After 20 years in PR, Sara Donnelly, founder of Beyond Echo PR, takes a deep dive on where content is heading, why many brands are still stuck in their own bubble, and what it actually takes to build credibility in an era of AI-generated noise.
Sara Donnelly didn’t set up Beyond Echo PR to tell clients what they wanted to hear. “The name is just missing the ‘your’ in between,” she says, “but that wouldn’t have sounded so cool.” The spirit behind it, though, is central to everything the Wigan-based agency does.
Founded in 2023 after two decades in the industry – including directorial roles at Social Tech Communications, JAM and Firework PR – Beyond Echo is built around a single clear idea: getting businesses out of their own echo chambers.
“A lot of businesses, me included, are guilty of existing within their own little bubble,” Donnelly says. “You turn to the people within that bubble and when you ask them a question, they’re going to agree or be on the same wavelength. So it’s about challenging that thinking – thinking a bit bigger, a bit broader.”
The agency works predominantly in B2B tech, a sector Donnelly fell into around a decade ago and never really left. “I really enjoyed it,” she says. “So it naturally became the route I took.”
The great shift: From SEO to GEO
It’s not long since the first thing a client handed you wasn’t a brief, but a keyword list. Agencies were measured by how many tactical phrases they could wedge into a press release to appease Google’s crawlers.
In 2026, that era has officially ended. The rise of GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) has changed the conversation entirely. Users are no longer just clicking links. They are asking AI models for definitive answers and recommendations.
“Historically, PR was often bogged down by tactical keyword lists,” Donnelly says. “But in the age of AI search, the algorithms have evolved to prioritize intent and authority over mere repetition. It’s no longer about how many keywords you have. It’s about: does this content position you as an expert? Only if an AI model perceives you as a credible source will you appear in the generative results. For PR, this is a second coming. The industry is finally being forced to prioritize true insight over white noise.”
The 5 new rules of content for 2026
It’s a more complicated matrix, she acknowledges – but this is where Donnelly believes that good PR needs to earn its place in the marketing mix.
Here are five core pillars of the new rules of content marketing that underpin the Beyond Echo approach.
Rule 1: Avoid ‘AI slop’
The accessibility of AI has created a new kind of pollution: “AI slop.” “Our biggest competition isn’t necessarily other agencies anymore,” Donnelly says. “If a founder is trying to save a few pounds, they’ll just get AI to write their content. That’s where we’re competing now.”
“Increasingly, founders and leaders believe they can eliminate the need for PR by letting a bot write their thought leadership. But the market is savvy. Readers can tell when a human hasn’t been near a piece of content. If you churn out automated mediocrity, you aren’t just invisible; you are actively undermining your brand’s hard-earned trust.”
Rule 2: The ‘pincer movement’ of authority
How do you prove to an AI model (and a human buyer) that you are the real deal? Donnelly advocates for a “pincer movement” that attacks the credibility gap from multiple angles.
- Validated Research: Beyond Echo encourages clients to commission third-party research (via platforms like YouGov or OnePoll) rather than relying on internal surveys. “AI search loves data,” she explains. “If your business is named against independent research, it is a massive trust signal to both algorithms and industry bodies.”
- Human Presence: You cannot automate a seat on a panel or a keynote at a conference. These physical touchpoints validate the digital content.
- Human Veracity: AI is often programmed to be “safe” and middle-of-the-road. Human authority comes from having a “no-nonsense” opinion, being willing to challenge the status quo, and occasionally being controversial.
Rule 3: The founder as the ‘trust signal’
In 2026, corporate logos are secondary to human faces. “People buy from people,” Donnelly insists. “The statistics on LinkedIn don’t lie. A CEO or founder’s personal profile consistently gets three to five times more engagement than a company page.”
However, she warns that this only works if the “human” element is genuine. She points to the recent backlash against the McDonald’s CEO video: a staged attempt at relatability that fell flat because audiences felt it was inauthentic.
“Contrast that with someone like Sam at Finity, one of our clients,” she says. “He films short, unscripted videos in a field with his horses. He isn’t always talking about his product. He is being himself. He has a cult following because he is authentic. You can’t force a CEO to do video if they hate it, but finding that ‘figurehead’ who actually wants to be in front of the camera is half the battle won.”
Rule 4: Customer growth over investor vanity
A common trap in the Northern tech scene is the “Investor-First” content strategy. Founders often spend their energy writing pieces designed to attract VC attention, ignoring the people who actually pay the bills: the customers. “Unless you’re in an imminent fundraise, your content should follow your sales growth objectives,” Donnelly says. “If your goal for Q1 is to break into a new sector, that is where your thought leadership should live. Align your PR with your business objectives, not just vanity metrics or what you think an investor wants to hear.”
Rule 5: Become a consultant, not a ‘yes-person’
This rule is at the heart of the Beyond Echo ethos. Sara believes the role of a PR agency has evolved from a “service provider” to a “strategic navigator”. “I don’t want to be the person you call just when you need a press release written,” she says. “I want to be a sounding board, the person you call to discuss how PR can help you achieve your business objectives. We question everything. We challenge the ‘USP’ until it is actually unique. Being a partner means being willing to tell a client when they’re wrong because that’s the only way to get them out of their echo chamber.”
The vision: Measuring value in 2026
One of the persistent challenges in PR has always been measurement. In a world where “clippings” are easy to fake with AI, Sara believes the definition of success has changed.
“I work directly with my clients because I need to know the ins and outs of their business,” she says. “Every monthly report I produce is different because every client’s objectives and success metrics are different. Success isn’t just hitting ten pieces of coverage. It is asking: Did we help the business enter that new sector? Did we engage the right stakeholders?”
As she looks forward to building on last year’s success – Beyond Echo was shortlisted in the “New Agency to Watch” category at the Prolific North Champions Awards 2025 – Donnelly is focused on amplifying the “Northern grit” that defines the region’s tech successes.
“There is exceptional work happening right across the North,” she concludes. “But to get the visibility they deserve, these businesses must be brave enough to step out of their bubbles. Don’t get lost in the slop. Step outside the echo chamber. You never know what you might find there.”
