Earlier this month, I had the chance to attend PARCEL Forum 2026 in Orlando, an annual gathering focused on small-package fulfillment and delivery.
I spent my time walking the exhibit floor and talking with companies across the parcel ecosystem. With more than 140 exhibitors spanning carriers, shipping technology, automation, packaging and other services, the sheer number of companies competing for attention was immediately apparent.
Some of my most interesting conversations, though, were about communications: how companies could stand out in a crowded market and make their C-suite more visible. AI search also came up repeatedly, with companies asking how potential customers might find them when turning to tools like ChatGPT to research vendors and solutions.
Those conversations pointed to a broader challenge: In a market where many companies are talking about similar capabilities, how do you make sure yours is actually remembered?
Differentiation requires getting more specific
The carrier category alone included established names alongside a growing roster of regional and alternative providers. Add shipping platforms, warehouse technology, robotics, data and analytics companies, and many vendors are competing against businesses that can sound remarkably similar.
Terms like visibility, optimization, automation and AI-powered are common across the industry. They may accurately describe a company's capabilities, but they don't necessarily tell a prospective customer, analyst or reporter why that company is different.
For communications teams, that means digging deeper. What problem does the company understand particularly well? What does it know because of its customers, data or operations? Where does its perspective differ from others in the category?
Those are the details that give a company a distinct story to tell, rather than another variation on “AI-powered logistics platform.”
Executive visibility starts with a distinct point of view
C-suite visibility and thought leadership were another topic that came up repeatedly.
A company may have difficulty owning a broad category like parcel technology or last-mile delivery, but its executives can build authority around specific issues where they have genuine expertise.
There is no shortage of those issues. Rising delivery costs, a more fragmented carrier market, trade disruption and new applications for AI and automation are creating plenty of opportunities for informed commentary.
That requires looking beyond company news. The executives who become valuable sources can explain what's happening in their market and add something reporters can't get elsewhere, whether that's data, firsthand experience or a clear point of view. A steady presence in those conversations can build recognition long before there's a product announcement to promote.
AI search adds another dimension to visibility
Companies have spent years thinking about how they appear in traditional search results. Now, they need to consider what potential customers see when they ask AI tools about a category, vendor or business problem.
That makes a company's broader public footprint more consequential. AI-generated answers can draw from sources well beyond a company's website, including trade publications, news coverage and other third-party content.
Media coverage, executive commentary and contributed content can help establish clear associations between a company, its experts and the topics they know well. Rather than viewing each placement in isolation, communications teams can think about the body of credible information they're helping build over time.
Walking the PARCEL Forum floor reinforced something I see across many of the industries we work in: Attention is scarce, and expertise alone doesn't guarantee visibility. In a category this crowded, companies need a clear point of view and a consistent external presence that makes their expertise easy to understand, find and remember.