Many journalists, entrepreneurs, and even PR professionals acknowledge that the public relations process is dysfunctional (and I could certainly elaborate on that topic over a beverage). The question is, can artificial intelligence genuinely improve it?
Honeyjar, participating in this week’s TechCrunch Disrupt as a member of the Startup Battlefield 200, seeks to leverage AI to extend the knowledge and discernment of leading PR specialists to a broader audience, including founders unsure how to begin their PR efforts.
The co-founders of the startup, CEO Michelle Masek and CCO Nadia Jamshidi, undeniably bring a wealth of PR experience to the table. Both have dedicated decades to the industry, handling in-house communications and serving at various agencies. Notably, Masek previously held the position of senior vice president of marketing and communications at Ev Williams’ venture capital firm, Obvious Ventures.
When Masek recounted the difficulties of “assisting 110 portfolio companies with the strategic ‘why’ and ‘when’ of communications and marketing,” it evoked memories of my own short tenure leading marketing at an early-stage VC firm, where founders frequently sought guidance on gaining TechCrunch coverage. Thus, it came as no surprise that Masek herself pondered, “Could senior-level expertise be integrated into AI to genuinely enable users to execute communications proactively and skillfully, in the manner that we do?”
Honeyjar serves as her solution. The platform automates tasks such as drafting announcements, identifying optimal journalists for outreach, and pinpointing the most valuable speaking engagements. However, Jamshidi clarified in a subsequent email that Honeyjar’s aspirations extend beyond merely securing press coverage and beyond a collection of discrete AI tools.
“Honeyjar offers functionalities like discovering reporters, compiling media lists, monitoring news and social media, tracking coverage, and identifying emergent opportunities,” she stated. “While these capabilities are crucial, they represent only a segment of our broader development. The overarching objective is to integrate the entire communications workflow: encompassing signals, context, strategy, informed judgment, precise timing, and flawless execution.”
Furthermore, its utility isn’t limited solely to founders. Masek shared her realization that “millions of individuals function as unassigned communicators, handling essential communications tasks.”
“These individuals lack the official ‘comms’ designation, yet they include marketers, investors, authors, creators, school superintendents, and sports team leaders,” she elaborated. “The imperative to master strategic communications is remarkably widespread; it’s a responsibility frequently delegated but whose underlying issues often remain unaddressed.”
Moreover, Honeyjar is not designed to displace PR professionals. Masek clarified that she and Jamshidi developed the tool they themselves wished to utilize. She contended that Honeyjar has the potential to enhance the efficacy of PR firms and in-house communications teams, simultaneously empowering individual PR practitioners to “manage an additional client without incurring scaling expenses.”
Upon opening its waitlist, Honeyjar attracted 10,000 signups within the initial 24 hours, according to Masek. Its current beta testers comprise notable entities such as Nextdoor, the technology startup Coco Robotics, investor Bloomberg Beta, and agencies like Mission North and Full Picture.
While this development appears promising for organizations aiming to enhance their visibility, it presents a potential challenge for journalists. We are already inundated with more pitches than we can manage, a significant portion of which are already composed by AI chatbots.
When I expressed apprehension about receiving an even greater volume of subpar PR communications, Masek pointed out that although Honeyjar can generate a pitch email or social media post reflecting the customer’s tone, the customer retains responsibility for actually sending or publishing it.
“Our objective is to always maintain human involvement in the process,” she affirmed.
This is precisely where discernment plays a critical role. Masek explained that she and Jamshidi endeavored to “instill and embed their collective wisdom into Honeyjar.” Through a wider endeavor known as the Comms Lab, they are now further developing the product’s judgment capabilities by incorporating the insights of other PR experts.
“For us, judgment encompasses discerning the appropriate actions, what to avoid, the optimal timing for intervention, and how to adapt effectively to prevailing circumstances,” Jamshidi elaborated. “This arises from a comprehensive grasp of a company’s objectives and priorities, awareness of internal and external organizational dynamics, and the precise knowledge of what to communicate, to whom, via which channels, and at what moment.”
Masek mentioned that, in certain instances, Honeyjar might even inform a founder that they are not yet prepared for media coverage.
“Reporters consistently convey their desire for higher-quality pitches and direct communication from genuine experts,” she stated. “We envision a future where your inbox contains a greater volume of credible pitches from sources you genuinely wish to engage with.”