How The Nova Method Is Redefining PR and Brand Trust in the Age of AI

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Christine Perkett on the DTM Podcast In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interviewed Christine Perkett, a veteran entrepreneur and marketing communications expert with nearly 30 years in the field. Christine is the co-founder and CEO of The Nova Method, a PR and communications firm grounded in what she calls an “audience-first strategy,” built for a world shaped by AI, automation, and fractured trust.

Christine shares how she and her partner merged their agencies to build a unified brand focused on aligning the speed and scale of technology with the soul of human communication. We dig into how AI is changing PR, why trust is harder (and more critical) than ever, and how to prepare your brand to resonate—not just engage—in the modern media landscape.

She introduces the Nova Method’s signature framework—Assimilate, Align, Activate—and breaks down how even big brands are still getting it wrong when they forget to deeply understand their audience before launching a campaign. From the Bud Light controversy to LinkedIn’s algorithm shift, this conversation covers the tactical and strategic shifts every marketer needs to navigate in the new era of comms.

Key Takeaways:

AI isn’t just automation—it’s an editorial and strategic thought partner that still needs human oversight to stay on-brand and truthful.
PR is now fully embedded in SEO, trust-building, and brand reputation, making it essential for discoverability and authority in search.
The Nova Method Framework—Assimilate, Align, Activate—ensures brands build real audience understanding before launching campaigns.
Brand trust is now built (or broken) in real-time, especially as social media and AI-generated content multiply.
Crisis communication is no longer optional—brands must have policies and playbooks, especially as employee-generated content and AI blur the lines.
Executive presence matters more than ever, with platforms like LinkedIn favoring individual contributors over faceless brands.
Small businesses need to give customers options—some want bots, others want humans. The key is understanding your audience journey.