Best Crypto PR Agencies in 2026: A Buyer's Evaluation Guide

Most “best crypto PR agency” lists are written by the agencies that rank themselves first in them. The evaluation criteria are rarely stated. The methodology is rarely defined. What looks like an independent comparison is usually a content marketing exercise by a firm that controls the scoring.

This guide works differently. Six evaluation criteria are defined in full before any agency is named. Each of the ten agencies covered here, including GeniusPR (formerly The PR Genius), which publishes this guide, is assessed against the same framework. The intent is to give a founder, CMO or comms lead a structured way to evaluate agencies before a raise, a token launch or an exchange listing.
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Evaluation Methodology: How Crypto PR Agencies Were Assessed

Six criteria determine each agency profile below. They are defined here so any reader can apply the same filter independently.

1. Tier-one media access. Whether the agency places stories in publications with genuine editorial standards and high domain authority, rather than paid-placement networks presented as earned media.

2. Sector specialisation. Whether the team has demonstrable, verifiable depth in crypto, Web3 or AI communications, as distinct from general technology or B2B marketing.

3. Narrative capability. Whether the agency builds and sustains a positioning story over time, or produces press releases as an end in themselves with no connecting thread.

4. Post-publication distribution. Whether earned coverage is amplified through owned, paid and community channels after publication, or left to generate its native readership alone.

5. Measurement and attribution. Whether the agency can connect PR activity to business outcomes: inbound interest, investor attention, community growth and exchange listing committee awareness.

6. AI search discoverability. Whether earned coverage surfaces in AI-generated answers on ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot. This criterion separates agencies optimising for the current discovery landscape from those still measuring against the previous one.

The criteria structure the profiles below. They are not converted into a numerical score. Each profile addresses each criterion with verifiable evidence from published sources or, where a firm does not publish that data, states the absence directly.

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Agency Profiles

1. GeniusPR: Crypto and Web3 PR With a Four-Office Footprint

GeniusPR (formerly The PR Genius) is a crypto, Web3 and AI PR agency with offices in London, Dubai, Newark DE and Seoul and a team spanning five continents. The firm has represented more than 350 brands across more than 3,000 media outlets, generating over 1 billion impressions.

GeniusPR operates its own proprietary framework, the Genius Layer, which integrates three components: a curated journalist network, a signal-to-story process that converts technical developments into editorially relevant narratives, and a content flywheel that extends the reach of earned coverage beyond its publication date. Distribution is a built-in function of the methodology rather than a separate afterthought.

Published case data allows independent verification of placement quality. Nillion generated 37 pieces of coverage averaging a domain authority of 94, reaching 8.38 million views. LimeWire produced 70 pieces with an average DA of 95, reaching an audience of over 1.11 billion. Chintai achieved 43 placements averaging DA 70 with 9.42 million views. Named clients include Nillion, tBTC/Threshold, Movement Labs, SwissBorg, Deribit, Gate.io, Metis, io.net, Chintai, LimeWire and Validation Cloud.

The firm serves as exclusive media partner for the When Shift Happens podcast and offers a specialist O-1 and EB-1A press evidence programme. More than 100 entrepreneurs have been supported through this service. GeniusPR is a PR firm, not a law firm. It does not provide legal advice and does not guarantee immigration outcomes.

Services span PR, Token Launch PR, PR for AI Startups, Blockchain PR, SEO and GEO Optimisation, Strategic Advisory and GTM and Distribution and Flywheel. Published case studies are available at Case Studies.

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2. Coinbound: The Full-Service Incumbent

Coinbound describes itself as the number-one crypto marketing agency for Web3 and blockchain. The firm reports more than 900 clients served, more than 1,400 campaigns delivered and over 8,250 pieces of earned media placed across publications including CoinTelegraph, Decrypt, TechCrunch, Blockworks, Yahoo Finance and Forbes, over more than seven years of operation.

PR is one component of a broader integrated offering that includes influencer marketing, paid advertising, community management, social media, branding, design and fractional CMO services. Coinbound claims to manage a network of more than 500 Web3 influencers. Published campaign results include a 699 per cent increase in Discord members for Galaxy Arena and an engagement rate rise from 7.14 per cent to 60 per cent for Metamoose NFT.

