Start-up PR
The word “start-up” is generally used to describe a recently founded company. Start-ups often have bright new ideas, limited funds (when no investor has been found) and little recognition.
Start-ups set themselves apart from established players in their sector. Their originality makes an excellent foundation for PR work, because new business ideas need to be introduced to potential consumers. The alleged advantages of new business ideas are not always obvious, so classic advertising doesn’t bring the desired effects.
Efficient and credible: how start-up PR should be
Successful PR can help them gain credible and efficient exposure, through editorial contributions for example.
IC has already accompanied many startups on their way to the public: Selina, ProntoPro, MotorK, Profishop, EatFirst, Ganizer, Green Cola, Liquid Pore, Ticketbis and more. All companies are characterized by the fact that they are very different. As an agency, you have to be prepared to get involved in completely new topics. We find this exciting and are happy about every startup that knocks at our door.
Rulebreakers & Disruption
A new start-up culture is being born in Germany. Many business models use the possibilities offered by the Internet, while others prefer to blaze a new trail in an already familiar business area. The latter are called “rulebreakers”: those who shun traditional ways in favour of a completely different approach. The trend has become such that a Rulebreaker Society has even been founded.
Another fashionable term right now is “disruption“. According to Wikipedia, a disruptive innovation is “An innovation that creates a new market by providing a different set of values, which ultimately (and unexpectedly) overtakes an existing market”.
From Apple Garage to Crowdfunding
What began in the famous Apple garage went on to be world’s the most successful company. Steve Jobs had understood the importance of PR and presented Apple in a way that the media wrote about it spontaneously. Apple became a model for an entire generation of founders. But as the new economy came to an end with the popping of the dot-com bubble, the new market went through a purification process of some sort. Nowadays, most businesses have more sober approaches. New funding and capital buildup methods, such as crowdfunding, have appeared. The German venture capital culture is not yet comparable to that of the United States, but a lot has been happening nonetheless. Some startups now simply skip the bank and directly turn to alternative financing methods. In those cases too, classic press work and online PR can be beneficial.
The German start-up scene
German online magazine gruenderszene.de is a good indicator of the country’s active start-up scene. The city of Hamburg is evolving into a start-up hub for young technology companies. In a study listing Germany’s the 9 most start-up-friendly cities, Hamburg came first.
News on start-ups, digital business and investments and venture capital are gruendersezene.de’s information core. Start-up PR can also mean being represented in such media.
PR measures for start-ups
We also recommend placing releases in specialized media or special interest outlets. Depending on the subject, emphasizing blogger relations right at the beginning of a PR campaign can make a major difference. Bloggers are like seismographs: when they adopt a new trend, they can quickly trigger a chain of editorial releases in other renowned media outlets.
Developing a presence at company events or trade shows is equally important. We provide counselling in this field, deciding for example if live communication, in this early phase, is the most efficient means of reaching the target group.
