Telum Talks To: Sophie Toh from DNA Middle East

Strategic communications consultancy, Sefiani, part of Clarity Global, has released a new study indicating that 84 per cent of Australian marketing and comms leaders disagree on who "owns" AI visibility, while the remaining 16 per cent take an integrated approach.

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Sefiani, the research surveyed 150 marketing and communications leaders at Director level and above from organisations with more than 50 employees, exploring how strategies have been adapted in response to AI search.

According to the report, 91 per cent of cross-departmental leaders are revising their strategies to influence AI-driven discovery, although an internal "turf war" is emerging over who controls brands' AI search visibility. The research found that ownership currently sits across five functions: data / analytics (23 per cent), comms / corporate affairs (20 per cent), brand (19 per cent), digital (17 per cent), and performance (16 per cent), which the agency said reflects a structurally fragmented approach within many organisations.

The "silo" challenge
To complement its findings, Sefiani collected qualitative insights from leaders through a series of executive GEO-focused sessions and a recent panel moderated by Mandy Galmes, Managing Partner at Sefiani. Speakers included Johanna Lowe, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the University of Sydney; Brad Pogson, Head of Communications at Lendi Group; and Tom Telford, Chief Digital Officer at Clarity Global.

Based on these discussions, several themes emerged around managing reputation in AI-driven environments:

• Internal silos as a key barrier: Participants noted that while some leaders are encouraging cross-functional experimentation, others remain 'nihilistic' about breaking down traditional departmental walls, leading to stalled effort and wasted budgets. The panel identified the rise of AI as a 'shadow task' layered on top of existing senior role requirements without removing previous duties, which further delays progress.
• The forever life of reputational issues: According to panellists, LLMs draw on long-term patterns across coverage, reviews, forums, and owned content, meaning historic issues may continue resurfacing in AI-generated responses. This suggests that organisations might need to take a more data-led, cross-channel approach to finding, correcting, and rebalancing inaccurate information.
• Quality content remains critical: Insights from the discussion indicated that AI models do not discriminate by content format, but they do reward depth. The findings suggest that high-quality, thought leadership content performs better within LLM training sets, so it should be considered as central to strategies across channels moving forward.

The cost of siloed GEO: Misinformation and reputational risk
The agency stated that a lack of clear ownership over GEO is already having tangible consequences. Based on the research, AI search was cited by leaders as the most structurally siloed channel, with 77 per cent reporting problems in the last 12 months. This included a slower response to issues, conflicting messages across channels, and AI tools amplifying yesterday's problems instead of today's narratives.

The study also found that the risk is compounded by the speed at which AI-generated misinformation can spread, with 25 per cent of leaders reporting that incorrect, inconsistent, or outdated brand information has already appeared in AI answers.

"Reputation used to be managed channel by channel, but AI search has changed the rules. Because these systems read across everything - earned coverage, on-site content, social signals, and search authority - siloed marketing and communications are quietly muting your AI visibility," said Tom Telford.

"When your channels don't tell the same story, or teams are chasing independent KPIs with separate budget pots, these silos also become a major reputational liability. It is only when functions are truly connected that the models become trained on a consistent brand message and compound visibility across AI services over time. This is the crux of GEO, Generative Engine Optimisation, and done well it becomes the multiplier on everything you already invest in brand, PR and digital."

The "citations race": PR and earned media take centre stage
The report also suggested that a shift toward AI-first discovery is changing budget priorities.

According to the findings, 49 per cent of leaders have already allocated five to 10 per cent of their marketing and communications budgets to AI visibility, with 90 per cent of that spend being reallocated from traditional channels like paid digital and brand. A further 30 per cent reported allocating up to 20 per cent of their budgets.

Citing external analysis from Gartner, the agency noted that the majority of sources referenced by AI systems are non-paid, which the report argues increases the strategic importance of PR and earned media in AI-driven discovery.

Mandy Galmes said: "When LLMs answer a question in your category, they’re drawing overwhelmingly on non-paid, third party sources. If your spokespeople, experts, case studies and proof points aren’t in those sources, you’re invisible at a key moment in the buyer journey." 

Health information has long moved beyond medical journals or the doctor’s office. Today, patients can access medical and healthcare advice via social media feeds, online communities and increasingly, AI-powered search tools - even if the credibility of such information is not always clear.

For healthcare communicators, this shift has expanded the role of communications beyond brand visibility. Increasingly, it involves helping audiences navigate complex health decisions while continuing to foster trust through credible information.

Telum Media spoke with Aaron Dowling, Director of Global Corporate Communications at Cochlear, and Gareth Trickey, Director of Communications, Asia Pacific at Vantive, about how healthcare communicators can establish credibility in the digital age, balance stakeholder expectations, and keep communications work close to the heart of the practice.  
 

