Building Influence in the Age of the Algorithm

By David Jenkins

27 January, 2026 


The future of influence lies not in automation, but in integration — why PR professionals must now master both data and diplomacy.

Summary: Algorithms amplify voices in public discourse - but human relationships still determine which voices are listened to. This article argues that public affairs professionals must develop 'dual literacy' in digital mapping and diplomacy. It suggests a practical framework for developing coalitions that are digitally amplified while remaining authentic and relationally grounded. The future belongs to those who can master ‘reading both the code and the room’.


Influence no longer flows through relationships alone. Some estimates suggest that around 80% of online content discovery is now algorithmically curated - a figure closer to 50% just a decade ago.

Algorithms significantly impact how information travels, which voices gain visibility, and how public sentiment forms. This is a fundamental challenge for PR and strategic media relations professionals, where the ultimate goal is to create and sustain influence.

This revelation is hardly ground-breaking.  These technologies have been disrupting and transforming industries for well over a decade. But what has changed is the depth of their integration in the channels through which public discourse is conducted.


The professional gap
In our personal lives, most of us are at peace with this reality. We place our trust in algorithmic outputs to find (we hope!) the right gifts, compile playlists that somehow know our mood, recommend the next book we'll devour, or even - for the brave - suggest potential life partners!
Yet in our professional lives as public affairs and strategic media relations practitioners, it is a peculiar irony that we can remain hesitant to harness their power. The tools we rely on to navigate our personal choices often remain underexploited when it comes to shaping public narratives.
This gap represents both a challenge and an opportunity, because the landscape has fundamentally altered. The shift required from our profession is not capitulation to technology, but integration - learning to combine digital dynamics with human trust, while preserving the relational credibility on which lasting influence is founded.
And the professionals who will thrive are those who can read both the code and the room.


Algorithms as agenda-setters
Algorithms do not simply distribute content. They are at the core of complex ecosystems which shape which policy narratives trend, how stakeholder voices are amplified - and in turn, whether a topic rises or falls on the public agenda. 

This has profound implications for earned media strategies. Journalists now operate within algorithmically shaped environments. They often take cues from what is already trending before deciding what to cover. More than 60% of journalists are now thought to use social media as a primary source for story leads - up from around 30% ten years ago.
Visibility is no longer a passive outcome of good work. It is actively constructed through content design, timing, platform strategy, and network positioning. Contrary to tired suggestions, the art of 'traditional media relations' remains crucial within this mix. However, its impact is now amplified - or diminished - by how well coverage travels through digital networks. A well-pitched story that gains no algorithmic traction may fade quickly. One that ignites digitally can shape the news agenda for days.

Yet visibility alone is not enough. Algorithms may heavily influence distribution, but human relationships still govern trust. Policymakers, journalists, and stakeholders may encounter information through digital channels, but they evaluate its credibility through relational filters. Surveys consistently show that trust in information correlates more strongly with perceived source credibility than with volume of exposure - a pattern that holds across age groups and platforms.
The new professional imperative: dual literacy
To thrive in this landscape, public affairs professionals must develop what might be called algorithmic literacy: an understanding of how platforms prioritise content, how network effects amplify messages, and how sentiment shifts in real time across digital ecosystems.
But algorithmic literacy alone is insufficient. It must be paired with relational literacy: the enduring ability to build coalitions, cultivate trust, and align diverse stakeholders around shared purpose. Without these, algorithmic amplification becomes noise rather than influence.

This creates a dual imperative. The challenge is to achieve reach without sacrificing credibility. And the most effective practitioners will be those who understand how algorithms surface voices, while knowing how humans decide which to listen to.

Influence now requires fluency in both data and diplomacy.


Designing algorithmic coalitions
How, then, should strategic media relations and public affairs professionals approach coalition-building in an algorithmic age? Some clear principles emerge:
• Map the terrain. Before launching a campaign, use AI-powered tools to map the policy conversation landscape. Identify which voices hold authority, which narratives are gaining traction, and where the gaps and opportunities lie.
• Anchor in legitimacy. Algorithmic amplification is only as credible as the coalition behind it. Ensure your coalition includes voices with genuine authority and authentic alignment—not just reach.
• Build for resilience. Design coalitions that can sustain visibility across multiple platforms and adapt to algorithmic shifts. A single-channel strategy is a fragile strategy.
• Amplify transparently. Ethical amplification matters. Audiences and algorithms alike are increasingly alert to inauthenticity. Ensure your coalition's messaging is consistent, transparent, and rooted in shared values.
• Train for dual fluency. Invest in developing teams that combine data analysis skills with stakeholder engagement capabilities. The most effective public affairs functions will be those that break down silos between digital strategists and relationship-builders, enabling them to analyse digital dynamics while cultivating human relationships in all their complexity.

