PR Pulse | Mid-Year Edition

In today’s edition:

🚀 Growing Our Capabilities: StudioGEO, Defense & Healthcare

📚 Research & Resources: New insights on AI visibility and AEO

📰 Clients Making Headlines: National media and industry coverage

👋 Welcome to the Team: Meet Julie Johnson and Carolyn Cordrey

👋 FROM ESCALATE
A quick welcome.

The first half of 2026 has been a busy one. With the significant rise in AI search, and more and more industry analysts pointing to third-party validation as the key to fueling those search results, more organizations across the B2B tech sector are looking for a trusted, strategic communications partner that can help them not only navigate this new direction from a marketing perspective, but also help them gain credibility and awareness in the markets that matter most to them. From expanding our practice to onboarding clients and team members, here's a look at what we've been up to so far this year.

RESOURCES WE’RE LOVING
As AI continues reshaping how information is discovered, we've published several resources to help communications teams capture visibility in partnership with LLM.Listed.

CLIENTS IN THE NEWS
Headlines from Escalate PR clients

Our clients continued shaping some of the biggest conversations across defense, enterprise AI, cybersecurity, hospitality technology and autonomous systems. Here are just a few highlights from the first half of 2026.

🛡️ Defense & National Security

• Ondas had an exciting first half of the year, announcing its $875.8 million acquisition of DZYNE while earning national coverage in Bloomberg, The New York Times, Barron's, Forbes and Fox Business. CEO Eric Brock also joined national broadcast audiences to discuss counter-drone technology and the future of autonomous defense systems.

• PowerUs continued establishing itself as a leading voice in modern drone warfare and national security, with founder Brett Velicovich featured in The Spectator, AOL and Tectonic Defense discussing emerging threats to US infrastructure, strategic partnerships and America’s drone preparedness gap.

• Firestorm Labs generated national attention following its $82 million Series B, earning coverage in TechCrunch while also appearing in Forbes to discuss how additive manufacturing is reshaping defense.

• SeaSats was featured in Forbes for its work advancing autonomous drone boats to support U.S. border security.

💡 Enterprise AI & Technology

• IDC continued helping organizations understand AI's impact across industries, with experts featured in CNN, Newsweek, The Boston Globe, Marketplace Morning Report and Hospitality Technology discussing everything from Google's evolving search experience to AI's influence on product development, financial services and the future of hospitality. They also sprinkled in some coverage in Forbes about how the World Cup is shaking up streaming. 

• Sitecore executives were featured in TechTarget, CIO, InformationWeek’s IT Leadership Podcast and Total Retail, sharing perspectives on AI, cybersecurity, digital experience and the emerging "Agentic Web."

• Hi Marley contributed to the enterprise AI conversation with inclusion in features in CIO and Computerworld, exploring AI governance, accountability and responsible innovation.

WHAT’S NEW
🚀 Growing Our Capabilities

StudioGEO

Earlier this year, we introduced StudioGEO, our Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) offering designed to not only help B2B technology companies improve how they're discovered and understood by AI-powered search and answer engines, but to provide them with human-led creative direction, strategy, and execution.

What’s Different About StudioGEO?

StudioGEO is an all-in-one human-led solution that elevates brands in AI engines with unique and creative content. Through our strategic partnerships, StudioGEO’s turn key solution will create, optimize, and train the engines on your differentiators.

Expanded Defense Tech Practice

Defense technology continues to be one of the fastest-moving sectors in B2B technology, and so has our work within it.

Over the past six months, we've continued expanding our Defense practice across autonomous systems, counter-UAS, ISR, robotics, aerospace and national security. We are excited to partner with innovators PowerUs, Firestorm Labs, and Seasats.

Expanded Healthcare Practice

We're also excited to continue growing our Healthcare practice, supporting organizations at the intersection of healthcare, technology and innovation with strategic communications programs.

Answer Engine Optimization

AI search is changing how buyers discover companies.

Through StudioGEO and our continued research, we're helping communications teams understand how earned media, owned content and technical optimization work together to improve visibility across today's rapidly evolving search landscape.

WHAT’S NEW?
Welcoming new team members

Let’s
Connect