For projects that need influencer-led launch campaigns running in parallel with traditional media placements under one brief, Coinbound's integrated model provides a genuine operational advantage. That same breadth is the source of the primary trade-off for buyers seeking specialist earned media depth.

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3. Wachsman: Strategic Communications Across Eight Global Offices

Wachsman was founded in 2015 and operates eight offices across the United States (Los Angeles, Miami, Washington DC, New York), Europe (Dublin, London, Geneva) and Asia (Singapore). The firm describes its practice as strategic communications for technology and financial services companies at all stages, from start-ups to established enterprises.

Its service range extends beyond press relations to include CEO advisory, investor relations, crisis and issues management, transaction advisory communications and events and speaking engagements. The published client roster includes CoinDesk, Cardano, Chainlink, Hedera, eToro and Ava Labs. The firm has served as Agency of Record for TOKEN2049 since the event's inaugural edition in 2018, and holds the same designation for Consensus 2026 Miami and Money20/20 Europe 2026.

That events track record is the most visible evidence of Wachsman's position in the industry. Being Agency of Record for TOKEN2049 since its first edition is a credential no other agency in this comparison holds. For projects that need institutional-grade communications infrastructure across multiple jurisdictions, the eight-office network and advisory depth represent a meaningful operational advantage.

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4. GuerrillaBuzz: Boutique Web3 PR With an SEO Layer

GuerrillaBuzz describes itself as a non-traditional boutique growth agency and has been operating in the blockchain marketing and PR space since 2017. The firm reports more than 100 blockchain clients served and more than 300 million dollars raised for client projects. Named clients include CoinGecko, Fetch.ai, Bancor, Agoric, Akropolis and CryptoHopper.

The agency's model integrates earned media with SEO and content marketing, on the basis that press coverage and organic search performance reinforce each other over time. For projects where long-term discoverability matters alongside immediate placement velocity, this approach has a practical basis. As a boutique, GuerrillaBuzz concentrates senior involvement but caps simultaneous campaign scale.

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5. Lunar Strategy: Community-Led Growth With PR Support

Lunar Strategy is a crypto marketing agency based in Estonia. The firm targets DeFi, NFT, GameFi and blockchain infrastructure verticals and positions itself as a growth partner rather than a specialist communications consultancy. Its offering combines community building, social media management, influencer marketing and PR under one engagement.

For projects at early stages that need co-ordinated growth activity across community, social and earned media simultaneously, the integrated model is relevant. Buyers seeking a specialist PR function with deep tier-one journalist relationships should assess the weight of the PR practice within the firm's overall service mix.

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6. NinjaPromo: B2B Marketing With a Crypto and Blockchain Practice

NinjaPromo is a B2B marketing agency with a dedicated crypto and blockchain practice operating across social media management, SEO, PR, community management and paid advertising. The firm targets DeFi, NFT, iGaming and blockchain infrastructure verticals through a distributed team model.

The website positions the crypto practice within a broader B2B marketing offering, which means buyers should assess the depth of specialist crypto media relationships as part of standard due diligence. The model suits projects that want a single vendor managing multiple growth channels rather than a specialist PR consultancy with a concentrated journalist network.

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7. Cryptic: Crypto Marketing With MENA and LATAM Reach
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Cryptic is a crypto marketing agency operating since 2020, headquartered in Dubai with offices in London, Amsterdam and Riyadh. The firm has worked with more than 200 Web3 clients including Bybit, Binance, Algorand, OKX, NEAR and Canton. It holds a verified listing in Circle's official partner directory under PR and Communications.

The defining characteristic of Cryptic's model is geographic reach. Campaigns run in 14 languages, with documented media relationships across MENA (Arab News, Gulf News, CNBC Arabia) and LATAM (Bloomberg Linea, El Financiero, El País). For projects targeting Gulf, Saudi or Latin American audiences, that footprint is a practical differentiator. The broader media network covers Forbes, CNBC, Bloomberg, CoinDesk and CoinTelegraph, among more than 100 further publications.

