press materials, boilerplates and owned content reduces confusion. And we help AI tools pull from a wide information ecosystem, including news, company websites, reviews, forums, trade publications and other third-party sources to ensure accurate, current and credible information is available. Cookerly can summon these systems to help create answer-ready content, elevate subject matter experts, manage and monitor public narratives, and reinforce priority messages through newsworthy moments.
Mike Touhill is vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, where he helps lead traditional, social and digital media programs for B2B and B2C clients in packaging, telecommunications and technology, among other industries. As a communication leader, he develops and executes public relations strategy, provides proactive and reactive counsel to C-level executives and secures earned media coverage for client initiatives and product.
Andrew Agan is a vice president at Cookerly Public Relations, overseeing the agency’s internship program and leading media relations, content strategy and social media initiatives. He provides counsel and executes campaigns for clients across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, hospitality, technology, automotive and many others. Andrew excels at crafting compelling stories and building media relationships, resulting in clients being featured in notable outlets such as CNBC, Associated Press, Business Insider, Fox Business, HBO, Inc. Magazine, Sirius XM, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today, among others.
As design director at Cookerly, Tim serves as the creative lead in the development of branding campaigns, print collateral and digital media for clients across a broad range of industries, including consumer, professional services, healthcare and technology.
With more than two decades of experience in public relations and journalism, Mike is a strategic communications leader who focuses on media relations and reputation management.
As vice president of Cookerly, Sheryl Sellaway uses her extensive corporate communications background to lead consumer PR efforts, deliver strategy for marketing programs and share expertise about community initiatives.
Chip Stewart is a strategist for the agency’s content services across all media. He helps clients develop blogs, videos, editorials and advertorials, mobile apps, infographic campaigns and annual reports. He is integral in the agency’s management and execution of crisis and issues management programs across a broad range of industries including petroleum, mining, transportation, healthcare, data management and many more.
Stephen specializes in media and speaker training, national media relations campaigns, and customized brainstorms to help companies break through the ordinary, change behaviors, or attract attention in new and different ways.
As senior vice president and chief talent officer of Cookerly, Keith Bowermaster leads the firm’s health care practice, shepherds clients through all facets of integrated marketing, manages reputation issues including complex issues and crises and helps cultivate a bright and engaged agency staff at all levels.
Beth oversees strategic communications and integrated marketing campaigns for corporate, business-to-business, technology and healthcare clients. With a focus on brand-building, reputation management and cross-channel engagement, she helps companies connect with key audiences and create lasting impact.
Cory has been instrumental in the agency’s continued growth, leading its business development, recruitment and much more. He also helps lead the agency’s widely recognized crisis and issue management practice and directs integrated corporate communications campaigns for many notable public and private companies.
Tracy leads strategic communications and integrated marketing programs for global corporations, governmental agencies and national nonprofit organizations, with a passion for AI and technology, communities, and the environment and sustainability.
In her role as executive vice president of Cookerly, Jane Stout, APR, oversees financial and professional services accounts and sets integrated marketing strategy for the company’s top clients. From creative brand-building to reputation management, she and the Cookerly team leverage traditional and social communications channels to engage with key publics, consistently exceeding client expectations.
As the firm’s founder, Carol is a chief strategist for building and sustaining brands. However, her deft management of complex crises and issues over three decades has made Cookerly a top choice for clients when adversity strikes. Under her direction, the agency has been the lead strategist in scores of permitting efforts, contamination issues, natural and man-made disaster responses, instances of legislative and judicial activism, and challenging personnel matters, including C-suite succession, whistleblowers, discrimination and harassment in nearly every major industry.
