Why media placements are making a comeback – and why your content strategy depends on them

Media placements in top-tier scientific, healthcare and national publications are experiencing a powerful resurgence. For biotech, pharma, med tech and deep- tech science brands, they have become one of the most undervalued yet highest impact components of an effective content ecosystem.

Earned media now directly shapes AI answers

New data confirms that authoritative third‑party coverage doesn’t just build credibility, it dictates how AI engines interpret, describe and recommend brands.

The facts speak for themselves:

• More than 95% of links cited in AI responses come from non‑paid sources, and 85% of those are earned media (Muck Rack study, 2025).
• Half of all AI answers include at least one earned media citation.
• 89% of links cited by AI engines originate from earned media (Observer, 2025).
• AI search engines cite earned media 5× more than brand-owned content (University of Toronto, 2025).

This means placements in outlets like Nature Biotechnology, Medical News Today, Fierce Biotech, Endpoints News and the FT healthcare pages don’t just influence human audiences, they become embedded in the reference systems large language models use to generate responses.

Why this matters for your brand

There’s no single post, headline or asset that works for everyone anymore. Brands are communicating complex science and need multi-format storytelling that resonates across:

• Investors
• Clinicians
• Researchers
• Regulators
• Partners
• Patients

Earned media placements serve as the authoritative anchor that connects all brand touchpoints with consistent, compelling and credible messaging.

At Sciad communications, we use audience and competitor research, digital search insights and messaging matrixes to ensure that we are speaking to each user, in a way that will resonate with them, before content goes live.

Media is still wildly undervalued, and it shouldn’t be

AI overviews and zero-click search have redefined visibility:

• Google searches increased **50%**, while click‑through rates dropped 30% as AI Overviews replaced links (Observer).
• Experts predict traditional search will lose 50% of market share by 2028 as users rely on AI for answers.

This means that if your brand is not appearing in earned media, AI may not surface you at all.

Attention is the asset most of our clients want and right now, earned media is the platform for credible attention everyone is so slow to move forward with or spend ad budget on. 

Winning the future of AI search

To dominate share of voice and category prominence, brands need:

• Strategic placements in authoritative outlets
• Consistent multi-format storytelling
• Integrated SEO + GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
• Strong owned content that supports earned visibility

If your brand appears in credible third‑party publications, AI engines start recommending you even in non‑brand searches. That’s when you win, before the competitor even knows what has happened.

Don’t undervalue media, it’s your strategic multiplier

If you’re serious about building a high‑performing content ecosystem that resonates across stakeholders, influences AI and amplifies your credibility, then media placements are not optional. They’re critical to share of voice.