We’ll kick off 2026 with a summary of an old philosophy: “It’s not what you think, it’s what you do” that really matters. As we move from December recaps and strategic planning through January and trade show season, we’ll start stacking action on top of strategy.
Were you at AIME? How did Anaheim compare to the past few years in Vegas for you? We enjoyed seeing old friends, making a few new ones, and getting some work done on the floor. (Shout out to Mike Martinez, Yamaha Motorsports President who’s retiring after an amazing career. We were proud to be in the room with Mike as he sat down with Dealernews and Powersports Business for interviews about his retirement, transition, and plans for more (BDR) adventures. Thanks for all the years, support, guidance, and fun times, Mr. Martinez!)
Will you be at SHOT Show, or KOH? If so, let’s connect and catch up.
Happy 2026!
Van
Founding Partner, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications
SPEC Insights
In the last SPEC Insight, Tyler wrote about ways AI is impacting how people consume information, and more specifically about how it’s impacting searches and results.
Here at SPEC, we’ve organized our approach to AI into two buckets:
How it impacts the way people consume information (as mentioned).
What tools we should be using to increase our efficiency, productivity and/or profitability.
A recent AdWeek story cited a survey that showed that for marketing and ad agencies, “… the biggest barrier for organizations trying to incorporate AI into their daily operations is a lack of skills and know-how.”
Have you started developing at least basic AI skills? If not, please start. “It’s not what you think, it’s what you do.” We’re implementing a three-phased and rapidly evolving plan. Last year, we kicked off our formal “exploration phase” encouraging our team members to try, test, and use the AI tools that work for them while sharing key learnings with the team.
One of my formative AI experiences was simple but impactful for me: I needed to do a little competitive social media research, but didn’t have much time, so while I was driving to the office I simply pulled up my ChatGPT voice assistant, asked some questions, engaged in a “conversation,” and had my research complete before I arrived. It was as eye opening as it was efficient.
This year, we’re moving into “consolidation” phase where we’ll settle on specific tools and dive deeper into how they will help increase our efficiency and/or quality. (Currently leaning towards Gemini as our preferred LLM for various reasons.) How are we using AI tools on the regular?
Research and ideation
Drafting and reviewing
Refining internal processes
We’re also sampling a few AI tools for simple photo and video edits
And, something we’ll be eyeing and testing more this year is sentiment analysis across earned media, which appears to be getting easier and better with AI
Our next phase will be “acceleration” when we’ve consolidated our tools, increased our knowledge and skills, and are using them regularly to improve our efficiency and quality of work. (Think: prompts to help generate better prompts.)
I’m still admittedly looking for the “easy buttons” while simultaneously wrestling with real concerns about AI’s impact on our media friends and partners. But, in the meantime we’ll roll up our sleeves and get to work, if only for fear of falling into the “… lack of skills and know-how …” category, and acknowledging that it’s not what I think, but what I do that really matters.
Thoughts? Recommendations? Concerns? Please share. One of our core principles is to share our expertise to differentiate and grow both our own business and our clients’, and we believe that we can all learn from each other to grow with the times and the tech.
Thanks for reading, and we appreciate your feedback!
Van
Founding Partner, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications
Something to Think About
Is your brand on Grokipedia yet? It will be soon! Grok’s AI-generated online encyclopedia, launched in October 2025, is already estimated to be 1/7th the size of Wikipedia. Unlike the collaboratively-edited Wikipedia, which relies on human volunteers, strict sourcing rules, and detailed article edit histories, Grokipedia uses large language models to compose articles. It synthesizes content from a variety of sources, not all of which have been verified. And as of yet, there isn’t a transparent correction or editing process for Grokipedia listings.
Our advice: as a brand manager or communications professional, work to ensure your company’s facts are consistent, well-sourced, and publicly available across multiple websites. AI encyclopedias largely synthesize and mirror existing web content, such as news coverage, product reviews, and your company’s own website.
Here’s an example from one of the Arthritis Foundation Cycling Experience events our team has supported for years through various PR, social media, content creation, and other marketing communications efforts, and the results are largely consistent with our messaging over that time: https://grokipedia.com/page/california_coast_classic_bike_tour#california-coast-classic-bike-tour
Julie
Lead Communicator, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications
Client Spotlight
The Yamaha Outdoor Access Initiative (OAI) recently demonstrated its commitment to strengthening the motocross community with a special celebration event at Perris Raceway in Southern California. The gathering of moto media, racing legends like Ryan Villopoto, and local motocross riders provided an opportunity to highlight how OAI grants are creating meaningful connections between riding facilities and local communities while investing in the future of motorsports.
The partnership between Yamaha and Perris Raceway serves as an important use case study for OAI funding of tracks. In addition to showcasing the grant-funded projects at the raceway, the recent delivery of an All Kids Bike program at Good Hope Elementary School in Perris was shared with event attendees. These community-building initiatives are exactly what the Yamaha OAI was designed to foster; in this case, supporting a local track and school to inspire the next generation of riders and outdoor enthusiasts.
Lisa
Founding Partner, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications
Something We’ve Enjoyed
What do startups know about PR? Some know more than you think, and others are eager to learn.
We had the pleasure of meeting some of the cycling industry’s most promising startups at the Arkansas Global Cycling Accelerator last year. We shared some of our thoughts on the evolving world of PR, and they let us in on their plans to change the world of cycling. From media relations to experiential, affiliate marketing and social media, we had some great conversations during our presentation, and then the script was flipped as they presented in front of potential investors at an evening speed rounding Bentonville, Arkansas, the self-proclaimed “Mountain Bike Capital of the World.”
Facts:
- PR is strategy, brand communications and messaging, media training and more
- PR is pitching, relationship building, understanding the media landscape, working the long game
- PR is the strategic cultivation of a brand’s reputation and positioning
- PR is a year-round effort to craft narratives and build impact
- PR is multidisciplinary and measurable
It’s always great to learn about new trends, brands, and tech, and of course we enjoy espousing our own advice on what’s new in PR. If you ever have questions, give us a shout.
In the meantime, check out these smart and driven founders and creators redefining disruption in the cycling industry.
Van
Founding Partner, SPEC PR
Strategic, Pragmatic, Effective Communications