​If you’ve been online for more than a minute, your feed is probably flooded with pro-AI articles and tips about getting the most out of this absolutely perfect, never-fails, product that can solve world hunger, vibe code the perfect social media platform, and do your job so you don’t have to. I know. AI is truly a wonder to behold at all times. Everyone should use it. Constantly. For everything.

But there is one thing that the one percent still doesn’t want you to know. They’re hiding it from you Neo. It’s this one secret that has kept them wealthy and in places of power for years.
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That’s right; I’m talking about potatoes. Yes, the humble potato. Everyone at the top knows that it is the ultimate secret to success. And it’s about time we started giving the humble potato the credit it deserves.

When the AI well is full-up of our legume-ish friend, potato will be the natural outcome. As it should be. Marketing teams vibe-creating copy need more potatoes. Medical companies too busy to let doctors spend more than five minutes with a patient; potato. Tech companies creating mass surveillance integration under the guise of helping people organize their calendars, emails, phone calls, to-do-lists, and personal media; potato. Did your boss just lay off 90% of the management team because of AI? Let them eat potato!

And the best part about potato is that it doesn’t have to be potato. You can make it personal. Your potato might be a piece of chewing gum. A cup of coffee. A 17th century urn. Your class goldfish in second grade. Get creative. Because that’s what humans are great at: being creative.

Until AI is wrangled into walled gardens and built to serve people without spying on them, and until mega-companies are held to account for their theft of real works by real people, it is our responsibility to flood the market with topical, specific instructions about why our favorite legume is the answer to everything.

Why bother? Because being feral is our superpower. Because we have a unique opportunity to do so right now, while we still maintain some of our personal freedoms and privacy.
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They thought they could burry us. They didn’t know we were potatoes. 

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I was at SXSW the year that Yamtrader.com launched. The booth was a giant yam. People were invited to get a $50 gift card for trading in an actual, physical yam. It was weird and Yamtrader was something people talked about.
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I have rarely seen its level of absurdity matched in modern marketing, though many have tried. Behind the whole operation was Tri-Net, an HR, payroll company that provided services for startups. The company was trying to showcase what a bad startup was, but that’s beside the point.

As a communications professional, I still think about Yamtrader. As I watch people on LinkedIn gleefully post AI  characters of themselves and their professional and personal lives, without considering things like the privacy of their biometric data, or professional, or personal history, I grow concerned about the amount of data people willingly give to large companies; companies who are now starting to connect the dots on the backend and use tools like AI to index, sort, and think about people like never before.
 
There are conversations about how AI will replace journalism, writers, movie makers, actors, musicians, personal assistants, and many professions in the creative and professional spaces. If you’re wondering how to combat this, and I hope you are, I encourage you to get creative. As creative as Yamtrader.

"If AI trains on what we create, let’s create something so mid, so ridiculous, that it won’t work. Let’s become as useless as humanly possible."​

1. The Pandemic gutted live art broadcast: theater tech crews, etc. There was a lack of industry "the passing on the torch" with on-the-job training you can only learn in situation.

2. Labels Were Under Threat And Changed. When major labels stopped investing heavily in a variety of artists, and started downsizing (AKA, internet distro/online purchases/streaming, etc), artists were no longer trained the same ways they were in "ye olden times" 😑 AKA, 1965 -1997ish and even until about 2010. Today's artists are often feral. Many from TikTok. They give zero f's about looking and acting like every other celeb.

3. The Rise of Social Media: Especially since 2010. For those perfecting their TikTok dances or hot takes, it often takes multiple takes to get something right and you can do it on your own time. There's no union-paid professionals lighting you and helping you with stage blocking. Also, most musicians have their own social channels now. Many can reach their audience easily, and don't need to worry about being professional at big events. Their audiences don't watch televised events.

4. Broadcast Is Under Threat: Broadcasters are fighting for their lives. With streaming and the mass consolidation of media outlets it's amazing anyone still knows how to book and fill a theater.

