M+C Saatchi Talk Launches the Conversation Converter for The AI Era Of Earned Media

Sep. 08, 2026

M+C Saatchi Talk has today unveiled The Conversation Converter, a new strategic planning framework built on a simple belief: the conversations brands earn today determine whether they are discovered, trusted and recommended tomorrow.

AI has transformed how people search, discover and make decisions, today, people make decisions directly inside the AI interface; 1 in 4 searches with AI summaries end without further action, whilst 85% of brand mentions originate from off-site, third-party sources.  Earned media has become the centrepiece and is playing an increasingly important role in how brands are understood, surfaced and recommended across search engines and AI platforms.

Every piece of credible coverage, recommendation, review and brand conversation no longer influences people alone; it also shapes how search engines and AI platforms understand, rank and recommend brands.

Responding to that shift, The Conversation Converter has been developed to help organisations harness that shift, connecting communications, search, content and AI discoverability through a single strategic framework that turns conversation into measurable business growth.

While many organisations continue to plan PR, SEO, content and AI optimisation separately, M+C Saatchi Talk believes these disciplines are now part of the same ecosystem, and that the brands that win will be those that create conversations that build authority across every touchpoint, from news coverage and creator content to search results and AI-generated recommendations.

Rather than viewing earned media simply as a communications channel, The Conversation Converter positions it as the strategic engine of modern brand growth—creating the authority that drives discoverability, trust, consideration and, ultimately, commercial performance.

The launch builds on M+C Saatchi Group's Cultural Power philosophy and its collaboration with Oxford Saïd Business School, which found that almost one third of brand value is driven by Cultural Power. The Conversation Converter extends that thinking by demonstrating how cultural conversation translates into measurable commercial outcomes through increased authority, discoverability and influence.

The framework brings together three connected stages:

• Discover. Identify the conversations, cultural moments, search behaviours and AI opportunities that have the greatest potential to build brand authority.
• Amplify. Create culturally relevant stories, earned media and AI-informed content that strengthen visibility, credibility and recommendation across both human and AI audiences.
• Convert. Measure how conversation drives discoverability, authority and commercial outcomes, continuously optimising activity to maximise business impact.

The proposition has been developed through a cross-agency collaboration led by Marine Escande, Head of Intelligence, alongside Chloe Walker, Senior Analyst, who recently joined the agency from Hanover Communications and brings experience from Samsung and Sky. It will be embedded across M+C Saatchi Talk's client teams, supported by intelligence, analytics and search specialists, with the agency also working closely with M+C Performance to strengthen its SEO capability and reflect the increasingly connected relationship between earned media, search, content and AI discoverability.

Amaya Alvarez, Managing Director, M+C Saatchi Talk, said:

"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."

 

Marine Escande, Head of Intelligence, M+C Saatchi Talk, added:

“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 comes as M+C Saatchi Talk celebrates its 25th anniversary, marking the next chapter in the agency's evolution as a specialist communications consultancy across beauty, fashion and retail, technology and drinks. It also builds on a period of continued investment in the agency's capabilities, including the recent appointments of Ogilvy’s Callum Powell as Head of Brand PR and Influence, and former EVH, Salesforce and NBCUniversal exec Pete Harrison as Managing Partner, strengthening M+C Saatchi Talk's expertise across strategy, intelligence and integrated communications.

Over the past 25 years, M+C Saatchi Talk has helped brands including Sephora, Sonos, Foot Locker, The Absolut Group, Irish Distillers, Burberry Beauty, Elizabeth Arden, Fujifilm and instax build conversations that shape culture and drive business results. The Conversation Converter represents the next evolution of that expertise, helping clients maximise the commercial return on every conversation they create while ensuring the agency continues to evolve alongside changing client needs.