 Do big PR firms work for startups? Should your startup hire a big PR firm? The siren song of larger, global PR firms, with their flashy results are tempting to many, but there are good reasons startups should avoid them, at least until they have tens of thousands of PR dollars to spend monthly on a firm, at which point, they will no longer be a startup. If you have a startup looking for a PR firm, you can do better than a big firm. Here’s why. 1. MONTHS TO MARKET
Big PR firms require a long runway, lots of meetings, and weeks, if not months, to gather all the information about your startup, workshop pitch angles, develop public-facing content (landing pages, PDFs, etc.) based on your startup’s spreadsheets and data, pre-launch, and launch your product. And that’s if you have a healthy budget. If you have a bare-bones budget the big PR firm will likely help you with a press release, slap it on PRWeb and show you all the “reprints” it gets which, alone, mean little in the actual marketplace. If you’re really lucky, the big PR firm might make some phone calls on your behalf to a handful of reporters. THE DOWNSIDE Your startup will have to engage said PR firm for many expensive months before you see results. It also assumes you have dedicated marketing, PR, and social teams (also expensive), ready to assist the big PR firm with whatever they need to create the public-facing assets of the PR campaign. 2. BIGGER STORIES ONLY Good PR is never about one story in a “big” publication alone; it’s about many stories, over time, supporting the messages the public needs to know about your brand. Big PR firms want impressive stories in “big” recognizable publications to cover your startup (even if it’s just one or two publications), which is a problem. What your startup really needs is an ecosystem of many stories telling audiences about the need for your startup, and the reasons why your startup is best-poised to solve the problem. Big PR firms want big publications to at least mention your startup. They don’t always have the time to focus on in-depth quality stories with niche markets and smaller publications, which can be perfect for building your startup’s reputation as you grow. When was the last time you remembered a company that was only briefly mentioned in a big publication? Chances are, the companies you remember are the ones you heard about across multiple publications, over an extended period of time. THE DOWNSIDE While mentions in “big” publication stories look flashy and lend temporary credit to your startup's brand, they are not enough to build the ecosystem of stories that create the mindshare of trust that drives new customers and extended interest to your startup. 3. YOU MIGHT BE GONE TOMORROW. THEY DON’T CARE. Big PR firms work with big brand names. While a big PR firm may claim to work with a variety of clients at a variety of sizes, the brands that write the biggest checks are the big brands. What’s more, these contracts mean little if it’s for a month or two. Big PR firm’s bread and butter (and Bugattis) only matter when they can keep these large companies satisfied for years at a time. Big PR firms have employees, and rent to pay, even in the slow months. Even if they lose a big account. THE DOWNSIDE When push comes to shove, big PR firms can risk not pleasing smaller clients like startups, especially if it means going the extra mile for that big account that brings in tens of millions a year. This means they can encourage you to delay your story until a time that’s convenient for them. You’re not getting their best all of the time, because you aren’t the one they need to please. Comments are closed.
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About the AuthorJennifer is a storyteller who connects big ideas with audiences. She specializes in public relations, brand development, and creative services for startups, theme parks, musicians, authors, nonprofits, and more. From audience awareness to brand development, and positive social change, Jennifer works with clients she believes in and that she believes she can help. 
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Get Jennifer's Upcoming BookSnow Tires for Startups: How to Get PR Traction, is a practical guide for startups and growing brands who want to get the most out of their PR. Learn to think like a storyteller and weave your brand into a larger narrative that puts you in the history books. Snow Tires for Startups will help you navigate the world for PR and get the positive attention you need to move your brand forward.
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“Is my startup ready for PR?" The answer has a lot to do with what your startup is already doing. Find out if you're ready now, if you should wait, or if you should have started PR months ago with this simple quiz.
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3 Ways Big PR Firms Slow Down StartupsDo big global PR firms work for startups? The siren song of larger, global PR firms are tempting to many, but there are good reasons many startups should avoid them. You can do better than a big firm. Here’s why.
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Jacobson Communication specializes in public relations, brand development, and creative services for startups, theme parks, musicians, authors, nonprofits, and more. From audience awareness to brand development, and positive social change, you'll be surprised what better communications can do for your brand.
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LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Acknowledgement to the southern Lushootseed-speaking Coast Salish Indigenous Peoples whose land I live and work on.
The Duwamish People
This land also includes the traditional land and waterways of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People of past and present. It is with honor and gratitude to the land itself, the plants, animals, and the Duwamish Tribe that I practice my work.
The Puyallup Tribe
This land is also on and adjacent to the traditional homelands and waterways of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time and continue to do so today. I recognize that this land acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship, and I commit to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.
To learn more about the Puyallup Tribal Language program, visit:
https://www.puyalluptriballanguage.org
The Awaswas People
I would not be the person I am today without growing up in what is now called the Bay Area. For the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, current and future generations of Indigenous Peoples across the Bay Area. I acknowledge and honor the eight tribes known as the Awaswas People, who were the original people and caretakers of much of what is now known as the South Bay Area. The Awaswas had, since the dawn of time, worked with and cultivated the area so it had a variety and abundance of animals and plants. Their ways and practices maintained balance and biodiversity that the area has not known since colonization. The Spanish displaced, enacted violence against, enslaved, and forced the Awaswas People and other Indigenous Peoples of the Bay Area into the mission system, taking the Awaswas people to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista. Some Indigenous peoples of the area were able to escape to the south and into what is now Mexico. Some of those who escaped had to deny their identity and say they were Mexican in order to survive. Much of this history is still being discovered. Today, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, composed of the descendants of Indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish the Spanish Colonization of the Central Coast is working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
To learn more about the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, click here.
The Duwamish People
This land also includes the traditional land and waterways of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish People of past and present. It is with honor and gratitude to the land itself, the plants, animals, and the Duwamish Tribe that I practice my work.
The Puyallup Tribe
This land is also on and adjacent to the traditional homelands and waterways of the Puyallup Tribe. The Puyallup people have lived on and stewarded these lands since the beginning of time and continue to do so today. I recognize that this land acknowledgement is one small step toward true allyship, and I commit to uplifting the voices, experiences, and histories of the Indigenous people of this land and beyond.
To learn more about the Puyallup Tribal Language program, visit:
https://www.puyalluptriballanguage.org
The Awaswas People
I would not be the person I am today without growing up in what is now called the Bay Area. For the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, current and future generations of Indigenous Peoples across the Bay Area. I acknowledge and honor the eight tribes known as the Awaswas People, who were the original people and caretakers of much of what is now known as the South Bay Area. The Awaswas had, since the dawn of time, worked with and cultivated the area so it had a variety and abundance of animals and plants. Their ways and practices maintained balance and biodiversity that the area has not known since colonization. The Spanish displaced, enacted violence against, enslaved, and forced the Awaswas People and other Indigenous Peoples of the Bay Area into the mission system, taking the Awaswas people to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista. Some Indigenous peoples of the area were able to escape to the south and into what is now Mexico. Some of those who escaped had to deny their identity and say they were Mexican in order to survive. Much of this history is still being discovered. Today, the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, composed of the descendants of Indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish the Spanish Colonization of the Central Coast is working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
To learn more about the Amah Mutsun Land Trust, click here.