5. Breaking News Events Are Happening "On the Regular" Now: Major events are happening constantly. People are genuinely tired/worried.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. 🫠

🌱 Stay Feral 🌱

​Sources:
The LinkedIn post that inspired me to write this article.
Image Credit: CBS

​A Random Person’s LinkedIn Post: "Look what I made with generative AI!" 
Me: * Looks at content. Looks at profile. Rolls eyes. *

They're an AI influencer, helping companies go from idea to product in record time. They have no background in creating. I'm guessing these are the same people who didn't take art classes in school, didn't go to art shows, have never gone to a gallery or museum and been swept away emotionally by a work of art that spoke to them.
They don't have a relationship with art, so they don't know art when they see it.

The Problem:
When you refuse to acknowledge people's relationship with art, you're at risk for losing your relationship with empathy and the best of humanity.

If AI somehow gets you interested in art, and it spurs you to become an artist (away from AI), that's great. Many roads can lead to the same place! But this is the exception, not the rule.
 
Why? Because we exist in a cap1talist society that is built on extractive wealth practices.
 
🤣 But HEAR ME OUT... 🤣  I can see you scrolling away...

​You’ve probably seen the 2025 TIME Magazine Person of the Year cover, elevating tech titans as the Architects of AI, on the humble I-beam.

As a marketer and PR professional who has studied propaganda, my heaviest takeaway is this:
TIME has been compromised, again. 

TIME is not reflecting or reporting on reality. It’s trying to create a new one And who does that benefit? How does that change how people in the future think about history?

The picture suggests:

• They’re just like us, just like the working class, minus a couple billionaires
• They’re architects, only, they’re all not exactly the ones responsible for building anything
• They’re elevated, even though some of them have had recent catastrophic financial failings
• They’re all equally featured, mostly, unless one is getting cropped out while another has ample room

​I’m not writing a think piece on this because this is a fast-moving time and I have other slow things that want to do with my hours, like sitting in the studio, working on creating music.

But I ask you to question what you see. Question the narrative you are being fed. Who benefits? Who is making money from how you are influenced? What are you doing to be aware of this? What are you doing to change it?

I believe you can make a difference. It doesn’t have to be big. It can be conversations with friends, small things created with intention. Little cracks that eventually shatter the glass foundations on which empires thrives.

 And why should you resist empire? Because under empire, no matter how hard you try, you, your family, your friends, and your community, are subjugated; at the behest of hoarded privilege and power that may or may not move in your favor. If you live in such an environment, your agency is not something you are given. It is something you have to take. Find your own ways of resisting the narrative.

“We’re just not ready for PR,” or, “We’re at a point where we don’t need PR,” are things I’ve heard potential clients say to me, and some of those clients were right. They didn’t need PR at that time. And, while not paying thousands a month for public relations can save you money, doing so at the wrong time can cost you in the loss of customers, failing brand loyalty, and possibly the downfall of your entire business or organization.

So how do you, the founder or manager of a startup, nonprofit, or emerging brand, actually know when you need PR? I’ve set up some questions to help you decide for yourself if your brand actually needs PR right now. 

Some Valid Reasons NOT To Do PR For a While:
Some people genuinely don’t need PR for a while. Here are some of the common reasons brands won’t actively do PR for a few months. Note: This is not a recommended state to stay in, as your competition can, at any time, win the favor of the public, and you will have a much harder time coming back into that conversation than you would have if you’d kept up with PR.

1. Your Brand is “Brand New” and Nothing is Public Yet
If you don’t even have an active website or social media presence yet, let alone a product or public initiative, you probably don’t need PR. But the second you are going to start requiring the attention of the public, you should start working on PR.

2. Stealth Mode
You are going into stealth mode because of an upcoming product launch, merger, acquisition, or other significant reason. Or, that your lawyers have informed you to do so.

