Canadian PR agency positions B2B brands to compete as AI reshapes online discovery

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes the default for online discovery, B2B businesses that are not investing in public relations risk disappearing from partners, customers, and investors. In response, Marigold PR, an award-winning B2B public relations agency, has launched PRplus: AI Influence, a strategic communications program designed to boost brand visibility in AI-generated search results through credible media coverage and discoverability tactics.

Research shows that over 80% of consumers now rely on AI-generated responses for at least 40% of their online searches, signalling a major shift in how brands are discovered and evaluated. Unlike traditional search engines, generative AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity pull data almost exclusively from earned media and high-authority, third-party sources. A 2025 Muck Rack report found that 95% of links cited by generative AI models come from non-paid media, with nearly half of the citations for recent queries using journalism to inform answers. This means paid advertisements, branded blogs, and social content are no longer enough to support discoverability.

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PRplus: AI Influence was developed by Marigold PR to help companies stay visible as AI transforms how people find information. Designed for B2B brands across North America, with a focus on cannabis, technology, and industrial sectors, the program combines proven PR tactics with AI discoverability reporting. It helps businesses earn credible media coverage, increase citations in AI-generated search results, and track visibility across AI platforms. Each package includes key message development, a professionally written press release, targeted media outreach, an AI search audit, and post-campaign reporting with clear next steps.

“This is a turning point for communications. Generative AI is rewriting the rules. The brands that’ve been investing in PR are ahead of the curve and seeing the results, and those who haven’t yet have a real opportunity to gain ground,” says Katie Pringle, CEO and Co-founder of Marigold PR. “We always respond to change with strategy, and PRplus is a solution for our clients in a new era of search.”

For cannabis and other highly regulated industries, the challenge of discoverability is even greater. Legal barriers limit how brands can promote themselves online, resulting in fewer signals available to AI models. A recent report from McKinsey & Company found that only 16% of brands proactively measure and manage their AI visibility, even though companies in the top quartile for web mentions receive up to 10x more visibility from AI overviews. In a heavily saturated market like cannabis, being surfaced by AI is quickly becoming a defining factor of brand authority and inbound lead generation, meaning press releases, interviews, and expert features are now both reputation tools and AI search inputs.

“Driving traffic in the CBD space has always been a challenge. As a pharmaceutical-grade operator, we compete with unregulated hemp producers and questionable products, all chasing the same clicks. With restricted marketing avenues, we learned early that PR and long-form content were a sustainable way to earn trust and reach our audience,” says Harvinder Johal, Chief Revenue Officer of Vantage Hemp Co. “Partnering with Marigold PR, we now optimize press releases for AI discoverability through structured content, and have seen AI recognize the trustworthiness of our business through citations and mentions in various online publications.”

Since 2016, Marigold PR has worked with more than 200 brands across North America, building reputations and driving measurable outcomes through earned-first communications. The agency supports B2B companies with strategy, press releases and media relations, events, content development, social media, and thought leadership, and works hand-in-hand with trusted agency partners, offering clients expanded capabilities, creative depth, and cross-border reach.

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