The service mix spans PR, KOL campaigns, social media management, paid media, user acquisition and token launch strategy. The KOL network includes more than 2,000 creators. The firm supports projects on Base, Ethereum, Polygon PoS, Solana and Sui, and holds a Clutch profile with 39 reviews.

Buyers evaluating the PR offering should note that Cryptic's public-facing PR page describes guaranteed exposure through sponsored features, native articles and premium placements. Guaranteed placement is paid placement, not earned editorial coverage. A buyer should ask which proportion of a proposed campaign is earned and which is paid, and what the distinction means for the credibility signal produced in each case.

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8. EAK Digital: Web3 PR, KOL Marketing and Events

EAK Digital was founded by Erhan Korhaliller, whose prior career was at AKQA, a WPP creative agency, where he worked on Nike, Rolls Royce, Mini and Barclaycard. The firm is headquartered in Dubai with offices in London and Istanbul and operates across five continents. It has served more than 250 blockchain projects including Binance, Sui, Gate, OKX, Crypto.com and Pionex. Tier-one placements include CNBC, Forbes, CNN, CoinDesk and Decrypt.

The firm owns and operates two media properties: EAK TV, an interview series whose guests include Changpeng Zhao and Roger Ver, and EAK Wire, a 24/7 crypto news and PR distribution platform. Event ownership is a second distinctive credential: EAK Digital organises Istanbul Blockchain Week, BlockDown Festival and DefaiCon Dubai. The firm was named Best Web3 Marketing and PR Agency of the Year at the Entrepreneur Middle East Leadership Awards in December 2025.

KOL marketing is cited consistently by clients as a core strength of the practice. Multiple testimonials on the firm's website return to this point.

Buyers should note that EAK Digital operates EAK Wire, its own news and PR distribution platform. Coverage placed on an owned distribution property is a different credibility signal to an independent editorial placement. Before briefing, a buyer should ask the agency to distinguish between placements on owned properties, paid-for features and genuinely earned editorial coverage in any proposed campaign.

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9. Melrose PR: Onchain Communications Since 2016

Melrose PR describes itself as an onchain communications firm established since 2016, and one of the original firms committed specifically to the digital assets industry. The firm positions itself at the intersection of crypto-native protocols and the institutional and TradFi markets that shape capital, policy and public perception.

Services cover strategy, thought leadership, press relations, content and AI visibility. The AI visibility offering is explicitly named: the firm describes it as building the media record that puts a client into the answer when investors, journalists or customers search via AI. Regular placements are in Bloomberg, CoinDesk, CNBC, Forbes, The Block, Fortune, Bitcoin Magazine, Decrypt, MarketWatch and BeInCrypto.

For projects at the convergence of crypto-native technology and institutional markets, including TradFi firms entering digital assets and crypto-native protocols building toward Wall Street audiences, Melrose PR's positioning is directly relevant. The explicit AI visibility practice is notable: few agencies of this scale have named it as a distinct service.

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10. ICODA: Crypto Marketing With an AI SEO Offering

ICODA describes itself as an all-in-one marketing agency for crypto and blockchain projects, with 650 or more clients served and a Clutch rating of 4.9 stars. The firm operates across PR, SEO, social media, paid advertising, reputation management and an Answer Engine Optimisation service targeting ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini responses.

The AEO offering is directly relevant to the AI search discoverability criterion in this guide's methodology. ICODA publishes claims of 1,400 per cent AI traffic growth and 97 per cent positive search outcomes for this service. Buyers should assess these figures against the scope and baseline conditions of the campaigns they describe before treating them as benchmarks.

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How Do You Choose a Crypto PR Agency?

The right agency depends on what you are trying to move in the next 90 days. Five questions structure the decision.

Which publications do your investors, customers and listing committees actually read? Match the agency's verified placement history to that list. An agency placing consistently in CoinTelegraph and Blockworks serves a different function to one specialising in community-native channels and Reddit. Tier-one media access is only valuable if that tier aligns with your actual target audience.