Communications that drive impact
Healthcare communications does more than generate visibility - it helps people make better-informed decisions about their health.

“It starts with the principle that you earn trust through clarity, not necessarily volume,” said Aaron.

One way to do so, he shared, is to approach campaigns with a more analytical mindset: define the problem, identify behavioural goals, and measure whether communications can bring about meaningful change.

Gareth also sees the need for communications to go beyond visibility and align with broader organisational and societal objectives.

“You don’t want to confuse movement with momentum,” he said. “Movement is running up and down on the spot, but momentum means you’re actually moving forward - and that’s what you want communications to achieve.”

In contributing to conversations around patient support, healthcare policy, and innovation, communicators can ensure their work benefits stakeholders across the ecosystem.

Safeguarding credibility in the digital age
The digital information landscape has led to more complex healthcare communications, with misinformation and AI-driven platforms increasingly shaping how people search for and interpret health advice.

This has also resulted in significant changes to the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals. Aaron noted that what was once a largely one-way flow of information has become a more collaborative process, with patients increasingly seeking information and participating in decisions about their care.

“You have to lead with accuracy first, speed second, but always be transparent,” he said.

Credibility, he added, comes from clearly explaining the evidence behind health information, including expert input, the limitations of research, and the reasoning behind medical guidance.

Gareth echoed the importance of evidence-based messaging. Today, communications teams often work closely with medical affairs specialists and clinicians to ensure messages are grounded in robust research.

Despite the shifts and innovations, he highlighted the continued importance of earned media.

“If you land a successful story in a tier-one newspaper, it’s more likely to be referenced by AI platforms than content published on a company website or through paid channels.”

Balancing multi-stakeholders and uncertainties
In an increasingly volatile digital and information landscape, healthcare communicators must also navigate a complex web of internal and external expectations, balancing the need to project brand confidence while communicating responsibly about uncertainty.

To that, Gareth’s approach is to have a balanced story championing both the voices of the clinicians and patients, not of the companies.

Meanwhile, Aaron brought up the importance of tone and values in external communications. “Healthcare is a very personal thing, hence it's impossible to take the emotion out of healthcare.” When relaying uncertainties, communicators should fall back on values, showing empathy and respect while staying proactive to engage.

As for internal communications, both leaders emphasised the importance of alignment, particularly early, frequent, and collaborative alignment.

Every campaign should begin with a kick-off meeting that involves cross-functional teams from communications to legal, medical affairs as well as the senior management team. Aaron believes communicators play a unique role in acting as the glue between internal departments, aligning teams around a common purpose while drawing on each function’s expertise.

He also pointed out the increasing need for communicators to understand the bigger picture and how to fit within it.

“If you understand the business, its purpose, and the strategy, you're much better off having a more effective campaign because you know what you're trying to achieve.”

The role of communicators beyond brand
Reflecting on the evolving role of healthcare communicators, both Aaron and Gareth concluded that their work, at the centre of it all, involves much more than brand reputation.

“Overall, you're working towards better public health outcomes, whether that's improving health literacy, reducing stigma, or encouraging innovation,” said Aaron. “That impact goes beyond commercial outcomes.”

For Gareth, the focus is on the people of the industry, and communicators should work towards championing the voice of the hidden heroes.

“The voice of the patient and the voice of the clinician are the most powerful voices in healthcare communications,” he said. “They're more powerful than a global CEO's voice in the media.”

Whether it’s channelling the focus towards the bigger picture or the people who are at the heart of it all, both believe the core mission of healthcare communications remains unchanged.

As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve alongside shifting technology and expectations, the communications function is here to continue building towards long-term trust and helping people make better-informed decisions about their health.  

Kempinski Hotel Muscat has promoted Deandra Shivana to Assistant Director of Marketing Communications. In this role, she continues to lead the hotel's marketing and communications efforts, overseeing brand positioning, digital performance, PR, and revenue-driving campaigns across rooms, F&B, spa, and events. 

Deandra joined the hotel chain in 2024, moving from Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, where she spent close to four years based in Abu Dhabi and Bali. She also brings experience from Jumeirah Bali.

Deandra reports directly to Karim ElBerkchi, Hotel Manager. On the promotion, he said, "What sets Deandra apart is her ability to find the magic in every project she touches. It is one thing to manage a brand, but quite another to make people feel something through a campaign. As she steps into the role of Assistant Director, I am excited to see her bring that same creative wonder to our wider strategic vision."

Deandra said, "I’m thrilled to take on this new challenge. My time in the marketing department has always been driven by a simple goal. One of them is to match our creative storytelling with the world-class experience our guests deserve. As Assistant Director, I’m ready to push those boundaries further, ensuring our voice is as sophisticated and authentic as the stay itself."