Episode 537 How AI is Changing the PR Landscape with Brett Farmiloe

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Jan 18, 2026

Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured.com and owner of HARO, shares his expertise from his agency days to discuss how AI is transforming the PR landscape. He dives into the balance between leveraging AI for efficiency and maintaining authentic journalist relationships. Brett highlights the importance of human oversight in AI-generated pitches and addresses varying journalist attitudes toward AI. He also offers insights on proactive PR strategies and how agencies can adapt to the evolving media environment while building trust and delivering value.

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ANECDOTE

From Agency Owner To Media Platform Founder

Brett Farmiloe built and sold a marketing agency before founding Featured to solve clients' visibility problems.
He launched Featured to connect journalists with expert sources and later revived HARO to expand opportunities.

INSIGHT

AI Raises Quality And Trust Challenges

AI makes it easier to monitor and respond to media opportunities but raises quality and trust challenges for platforms like HARO.
Brett's team scores pitches for AI-generation and shows that transparency to journalists to preserve trust.

ADVICE

Keep Humans In The Loop With AI

Use AI to automate matching and draft suggested pitches but keep a human reviewing before submission.
Preserve human judgment to decide which opportunities to pursue and maintain relationship quality.

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Welcome to another compelling episode of Build a Better Agency! This week, host Drew McLellan sits down with special guest Brett Farmiloe, a former agency owner turned SaaS entrepreneur, to unpack the evolving world of PR and media in the age of AI. Together, they dive into the complexities and opportunities that the rapid adoption of AI presents for agencies, especially those aiming to maintain authentic, high-value relationships with journalists and media outlets.

In this insightful conversation, Brett Farmiloe shares the unique vantage point gained from his time building and selling a marketing agency, now channeled into his role as the founder and CEO of Featured.com and the current owner of the iconic HARO (Help a Reporter Out) platform. He reveals how both tools are being reimagined to adapt to today's media demands—where automation intersects with the irreplaceable value of human expertise. Agencies will gain an inside look at how AI is reshaping the process of matching experts with media opportunities, the crucial role of maintaining human oversight, and strategies for keeping quality and trust at the forefront in a flood of AI-generated content.

Throughout the episode, Drew McLellan and Brett Farmiloe tackle the questions on every agency leader's mind: How can we use AI as an asset, not a crutch? What do journalists expect from agency sources in a world where the line between authentic insight and machine-generated text is increasingly blurred? And what are the best practices for pitching and building real relationships in this new landscape? You'll hear practical strategies, real-world examples, and honest perspectives on keeping your agency—and your clients—ahead of the curve.

Don't miss this episode if you're ready to rethink PR for your agency, streamline your workflows with SaaS-inspired thinking, and learn how to create more value for your clients in a changing media environment. With actionable takeaways on automation, self-service value, and trust building, this discussion is packed with ideas to help you future-proof your agency's PR and client service strategies.

A big thank you to our podcast's presenting sponsor, White Label IQ. They're an amazing resource for agencies who want to outsource their design, dev, or PPC work at wholesale prices. Check out their special offer (10 free hours!) for podcast listeners here.

What You Will Learn in This Episode:

- How AI is reshaping PR and media relations for agencies
- The ongoing importance of human expertise in "human-in-the-loop" PR
- Maintaining trust and quality when using AI-generated pitches
- Reviving and modernizing HARO to better connect journalists and sources
- What agencies can learn from SaaS to increase efficiency and value
- How journalists are adapting to AI, multiple income streams, and new media channels
- New opportunities for agencies in proactive PR and as AI consultants for clients