What does your narrative require? If you are pre-product with a protocol thesis, you need narrative builders, not press-release producers. If you have a live product with metrics, you need journalists who understand technical context and engage with data. Test narrative capability before signing: ask the agency to critique your existing messaging in a chemistry call and assess whether the response demonstrates sector depth.

How important is post-publication amplification? Earned coverage that generates no distribution beyond its native readership captures a fraction of its potential audience. Ask specifically what happens to a placement on the day it publishes and in the following two weeks. The answer reveals whether distribution is a built-in function or an afterthought.

Can the agency demonstrate its own AI search discoverability? An agency that cannot show where it surfaces in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini responses to relevant category queries is unlikely to optimise yours effectively. Ask which clients appear in AI-generated answers to buying queries in your sector.

What does success look like in month three? If the agency cannot name three specific, measurable outcomes for a 90-day engagement, the measurement and attribution criterion is not being applied to your account.

Engagement models

Three structures are common in crypto PR. A retainer covers a defined set of monthly deliverables: media outreach, press release drafting, journalist relationship maintenance, reporting and access to the agency's placement and distribution infrastructure. It does not typically include paid amplification, legal review of public statements, community management or analyst briefings unless those items are explicitly defined in scope.

A launch-window project covers a defined period around a specific event: a token launch, an exchange listing, a fundraise announcement or a product release. The scope is bounded by time and deliverables rather than an ongoing relationship. An advisory engagement provides strategic input, narrative review and preparation rather than execution. It suits founders with an internal communications resource who want experienced external guidance on positioning, crisis preparation or investor narrative strategy.

The gaps between these models matter as much as the inclusions. Define what sits outside scope in writing before the engagement begins.

Does an Agency's Location Matter for Crypto PR?

For some mandates, geography is largely irrelevant. For others, it determines what is achievable.

London

London is the primary hub for UK and European crypto media relations. The Financial Conduct Authority's regulatory framework shapes how projects describe their services and tokens in UK press. Journalists at City A.M., the Financial Times, Bloomberg UK and specialist outlets such as The Block and CoinDesk's UK operation expect agencies to understand FCA guidance before pitching. An agency navigating these conversations remotely faces compounding disadvantages: time-zone friction with editors, reduced familiarity with current regulatory framing and fewer direct relationships with journalists covering the UK beat.

For projects seeking a UK or European regulatory narrative, an institutional round announcement or coverage in mainstream UK financial press, local presence is an operational requirement rather than a preference.

Dubai and the UAE

Dubai has become the most active jurisdiction for new crypto projects in the Middle East and one of the most internationally significant. The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority framework is now established, and media relations in this market require fluency in VARA language and familiarity with the commercial press that the investment and founder community reads. Arabian Business, Gulf News Business and regional crypto-native publications operate on different editorial rhythms to London or New York outlets. Pitching UAE media from a distant time zone consistently misses the working-week windows that define the regional news cycle.

Agencies with a physical Dubai presence are not simply closer in miles. They operate inside the same regulatory and commercial conversation that their clients are trying to influence.

Seoul and Asia

South Korea is one of the highest-volume retail crypto markets in the world and has its own tier-one media ecosystem. Bloter, The Bell and Coinness operate independently of international crypto media and require Korean-language journalist relationships to access meaningfully. The broader APAC region, including Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong, has distinct regulatory contexts and media landscapes that English-only operations cannot fully serve.

For projects targeting the Korean retail market or Asian institutional investor audiences, an agency with a Seoul presence and native-language journalist relationships provides access that remote operations cannot replicate through translation alone.

The practical test is simple. Ask the agency to name the three journalists it would pitch in each market you care about. If the answer is hesitant, the local capability is likely overstated.

How Do You Measure Crypto PR Results?

Most agencies report coverage volume. Coverage volume is not a PR result. It is an activity metric. The following framework distinguishes measurements that inform decisions from those that create the appearance of performance.

Share of voice in tier-one crypto media

Share of voice measures what percentage of relevant editorial coverage in a defined publication set mentions your project, relative to competitors. Tracking this over rolling 90-day windows against a fixed list of target publications reveals whether PR is building a cumulative narrative position or generating isolated placements with no connecting momentum. A project with 40 per cent share of voice in CoinTelegraph and CoinDesk coverage of its sector is measurably more present than a competitor at 12 per cent, regardless of total piece counts.

