Sparkpr

Sparkpr is an award-winning integrated PR, Social Media & Marketing Services Agency.

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

"Fraud follows the metric you reward." That's the warning from Amy Packard Berry, EVP of MarCom at Sparkpr, in a new @Forbes Agency Council roundup on protecting CTV ad spend from AI-enabled fraud.

Her take: if impressions and completed views are the metric you're buying on, you're paying for the two things a bot does best. Shift the KPI to something a fraudster actually has to work for, a scan, a site visit, a lift study, and most of the incentive to fake "viewers" disappears.

It's a sharp, practical fix for any brand or agency team watching CTV budgets get harder to protect as bots get more convincing.

Read Amy's full tip and the rest of the panel's advice in Forbes: https://t.co/BkitpYjy1Q

#PublicRelations #PR

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

53% of Gen Z search TikTok, Reddit, or YouTube before Google.

61% regularly use generative AI tools for search-related tasks.

84% of all AI citations come from earned media.

This means your customers are deep in a discovery journey that spans channels you may not even be tracking.

The launch plan that worked three years ago wasn't built for this buyer. The question is whether yours is.

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Link building has moved from a technical SEO task to a strategic communications discipline.

A single placement in a publication like Forbes or the Wall Street Journal signals that an executive's insight genuinely holds industry weight, and the resulting link is simply a natural byproduct of that credibility.

For tech brands, especially in regulated sectors, one editorially earned link now outweighs dozens acquired through generic outreach.

We explore how narrative-driven link building is indistinguishable from great PR: https://t.co/5i3mUA97KN

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

We were early in conversations with 8am, talking about how much of the week professionals lose to administrative work, and realized nobody had a current number for it.

Together, we built the Admin Misery Index. Nearly half of professionals spend four hours a week on admin, and 72% say it keeps them from their core responsibilities.

We started with a question we were both curious about. The answer turned out to be worth publishing.

Read the full story in Inc Magazine: https://t.co/apMBUOENM5

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Something Sara Long learned working with consumer tech brands across smartphones, smart home, mobility, and connected devices:

The launch is rarely the hard part.

The hard part is staying visible after launch week ends, when the reviews slow down, the coverage moves on, and buyers are still in the middle of their decision.

The brands that win show up consistently across the full buying cycle.

That's the difference between a launch spike and real market momentum.

#ConsumerTech #PR #ProductLaunch

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Everyone's panicking about "AI killing SEO." Wrong problem.

The real risk isn't that ChatGPT or Gemini will stop sending you traffic. It's that when they describe your brand, they'll get it wrong, because the internet is now flooded with AI-generated slop written for crawlers, not humans, and the machines are quietly citing it as fact.

Answer engines don't have opinions. They assemble one from whatever source material is out there. If that material is thin, outdated, or just SEO bait, that's the version of your brand that shows up when someone asks an AI who you are.

That's why PR has become more important, not less. Original commentary, credible third-party coverage, genuine expertise: that's the material machines actually trust and pull from. It's also the only kind of content that keeps earning attention long after you hit publish, unlike anything built purely to game an algorithm.

If you haven't audited what AI tools are currently saying about your brand, that's the first move. You can't fix a misattribution you don't know exists.

Full piece is worth a read: https://t.co/S2gCiBDXRw

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Great teams don't happen by accident, and neither do great communities.

Our EVP of MarCom, Amy Packard Berry, shares with @Forbes how years of community-building have shaped her approach to leadership and bringing out the best in people.

https://t.co/ACY2HtdWnU

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Choosing an agency partner is one of the most consequential decisions a CMO or VP of Marketing can make.

The signals that separate premier partners from the rest: a clear focus on business outcomes over impressions, a genuinely integrated approach across PR, content and social, deep vertical expertise, and a real ability to shape market narratives rather than just secure coverage.

We broke down the four signals worth screening for before you sign a contract: https://t.co/maLh1UwgOH

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

The CES 2027 call for speakers is open.

That means if you're thinking about CES, the work should already be well underway: narrative development, media relationships, creator strategy, and a plan for what happens after the show floor clears.

The brands that build real market momentum start months before the big moment.

Let's talk through what that looks like for you: https://t.co/0MCRRGwn7P

#CES2027 #ConsumerTech

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

AI optimization isn't a bolt-on.

