The PESO Model^®, created by Gini Dietrich, has long helped brands balance Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned media to build stronger communications strategies. But you also know the media landscape is rapidly changing, with AI search visibility becoming the holy grail of today’s MarCom efforts.

In this blog, we’ll cover:

• The role earned media plays today
• How earned media can strengthen brand credibility and improve AI visibility
• Practical ways to earn the coverage you want in an increasingly crowded media environment.
• What a rebalanced PESO Model can look like for your business today.

Earned media is a matter of trust

The truth is, earned media plays a bigger role now in driving visibility, trust and performance than ever before. In an era when consumers are bombarded with ads wherever they seek content, whether online or in traditional media outlets, brand trust has to be earned.

Consumers are far more likely to value messaging that comes from third-party sources they already know and trust — whether from social media influencers, shares from people they know, customer reviews or credible news sources, just to name a few.

Editorial environments continue to carry stronger trust signals than traditional advertising alone, which is why earned media remains a critical part of modern communications strategies.

How AI visibility works

In today’s zero-click, AI-driven landscape, earned is becoming even more valuable because of its credibility, which increases the likelihood of your content appearing in AI search results.

For your brand’s messaging to reach today’s online audience, your content needs to be directly relevant to specific, conversational prompts that people are using to look for answers, and come from credible sources in order for AI systems to find and recognize it.

Showing up in earned media provides that third-party validation your brand needs to be considered an authority. The more the AI algorithms trust your brand’s content, the more likely your site or brand will show up in a citation in response to a reader’s query.

Perhaps paradoxically, the more authentic and genuinely human the stories and the messaging are today, the more likely it is that AI crawlers will deem your content important and worth citing.

For more on how credible content supports discoverability in today’s zero-click environment, read How Branded Content Boosts Your AI Visibility in a Zero-Click World.

What It Takes to Build Earned Media Today

Standard methods of gaining earned media, like building relationships with journalists, still apply and may work for many. But with more brands vying for attention, it’s critical to think outside the box.

For example, can you gain the trust of popular social media influencers who genuinely like your brand? Influencers can reach potential customers with an authentic message that breaks through the noise.

Could you repurpose any of your sponsored and owned content to shape stories unique to your brand that speak to specific audiences or outlets?

Are you putting your customers and their communities first? Seeing your products or services through the lens of your communities can flip the script on your messaging, helping it resonate with more people. Ask: How does your brand meet their needs or solve their problems? Then tell that story — and make it about them, not just the brand.

Authentic messages break through, now more than ever. It’s clear there’s no one-size-fits-all approach anymore, so multiple angles are needed for success — and exactly how your brand’s message shines through should be as unique as your brand is.

Brandpoint Optimize combines paid placements with earned media strategy

Brandpoint Optimize combines the guaranteed reach of paid placements with the credibility-building power of earned media strategy, creating content, distribution, promotion and proof, all in one. Paid distribution ensures consistent visibility across trusted publisher sites, while editorial promotion creates opportunities for additional earned pickup. Together, they help brands build awareness at scale and strengthen authority over time.

Contact us to explore how Brandpoint Optimize can help you scale reach and strengthen credibility.

Your brand’s PESO balance

Create a solid foundation of Owned through your website and educational content. At the same time, bolster your brand’s messaging with targeted Paid ads and quality sponsored content. Then communicate insights and information through Shared discussions. Finally, integrate all that work to develop creative, original and timely Earned pitches for outlets you know will be of value for your customers. That way your message can meet them where they are.

Here’s a deeper look at how the PESO Model^® works in 2026.

Whatever your exact balance of Paid, Earned, Shared and Owned, these tactics need to be designed with AI visibility top of mind. Quality does in fact beat quantity when it comes to establishing your brand as a verifiable and credible authority across all channels. And that is crucial to ensure your brand is seen by consumers in today’s crowded, AI-driven media landscape.

If you’re looking for support in building a stronger earned strategy in 2026, Brandpoint can help. Contact us to learn more.