By Mark Macias
Founder of MACIAS PR | Former NBC Executive Producer
I think there must be a new piece of startup advice circulating among venture capitalists. Three different founders approached me this week with essentially the same request: they didn’t want a PR campaign. They wanted one legitimate media placement. And they all used the same terminology – they wanted to “reverse engineer” it.
Three unrelated founders making nearly the same request in one week makes me wonder whether someone in the VC ecosystem is telling startups that this is how they should approach public relations.
I understand the logic. Startups have limited budgets. Founders are constantly being told to preserve runway. One article in Forbes, Fortune or another recognizable publication seems like a discrete investment with a tangible result. Secure the logo, put it on the website, share the article with investors and customers, and move on.
There’s just one problem. Earned media doesn’t work that way.
Continue reading “Can You Reverse Engineer Earned Media Coverage?”