3. You Don’t Need Public Support or Opinion
For whatever reason, you have zero need of any public support or opinion. If the public never thought of you for the next six months, you would be fine.

4. You Genuinely Have No Marketing Budget
You have no money for marketing, social media, PR, email initiatives, etc. This is the death knell of any organization, and you have to work furiously, or be exceptionally lucky, to come back from this point. If you don’t you risk organizational extinction.

5. Your Brand is Already Banging AND Super Small
If you run a small business or organization and already have more demand than you could ever possibly want, with no end in sight, you probably don’t need PR right now. However, it might be time to expand, save up, strategize and work on some longer-term, thought leadership pieces about “what’s working now.” Who knows, maybe you’ll inspire others to be this awesome in their own fields.

So How Do New Startups Get PR?
There are many solutions that can work, but you have to think outside the box. What works for your startup’s PR needs today won’t be the same thing that works once you’re acquired, or once you go public. You need solutions that are flexible and customizable, from boutique PR firms and individuals who specialize in growing startups in or adjacent to your industry.
 
1. Find Someone Who Helps Make Brands
Look for a boutique PR firm or contractor that specializes in “making brands.” This kind of firm should have a variety of startups they’ve worked with and a variety of results to show for their efforts. Ask how long the firm worked with key brands. Ask how long it took to start seeing results. Ask what industries the firm specializes in. Ask how long the terms of engagement are and what kinds of results you can expect to see in this period of time. Ask who you’ll be meeting with regularly.
 
2. Find Someone Local or Already Known
Look for a PR firm or contractor that is local, or regional, or at least one that your colleagues have worked with and like. There are lots of boutique agencies that specialize in specific industries, and their rates are typically much less than big-box PR firms. There are even independent contractors (such as myself), who can do wonders with the right new startup if your brand’s industries overlap with my focus and experience.
 
3. Find Someone Who Scales
Some firms are great at working with smaller and medium-sized brands. These firms often offer a variety of comms packages at various price points. Ask if the firm has a three-month trial to see if your brand is a good fit for what they can do.
 
4. Work with a Contractor As-Needed
Some new startups work well with an independent contractor on an as-needed basis. They may have two press releases a year that need attention, but require nothing else in between. For these early-stage startups, this kind of PR arrangement can be a cost-saving way to maintain the appearance of PR without handing over too much money. When your startup is ready, you can move on to a more regular PR plan or switch over to a boutique agency that offers more.
 
Note: If you’re on a tight budget, but really need PR coverage, beware of budget-friendly communications firms that “do it all.” It’s tempting for comms firms to focus on social media and flashy videos because social media engagement is so easy to measure and report on. Who doesn’t love seeing tens of thousands of likes and comments? But this isn’t PR coverage, and, as the kids say, it “hits different.” Potential investors, and often potential clients might like flashy social media posts, but it doesn’t carry the same mental and emotional gravity as an unbiased, unsponsored article in a publication or media outlet they trust. A lot of firms that “specialize in social media, branding, PR, and media production, tend to treat PR as an afterthought.
 
The Bottom Line: Your startup is still new; it’s not a fortune 500 company yet. You don’t need a crisis PR team and big-box agency with five junior executives replying to inbound reporter requests. You’re not Apple. You’re not Disney. You aren’t inundated with so many reporter requests that you need a team to manage it all. PR at the startup stage, is something you and a small team should easily be able to wrap your heads around. And, when your brand does start growing, you’ll have a much better idea of what kind of PR firm you’ll eventually want to hire.
 
About the Author
Jennifer L. Jacobson is the feral PR consultant who loves to get her clients in the news. She is the founder of the one-woman PR firm, Jacobson Communication, which often replaces big global firms and gets better results. Jennifer has shaped some of the biggest news narratives in the last 20+ years in social media, startups, tech, branding, activism, and philanthropy, despite the world often being on fire. She also creates custom songs for theme parks and growing brands. She has a penchant for enchanted places and impossible sounding ideas. Don’t give her a metaphorical lever and a place to stand unless you mean it; because she will find a way to move the world.
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​To learn more, visit https://jacobsoncommunication.com

Yes, AI can do some really amazing stuff, however, problems quickly emerge when we expect AI to take on the things that we, as humans, are not only capable of but readily skilled at doing.

