Featured
Launching a startup is like stepping onto a stage with bright lights, loud applause, and all eyes on you. In the early days, you’re the new disruptor, the underdog, the one everyone wants to talk about. But what happens when the initial buzz dies down?
Many startups start strong with aggressive PR—big funding announcements, product launches, and founder interviews. But as they grow, they often fail to adapt their PR strategy thinking that the ones that had given them attention before will remember them and come back. The truth of the matter is that there is always a new shiny object to look at, leaving them struggling for relevance when investor excitement wears off and the market shifts.
PR isn’t just about making noise—it’s about building lasting credibility. And to do that, companies need to evolve how they communicate, just like they evolve their product, team, and strategy.
The Rise, Fall, and Reinvention of Startup PR
Let’s take a popular example, like Airbnb. In its early days, the company relied heavily on stunt PR and guerrilla marketing. Remember the time they capitalized on the 2008 Democratic National Convention by renting out air mattresses and offering homemade cereal boxes named “Obama O’s” and “Cap’n McCain”? It was scrappy, headline-grabbing, and perfectly suited for a startup trying to break through.
But fast forward a few years, and Airbnb had to completely shift its PR focus. As a company valued in the billions, its biggest challenge wasn’t awareness—it was trust. Negative press about safety concerns, regulatory battles, and housing market disruptions forced them to pivot from hype-driven PR to reputation management and thought leadership.
Instead of simply pushing its platform, Airbnb started telling bigger stories—about belonging, community, and the future of travel. CEO Brian Chesky became a vocal leader, addressing global issues like affordability and sustainability. They built long-term credibility by investing in public affairs, community programs, and strategic partnerships.
The lesson? What got you media attention as a startup won’t keep you relevant as you grow.
Why PR Can’t Just Be About Funding Announcements
The same thing happens to many tech startups. In the beginning, raising millions in a funding round can land you a headline in TechCrunch, Forbes, or Business Insider. But after a while, funding news alone won’t cut it. Investors, customers, and even the media start asking:
What’s next? Are you actually making an impact, or are you just another flash-in-the-pan startup?
Take Stripe, for instance. When they first launched, they leaned heavily on their impressive backers (PayPal’s Peter Thiel and Elon Musk) and funding rounds to establish credibility. But once they became a dominant player, Stripe’s PR shifted. Instead of focusing on how much money they were raising, they started positioning themselves as the infrastructure powering the internet economy.
They published original research, shared deep insights into online commerce trends, and built an entire content engine around developer communities and fintech thought leadership.
This wasn’t accidental—it was a strategic PR shift from “look at our growth” to “here’s how we’re shaping the industry.”
Moving from Visibility to Credibility
At some point, every company needs to make the leap from visibility PR to credibility PR.
Early on, you’re fighting for attention. You’ll do what it takes to get noticed—viral marketing, quirky campaigns, even controversy. But as your startup scales, trust becomes your most valuable currency.
That means:
- Developing consistent messaging that positions your company as a long-term player.
- Shaping the conversation beyond your product—offering insights, trend predictions, and industry reports.
- Shifting from one-off media hits to long-term relationships with journalists and analysts.
- Owning your reputation—not just reacting to it when things go wrong.
A great example? Microsoft’s evolution under Satya Nadella. When he took over as CEO, Microsoft had a reputation problem—seen as an aging giant, slow to innovate. But instead of sticking to old-school corporate PR, Microsoft shifted to storytelling that highlighted their cultural shift—focusing on empathy, innovation, and collaboration with competitors.
They doubled down on thought leadership, making Nadella a key voice in AI, cloud computing, and workplace transformation. Today, Microsoft isn’t just seen as a tech company—it’s a leader shaping the future of digital transformation.
Laying the Groundwork for Long-Term Trust
Startups that last aren’t the ones that make the biggest splash at launch—they’re the ones that can keep evolving their story as they scale.
Your PR strategy should grow with you:
- Early-stage: Make noise, get noticed, tell your founder story.
- Post-launch: Prove your value with customer success, market impact, and thought leadership.
- Scaling up: Build industry authority, own your reputation, and contribute to the broader conversation.
This isn’t about chasing headlines—it’s about creating a reputation that compounds over time. So, if you’re in the midst of scaling and wondering how to get the best impact out of your communications program. Think about evolving your PR approach, ask yourself:
Are you just looking for your next media hit, or are you building a brand that people will trust for years to come?
If you’re ready to take control of your narrative, let’s connect!