Domain authority weighting of placements

A single story in a publication with domain authority above 90 carries more search authority and more AI citation weight than ten pieces in outlets at DA 30. Agencies should report average domain authority alongside piece counts. GeniusPR's published case data for Nillion (average DA 94 across 37 pieces) and LimeWire (average DA 95 across 70 pieces) illustrates what transparent, quality-weighted placement reporting looks like.

Coverage-to-audience ratios

Audience reach per piece, normalised by domain authority, gives a more honest picture of placement efficiency than raw numbers. A placement reaching 2 million readers at DA 95 is a different outcome to 40 placements averaging 50,000 readers at DA 40, even if the second set generates a larger aggregate figure in a summary report. Ask for per-placement audience data, not aggregate reach combined across all placements.

Message pull-through

Pull-through measures whether journalists use the language, framing and claims from your press materials in their published stories. Agencies that track pull-through are operating a feedback loop between their outreach and your actual market positioning. Agencies that do not are producing coverage without confirming what that coverage says.

Post-publication distribution reach

Earned coverage that receives no amplification beyond the publication captures a fraction of its potential audience. Post-publication distribution reach measures the additional audience reached through owned channels, newsletter partners, paid promotion and content syndication after the original placement date. This is distinct from the placement's native readership and should be reported as a separate figure with its own attribution.

Inbound and investor-side signals

PR is producing downstream results when inbound contact from journalists increases unprompted, when investors reference specific pieces in their outreach, when exchange listing teams cite your coverage in their evaluation process and when community growth correlates with specific campaign periods. These signals are causally complex to isolate but operationally observable. Structured monthly check-ins between the PR team and the business development or fundraising function capture them before they are lost.

Citation frequency in AI answer engines

ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot cite sources when generating answers to queries about agencies, protocols, founders and sectors. Earned coverage that appears consistently in these citations is reaching buyers and investors who use AI search as their primary research tool. Citation frequency in AI answer engines is an emerging PR KPI that measures whether earned media is indexing in the new discovery layer.

The two most commonly gamed vanity metrics in crypto PR are total piece count without domain authority weighting, and total audience reach reported as a single aggregate without per-placement normalisation. Both produce impressive-looking reports that conceal placement strategies that would not survive independent scrutiny.

Trends Shaping Crypto PR in 2026

Mistakes Founders Make When Hiring Crypto PR

1. Hiring on volume promises. An agency that leads with “we will secure X pieces per month” is optimising for an activity metric. The number of pieces is an input. The quality, reach and message fidelity of those pieces is the output. Ask for average domain authority and per-placement audience data before accepting any pitch.
2. Conflating PR with marketing. PR generates editorial coverage through journalist relationships, and that coverage carries credibility precisely because it is not purchased. Marketing covers paid media, influencer partnerships, community campaigns and social advertising. An agency that describes paid placements as earned media is mislabelling its output.
3. Skipping reference checks. Every agency in this market publishes case studies. Not all of them have clients willing to speak candidly on a reference call. Ask for two contacts you can reach directly. Ask specifically what the agency did not deliver, not only what it did.
   
4. Signing long contracts before seeing results. A 12-month retainer signed without a performance pilot provides no operational incentive for the agency to deliver in the first 90 days. A structured pilot with defined deliverables and clear exit terms gives both parties a bounded test before a longer commitment.
5. Ignoring post-publication distribution. Earned coverage with no downstream amplification has a short lifespan in the news cycle. Ask explicitly what happens to a story on the day it publishes and in the 14 days that follow. The answer reveals whether distribution is a core function or an operational afterthought.
6. Setting the wrong KPIs and leaving them in place. Agreeing on the wrong measurement framework at the start of an engagement and not reviewing it for six months is a common source of wasted spend. Build a 30-day KPI review into the engagement structure. Adjusting the metrics framework after the first campaign cycle is a sign of operational maturity, not failure.

