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Let’s play a quick game.
Someone asks an AI assistant, “What does your company do?” The answer looks confident. It’s also…wrong. Your founding year is off by three. Your HQ is still listed as the city you left two leases ago. The CEO name is correct, but the title is outdated. And your product list includes a service you sunsetted years ago.
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: It’s not always “AI making things up.” Sometimes it’s AI doing exactly what it’s supposed to do which is summarizing what it can find. And if the public internet has five versions of your story, then you’ve just asked a machine to pick one.
That’s why the most underrated PR deliverable of 2026 might be something unsexy, deeply practical, and borderline magical in a crisis: a Brand Factbook. A single source of truth with verifiable facts, approved descriptions and the receipts (sources) to back it up.
Why this matters (and why PR should own it)
PR teams manage the narrative. The problem is that narratives spread. They get copied, paraphrased, shortened, translated and pasted into directories, partner pages, slide decks, event listings and bios.
Then AI arrives and says, “Thanks for the buffet.”
When public-facing information is inconsistent, AI amplifies contradictions. A human journalist might call you to confirm. A machine won’t. It will grab the most “authoritative” looking version even if it’s outdated.
A Brand Factbook is your source of truth that becomes a practical resource for your entire team while supporting the PRSA values of accuracy and truthfulness in communication.
The Brand Factbook template (steal this)
Keep it short enough that people will actually use it. Think: 6-10 pages, plus an appendix of sources. Version it like software (v1.0, v1.1) so everyone knows what’s current.
1. Identity essentials (the stuff people ask first)
- Official brand name (and acceptable short name)
- Headquarters + key locations
- Founding year (with source)
- Leadership roster (name, title, short bio, headshot link)
- Primary website + press room URL
2. Approved descriptions (three lengths)
Create standard descriptions:
- 10 words (directories)
- 25 words (speaker intros)
- 60–80 words (press releases, partner pages)
Make them factual, not fluffy. Avoid “leading,” “best,” “world-class,” unless you have third-party proof.
3. Proof points (with sources and dates)
For each proof point, include:
- The claim (one sentence)
- The number (with units)
- The timeframe (“as of Q3 2025,” “FY2025”)
- The source (link)
- The internal owner who can validate it
4. Products and services (no ghost offerings)
- Current offerings (with plain-English definitions)
- Retired offerings (so you can correct misinformation quickly)
- Common confusions (“We are not affiliated with…”)
5. Boilerplate and “safe language”
- Standard boilerplate (and when to use which version)
- Claims you never make without legal review (guarantees, health/finance claims, “zero risk”)
- A short “if asked” section for sensitive topics (pricing, layoffs, litigation, AI use)
6. Source library (the receipts)
Link to the most credible sources you have:
- Regulatory filings, audited reports, official announcements
- High-quality earned coverage and reputable directories
- Wikipedia/Wikidata references (handled ethically)
Updating your source of truth: the lightweight cadence that makes this work
If your Factbook is a static PDF that gets forgotten, then it’s just another file in the resources graveyard. Instead, run a simple loop:
Assign owners by section
- PR/Comms: descriptions, boilerplate, source library
- HR: leadership bios
- Legal/Compliance: regulated claims, certifications
- Product: feature definitions, retirements
- Finance/IR: financial metrics
Set “change triggers”
You don’t need weekly meetings. You need triggers:
- Leadership change
- New/retired product
- Acquisition or merger
- Regulatory issue or crisis incident
- Rebrand/name change
When a trigger happens, update the Factbook first and then everything else downstream gets easier.
Versioning and distribution
- Store it in one shared place with controlled editing.
- Add a change log at the top.
- Send the link, not the file, so old versions don’t circulate.
“But what about Wikipedia?” (do it the right way)
Yes, Wikipedia and related public knowledge bases influence public understanding. No, that doesn’t mean “PR should go edit the page.”
Wikipedia’s conflict-of-interest guidance is clear: Don’t edit in your own interests, and paid relationships must be disclosed.
The practical move:
- Build your Factbook with independent sources.
- If a Wikipedia page is inaccurate, then suggest changes (with sources) on the Talk page or via a transparent process.
- Monitor changes like you monitor coverage.
The payoff
A Brand Factbook does three things immediately:
- Speeds up execution (no more Slack archaeology for the “right” boilerplate)
- Reduces risk (fewer contradictory claims floating around)
- Improves accuracy under pressure (when someone needs the story fast)
If you want your brand summarized correctly, then don’t start with “AI optimization.” Start with getting your facts in order and making them easy to verify.
The post The Brand Factbook: Build a ‘Single Source of Truth’ AI Can’t Misquote first appeared on PRsay.