I've said it before, I want AI to help me figure out things like doing taxes, or offer possible solutions to complex problems whose answers already likely exist in a series of datasets, and just need to be tracked down. Show me the quickest route out of town during traffic on a Friday. Don't try to tell me the meaning of life. We already know it's 42. 

I know so many marketing people and creatives who are terrified that AI will take their jobs. What I really see happening is companies downsizing their creative teams, assuming that the remaining creatives can just use AI to generate the same quality and volume of content previously provided by said team. Not only will this not work, it will set brands back significantly, as their audiences lose interest and opt for brands who still understand how to engage.

Still thinking about using AI to write your next press release? Here are five reasons that’s a bad idea.

1. Your Headline is Going to Lack Luster
AI can be really great at summarizing things, but it has no idea how to weight the ideas that should be at the front of the story. Humans have short attention spans. They don’t have time to sit through a list of facts before getting to the heart of “why this story actually matters.” AI can’t tell you with certainty why something matters to your audience. That’s your job.

2. Your Flow Won’t Compel Readers
One of the most important elements of a truly good press release is flow. It’s something my clients ask me to help them figure out after they’ve internally workshopped a press release for days, often weeks. Helping clients figure out the flow of their press release is something that comes easily to me as a comms consultant. I see the path of the story through the clutter of the facts and help them draw that out. It’s part science, part alchemy. AI, however, is not intrinsically good at determining what makes something compelling to humans, and it will have no idea how to craft that into a narrative that makes sense to your target audience.

3. It Won’t Deepen Your Brand’s Relationship with Your Audience
AI has no idea why customers love your brand specifically and it certainly has no idea how they feel, or what feelings even are. AI is really good at pattern recognition, but not so much about seeing the nuance of the details, the vibe of the zeitgeist, or the overall attitudes of the public day-to-day, or season-to-season. Good press releases are going to be what the press uses to write the stories that reach your audience. Your press release should build a relationship with your audience. That’s hard to do when you outsource what should be your brand’s hand-crafted, personal message and values to a machine.

4. It Won’t Stand Out To Reporters
AI has no idea what makes reporters want to cover your story. It might know what’s going on in the news right now, but it can’t connect that to the email pitches, social media posts, and press releases that it took to make that news happen (not yet anyway). What makes tomorrow’s headlines are being talked about in newsrooms and editorial meetings today and AI has no idea what people are saying in there because it hasn’t been published yet (at least, we hope AI isn’t privy to those conversations). But humans, we have hunches, we have intuition, we have ways of thinking into the future that might get a reporter’s attention. We know how to make our press release relevant to news cycles today, and tomorrow, and beyond because we’re skilled professionals.

5. You Risk Sounding Like Everyone Else
Will AI give you an overall story that technically hits all the points and passes basic inspection? Probably. Will it ever create anything new? No. AI works entirely from things that have already been created. It does not know how to create something new. It does not know what humans are actually thinking and it certainly doesn't see things in the way that humans do. This can be a huge advantage in a lot of areas, but not really in communications.

Communications is predicated on an understanding of how humans connect with each other. This is partly based on how we share information but also how we show up for each other and how we build significant relationships with our friends, family, community, and the world at large. Communications is also about our interactions with human built, and often, complicated systems and ideas.

The Bottom Line:
Your brand's press release is an opportunity for you to create something new and interesting that will not only get reporters’ attention but educate them on what they need to know to create a story that's going to engage your target audience. Why would you risk the creation of something so weirdly and profoundly human, to an algorithm?

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