As #AI reshapes discovery, AEO must be embedded throughout communications. That includes everything from earned media and executive POV to content, brand narrative and beyond.

Amy Packard Berry shares her take in the latest @Forbes Agency Council roundup: https://t.co/FrijZ5CdDe

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Social media has quietly become a C-suite priority.

For B2B tech companies, the real value lies in narrative control: using platforms like LinkedIn and X to establish thought leadership, build industry authority and create an echo chamber effect where social, PR and influencer marketing work together.

Executives who share genuine insight instead of product news are the ones building lasting market influence, and the metrics that prove it are share of voice, sentiment, and lead quality.

We lay out the C-suite case for treating social as a business function.

Read the full guide: https://t.co/mZFQIjN0Yg

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

As #AI changes how entry-level agency talent learns and works, the small human moments matter more.

Our EVP of MarCom, Amy Packard Berry, shares with @Forbes why agencies need to create real opportunities for junior talent to connect with senior leaders and build trust.

https://t.co/yTJ0hfjwje

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

A major leadership transition at one of Silicon Valley’s most influential companies.

As Tim Cook steps down after 15 years as Apple CEO, TDK Ventures President Nicolas Sauvage joined @nbcbayarea to discuss Cook’s legacy and what this next chapter could mean for Apple and the broader innovation ecosystem.

Nicolas shares his perspective during an important moment for the technology industry.

Watch the segment: https://t.co/ZETdCdbkqY

#Leadership #Technology #Innovation #SiliconValley

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Follower counts don't close deals.

The social metrics that matter are changing. For tech leaders, it’s less about likes and followers, and more about share of voice, sentiment, and pipeline contribution.

In short, social is a business strategy.

Read more: https://t.co/weKk898XYB

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Nobody buys a $500 device because of one article.

They read the review. Watch the YouTube breakdown. Check Reddit. Ask AI. Compare three alternatives. Then maybe buy.

The brands that win with consumer tech launches are the most consistently visible across the entire discovery journey.

A press release is still part of the plan. It's just no longer the whole plan.

https://t.co/5BqUDjQ8vo

#ConsumerTech #ProductLaunch

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Over 100 million articles are published every day, making one of today's biggest challenges being remembered.

Interview volume and press clips used to be the measure for #PR success. Not anymore. Companies with a genuinely consistent narrative are seeing valuations up to 20% higher than competitors chasing raw visibility instead.

The top agencies have built a flywheel across earned media, influencer relationships, and affiliate channels, backed by real sector expertise rather than generic pitching.

We explored what it actually takes to stand out in such a saturated market: https://t.co/jfiKkrVKVS

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

The brands that break through @CES aren't the ones that start planning in November.

They're the ones who start now.

By the time media, creators, and analysts land in Vegas, they've already decided what they're going to cover. Visibility at CES is secured months before anyone sets foot on the show floor.

If CES 2027 is on your roadmap, the window to build real momentum is open right now.

https://t.co/0MCRRGwn7P

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Donna Burke, Co-Founder of Sparkpr; started her career at Netscape during the commercialization of the Internet. She's watched a pattern repeat itself across every major wave of innovation.

The Internet wasn't built by one company. Neither was cloud computing, or mobile. The same pattern holds true for #AI.

https://t.co/U3LnVAKSJp

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Disconnected campaigns are quietly eroding tech companies' credibility.

Sophisticated buyers expect a consistent narrative from the first search result to the final sales conversation. When PR, SEO, content, and paid media operate in silos, that story falls apart exactly where it matters most.

Successful brands treat #PR and digital marketing as a single, integrated function, in which earned media credibility strengthens paid performance and search visibility simultaneously.

We unpack what real integration looks like and why vanity metrics are finally losing their grip on marketing strategy.

Read the breakdown: https://t.co/101jt8Jt5l

[Sparkpr @sparkpr]

Most consumer tech launches follow the same arc:

→ Big announcement
→ Attention and coverage spikes
→ Silence

The problem is that most launch plans end the moment the embargo lifts.

The brands that sustain momentum plan the post-launch window before launch. That means they pace reviews, coordinate creator coverage, and build ongoing discovery opportunities well before day one.

A lightning strike is the beginning; rolling thunder is the strategy.

https://t.co/5BqUDjQ8vo

#CES2027 #ProductLaunch #ConsumerTech