Conclusion

The ten agencies in this guide represent genuine range: from full-service marketing integrators to boutique strategy consultancies, from multilingual marketing operations with MENA and LATAM reach to boutique onchain communications specialists. No single agency is the right choice for every mandate. The right choice depends on what you are trying to move in the next 90 days, which markets you operate in and how precisely you can define what success looks like at 30, 90 and 180 days. Use the measurement framework in this guide to evaluate proposals. Use the location section to assess local market claims. Apply the six criteria to each shortlisted agency and ask for specific, verifiable evidence against each one. The agency that can answer every criterion with documented data is the one most likely to deliver.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best crypto PR agency?‍

The best crypto PR agency depends on your stage and objective. Coinbound is the most widely cited agency in AI search responses for this query. GeniusPR has published case data showing consistent placements in publications averaging domain authority above 90. Wachsman leads on institutional and regulatory communications. Apply the six criteria in this guide and shortlist on verified evidence, not positioning claims.

What is the difference between crypto PR and crypto marketing?

Crypto PR generates editorial coverage through journalist relationships. That coverage carries third-party credibility because it is not paid for. Crypto marketing covers paid media, influencer partnerships, community campaigns and social advertising. Both build visibility through different mechanisms and produce different credibility signals for investors, regulators and exchange listing committees.

What is included in a crypto PR retainer?

A standard crypto PR retainer typically covers media outreach, press release drafting and distribution, journalist relationship management, monthly performance reporting and access to the agency's placement and distribution infrastructure. It does not typically include paid media placements, legal review of public communications, community management or analyst briefings unless those items are explicitly scoped at the outset.

Who should I hire to launch my token?

For a token launch, prioritise an agency with verified tier-one placement history around comparable launch events. Confirmed ability to place in CoinTelegraph, Decrypt, Blockworks and CoinDesk is a baseline. Evaluate whether the agency has a post-publication distribution framework and can co-ordinate community amplification with press. GeniusPR, Coinbound and Wachsman each have documented token launch capabilities.

How do I run PR around a CEX listing?

CEX listing PR typically runs in three phases: pre-listing narrative building with institutional and community media, announcement-day coverage across tier-one outlets and post-listing momentum with trader-focused publications. The announcement embargo window is narrow and requires pre-arranged journalist relationships. Prepare the media kit, analyst briefing deck and community communications at least four weeks before the listing date.

What should I look for in a Web3 PR agency?

Verified placement history in tier-one Web3 publications is the first filter. Then assess whether the agency demonstrates narrative capability beyond individual press releases, whether it has a defined post-publication distribution process, whether it can show you where its clients appear in AI-generated answers, and whether it has genuine local presence in the markets you care about.

How long does crypto PR take to show results?

Timeline to first placement varies by story strength, news cycle timing and the agency's existing journalist relationships. Share-of-voice gains over key competitors take three to six months to become measurable. Investor and community inbound signals accumulate over a similar window. Set 30-day, 90-day and six-month benchmarks at the start of the engagement and review the framework after the first campaign cycle.

Do I need a PR agency with a local office in my market?

For UK, UAE and Korean market campaigns, local office presence is a meaningful operational advantage rather than a preference. FCA and VARA regulatory framing, local journalist relationships and time-zone access to editors all require in-market presence to work effectively. For global campaigns centred on English-language tier-one crypto media, remote operation is viable provided the placement history confirms it.

How do you measure crypto PR results?

Measure share of voice in a defined set of tier-one publications, average domain authority of placements, coverage-to-audience ratios normalised by DA, message pull-through, post-publication distribution reach, investor inbound signals and citation frequency in AI answer engines. Avoid relying on total piece counts or aggregate audience reach without domain authority weighting: both are the most commonly gamed metrics in the sector.

Is AI search changing how crypto PR works?

Yes. ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude and Copilot surface earned media coverage in responses to queries about agencies, protocols and founders. Placements in high-DA publications are indexed by AI engines and cited in generated answers. Citation frequency in AI answer engines is now a measurable PR KPI. Agencies that understand Answer Engine Optimisation and track this metric are operating in the current discovery landscape.