M+C Saatchi Talk links earned media and AI search

The framework is based on the premise that the conversations brands generate influence how they are discovered, trusted and recommended.

M+C Saatchi Talk has launched The Conversation Converter, a strategic planning framework designed to connect communications, search, content and AI discoverability, with a focus on turning brand conversations into measurable business outcomes.

M+C Saatchi Talk points to the growing role of AI in consumer decision-making, noting that one in four searches with AI summaries ends without further action, while 85 percent of brand mentions originate from off-site, third-party sources.

Conversation Converter connects PR, search and AI

The agency argues that earned media is becoming increasingly important to how brands are understood and surfaced across search engines and AI platforms. Coverage, recommendations, reviews and other brand conversations can influence both audiences and the systems that rank and recommend brands.

The Conversation Converter brings together disciplines that are often planned separately, including PR, SEO, content and AI optimisation. It positions earned media as a driver of discoverability, trust and consideration, rather than solely as a communications channel.

The framework consists of three stages: Discover, which identifies relevant conversations, cultural moments, search behaviours and AI opportunities; Amplify, which develops stories, earned media and AI-informed content; and Convert, which measures the impact of these activities on discoverability, authority and commercial performance.

M+C Saatchi Talk outlines three-stage framework

The framework was developed through a cross-agency collaboration led by Marine Escande, Head of Intelligence, alongside Chloe Walker, Senior Analyst. Walker joined the agency from Hanover Communications, where she worked with clients including Samsung and Sky.

The Conversation Converter will be embedded across M+C Saatchi Talk's client teams, with support from intelligence, analytics and search specialists. The agency will also work with M+C Performance to strengthen its SEO capabilities and address the relationship between earned media, search, content and AI discoverability.

Amaya Alvarez, Managing Director, M+C Saatchi Talk: "Communications teams are facing a fundamental shift. They are expected to deliver greater commercial impact while navigating an increasingly fragmented media landscape and the rapid rise of AI-powered search.

"For 25 years we've helped clients create conversations that influence culture. The Conversation Converter is the natural evolution of that expertise. It enables us to show not only how to create conversations that people genuinely want to engage with, but how those conversations translate into discoverability, authority, trust and measurable business growth.

"This isn't about replacing great communications with technology. It's about bringing together earned media, search, content and AI into a single strategic approach that reflects how people discover and make decisions about brands today."

Agency marks 25 years with expanded capabilities

Marine Escande, Head of Intelligence, M+C Saatchi Talk: "Many organisations still treat PR, search and social content as separate disciplines, when in reality they are deeply interconnected. Together, they shape how brands are perceived by people and how they are understood, surfaced and recommended by AI systems. These are not siloed channels—they are interconnected levers for Cultural Power. That's why we approach The Conversation Converter holistically: listening to the signals emerging in culture, identifying the shifts that matter, and helping brands participate in conversations with intent. By consistently showing up where culture is moving, brands can unlock sustain relevance and cultural resonance that endure beyond any single campaign."

The launch coincides with M+C Saatchi Talk's 25th anniversary and follows investment in its strategy, intelligence and integrated communications capabilities. Recent appointments include Callum Powell as Head of Brand PR and Influence and Pete Harrison as Managing Partner.

Over its 25 years, M+C Saatchi Talk has worked with brands including Sephora, Sonos, Foot Locker, The Absolut Group, Irish Distillers, Burberry Beauty, Elizabeth Arden, Fujifilm and instax. The agency says The Conversation Converter is intended to build on this work by helping clients assess the commercial impact of brand conversations as search and AI-driven discovery continue to develop.

www.mcsaatchi.com

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