Case study: Fake Toys, Real Harms
A recent campaign by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) offers a practical illustration of these principles in action.

In early 2025, the UK Intellectual Property Office faced a communications challenge: how to raise awareness of counterfeit toy safety risks in a crowded media environment.
The answer emerged through building an algorithmic coalition. By mapping digital conversations, the IPO’s campaigns team identified an existing wave of viral public attention around Labubu dolls and rode it strategically. The campaign juxtaposed hard data (Border Force seizures of 259,000 fake toys, of which 90% were counterfeit Labubu dolls and with 75% failing safety tests), with emotionally resonant messaging about child safety.
Rather than issuing a standalone government warning, the IPO assembled an eclectic multi-voice coalition: toy retailers, Trading Standards, safety experts, Border Force and parenting influencers all amplified the message through their own networks. The result was more than 1,000 pieces of media coverage and a reach extending to hundreds of millions globally.

While the initial timing was admittedly a helpful factor, the scale and duration of the coverage reflected a deliberate strategy. Algorithmic momentum provided the initial visibility, but it was the coalition's credibility – a burgeoning movement of trusted voices, introducing fresh data sources and authentic case studies – that converted attention into sustained media interest. Without these coalition voices, the story would likely have spiked and faded; with them, it held the news agenda for several weeks across multiple news cycles.
This success reinforces the core thesis: algorithmic visibility, anchored in authentic stakeholder alignment, can achieve remarkable reach. By mapping the digital conversation, using credible coalition voices, and building multi-platform resilience, the IPO’s campaign illustrates how influence in the algorithmic age is not just about shouting loudest - it is about strategic integration of digital precision and relational authenticity.
Understanding the algorithm helped surface the message; building the coalition gave it credibility and sustained momentum.
Navigating cultural challenges
Achieving this integration is not simply a matter of hiring data scientists or buying new tools - and building this type of 'algorithmic coalition' requires more than sound strategy. It requires a cultural shift within teams:  breaking down the silos that have traditionally separated public affairs and media relations from digital strategy, and policy engagement from data analysis functions.
Data practitioners must become more fluent in the nuances of political and media landscapes, understanding why numbers alone do not persuade - context, narrative, and timing matter at least as much.  Equally, public affairs professionals must move beyond instinct-led relationship management to embrace an understanding of the algorithm as a strategic asset, not view it with scepticism or as a threat to professional judgement.
Organisations that encourage cross-functional learning - and tolerate the inevitable friction of bringing different disciplines together - will be best placed to build the integrated capabilities that modern influence demands. Senior leadership, too, must evolve: it will increasingly need to understand both algorithmic dynamics and coalition politics, setting the tone for teams that can operate across both domains and creating cultures where experimentation is encouraged.
Neither discipline holds a monopoly on the skills required. Both must stretch toward the other and strive for mutual fluency.

Conclusion: Influence as a living system
Public affairs and strategic media relations professionals who can read both the code and the room will redefine effective engagement. The future belongs to those who understand influence as a complex living system - one where algorithmic reach and human relationships are not opposites but partners.

Those who master algorithmic literacy without losing relational depth will build coalitions that are not just visible, but credible. They will design campaigns that algorithms reward and stakeholders’ trust. And they will wield influence that flows through networks both digital and human.
The perennial end goal is unaltered - shaping discourse, shifting sentiment, and driving outcomes that matter – and ultimately, building something bigger than a single campaign. This isn't about gaming the system. Nor is it about surrendering to the algorithm or willing back the incoming tide.

It's about building coalitions that endure when the feed refreshes.
The question worth asking: when did you last map a digital conversation before designing a campaign? And how will your most important coalition survive after the algorithm changes?

The PR practitioners who try to answer these questions honestly - and act on what they find - will shape the next decade.