Algorithmic reputation has officially landed: so, who’s picking up the tab?

Like it or not, algorithmic reputation has officially landed: so, who’s picking up the tab? 

Between late 2025 and early 2026, Asesores surveyed 100 Chief Communications Officers (CCOs) to gauge the true impact of Large Language Models (LLMs) on PR and reputation management. Published in the inaugural “Innovation Compass for CCOs” study, the findings signal a massive tipping point for the industry:

• Evolution in Impact Measurement: 68% of CCOs expect a radical shift in how corporate narrative impact is measured and decoded.
• Tech Adoption: 61% state that the rise of generative engines demands the immediate integration of new tech architectures into reputation management.
• The Readiness Gap: 59% believe the comms sector is still missing the methodologies needed to actually lead this charge.

From Operational Tweaks to Strategic Overhauls

Throughout 2025, agencies and comms departments were hyper-focused on operational efficiency: writing faster, automating repetitive tasks, and squeezing out quick tactical wins.

But the widespread rollout of LLMs demands a far bolder vision. AI isn’t just swapping out our tools—it’s completely rewriting the strategic and tactical playbooks of corporate comms.

LLMs: The Fourth Channel

Nobody can ignore the massive impact AI is having on how we get our news, discover products, and consume services. It’s so profound that at Asesores (and across Good Rebels), we now treat LLMs as a distinct fourth channel for information and communication—standing right alongside search engines, social media, and traditional news outlets.

The numbers back this up:

• Consumer Decisions: 67% of Spanish consumers now rely on tools like ChatGPT to research, learn, and answer questions before pulling the trigger on a purchase (Aecoc).
• Talent Attraction: 75% of job seekers actively investigate a company’s digital reputation before applying or showing up for an interview (HR Observatory / Glassdoor / Indeed).

Bottom line: what we buy, who we trust, who we believe, where we want to work, and maybe even—taking it to the extreme here—who we vote for, is being handed over to an AI’s interpretation of the internet.

No one can ignore the massive shift in how we consume information, discover products, and choose services today. In fact, at Asesores (and across Good Rebels as a whole), we now treat LLMs as a distinct fourth channel of information and communication—standing right alongside search engines, social media, and traditional news outlets.

The data backs this up:

• Consumer Journey: Two out of three consumers (67%) in Spain use tools like ChatGPT to clear up doubts, learn, or gather information before making a purchase (Aecoc).
• Talent Attraction: 75% of job candidates actively research a company’s digital reputation before applying or showing up for an interview (HR Observatory / Glassdoor / Indeed).

Bottom line: what we buy, who we trust, who we believe, where we want to work, and—pushing it to the extreme here—maybe even who we vote for, is now being handed over to an AI’s interpretation of the web. 

Welcome to the Era of Algorithmic Reputation

I’m not sure if it’s terrifying or thrilling, but it’s definitely a wake-up call. And we have to adapt. It’s a new paradigm and a brand-new information channel operating on a unique dynamic: generative models feed on external sources (press, social media, websites), but deliver a completely self-contained search experience.

“Zero-click” responses now exceed 60% in search engines: someone prompts an LLM, gets an answer, and moves on. That happens in 6 out of 10 queries—6 questions answered without a user ever visiting a single website outside of that AI chat interface.

Turns out CCOs weren’t far off with their initial takes in our “Innovation Compass for Comms”, were they?

Honestly, I think that percentage already falls short today. And I’ll be crystal clear on my stance here (as of September 2026): Brands and CCOs that ignore their visibility and ranking in AI search engines are actively handing over control of their corporate narrative to third-party algorithms. Anyone failing to adapt their comms strategy will become completely invisible on one of the leading channels for discovery and brand awareness.

We call it algorithmic reputation. And just like the title says: if you don’t control how AI tells your story, you’re letting it speak for your brand and your products. You’re leaving it in the virtual hands of algorithms.

Uncharted Territory Demanding Research… and Investment

As I was saying, our own data and these market insights have us… worried? Occupied, more like it. Fortunately, this trend hit right in the middle of a massive evolution for Asesores. Ever since joining forces with Good Rebels, we’ve been working shoulder-to-shoulder with the Media & Search team, backed by proprietary analytics tools like AI Rank, built by Kuantik (the group’s in-house AI division).

Thanks to the GEO sector reports developed by Good Rebels (covering banking, insurance, travel, and telcos), we’ve learned, for instance, that while traditional media outlets are cited less in absolute volume, their influence weight is nearly double that of other sources when AI generates its answers.

These studies reveal some fascinating insights into how LLMs construct their responses and how much weight they place on their sources. Case in point: press coverage is queried less by volume precisely because its impact per citation is far more influential—nearly twice as much, depending on the sector—than other sources on the web.

The findings from this research have been shared across specialized industry media, as highlighted in coverage by El Publicista, among others.

The CCO Pain-Point Decalogue

We’re also spreading the word about our findings through numerous closed-door sessions with CCOs. And since sharing knowledge only generates more knowledge, these meetings have unlocked brand-new insights.

These exchanges sparked the CCO Pain-Point Decalogue on LLMs, where three primary uncertainties take center stage:

• Model Divergence: The unpredictable, varying behaviors across different model families (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google).
• The Standard Gap: A complete lack of established standards and methodologies for measuring algorithmic visibility.
• Loss of Narrative Control: The looming fear of surrendering brand narrative to synthetic intermediation.

So, Who’s Picking Up the Tab?

Without going through all ten points, there’s one more that was entirely predictable, which is exactly why I want to call it out: the absolute nightmare of funding and organization.

Who’s paying for this party? Who finances the tools to measure algorithmic reputation? And who actually coordinates the cross-team heavy lifting between SEO, social media, and PR so that brand reputation stays intact while sales climb?

These are tough questions. Investing in unchartered territory is always a hard pill to swallow. But here’s the reality: we already have methodologies that deliver, tools that actually measure, and one absolute certainty: most people are already using AI to get informed and make buying decisions every single day.

This isn’t coming down the line, it’s happening right now. Anyone failing to take control today is actively delegating and neglecting their company’s reputation (and bottom line). And fixing that takes real backing, real strategy and real investment.