Orchan Consulting | Asia Sdn Bhd

In 2025, PR isn’t just about being seen anymore; it’s about being found . Voice assistants, AI search engines, and chatbots are rewriting how people discover stories. Which means PR pros have to evolve too i.e., from pitching headlines to crafting answers. But in the scramble to please the algorithm, one thing keeps us up at night: how do we stay human? Welcome to the age of Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) --  where structure meets soul. What Exactly Is AEO -- and Why It Matters Here AEO is the art (and science) of structuring content so it becomes the best possible answer when someone asks a question; whether that’s on Google, Siri, or ChatGPT. Traditional SEO hunts keywords. AEO reads between the lines. It’s about understanding intent, speaking clearly, and matching how people actually talk. And in Southeast Asia, this matters more than ever: 70% of Malaysian internet users now use voice search weekly (Google Consumer Insights, 2024). Indonesia’s Gen Z prefers a...

AI is rewriting the PR playbook across Asia . From chatbots fielding customer queries to generative tools drafting copy in seconds, the efficiency is intoxicating. But speed without ethics? That’s a reputational landmine; and in Southeast Asia , where cultural trust is everything, the blowback can be brutal. This isn’t just about “using AI responsibly.” It’s about whether your brand earns or loses trust every time you hit publish. AI Ethics: PR’s Next Crisis Waiting to Happen The warning signs are already here: Singapore : A retail chain faced backlash when AI-personalised ads misused purchase data without consent. Malaysia : A telco’s chatbot accidentally leaked sensitive customer info, triggering investigations. Thailand : A travel brand went viral for the wrong reason after an AI campaign used culturally tone-deaf imagery. These weren’t just “tech glitches.” They were trust failures, magnified by APAC’s hyper-connected, mobile-first audiences. Compliance Won...