For startups, it can be difficult competing in a market dominated by mature corporations or flooded with other novel solutions. When a robust customer funnel has not been established and product-led growth has yet to be achieved, visibility can mean the difference between success and failure for tech startups. A public relations strategy can help startups gain visibility – differentiating a market entrant and elevating their brand. Consider these statistics:
80% of business decision-makers would rather gather their information through articles, than through advertisements [Content Marketing Institute]
PR is 90% more successful in influencing customers than advertising [Forbes]
As Seek AI learned, a solid PR strategy can be a breakthrough for a company exiting stealth mode and “seeking” to gain market traction.
The Challenge:
Seek AI was referred by a venture capital firm and onboarded MAG PR as its first agency-of-record to drive a powerful media relations program. Seek’s primary marketing objectives included:
Introducing the brand as a new and unique industry player in the generative AI space, as they emerged from stealth via top-of-funnel awareness
Elevating brand credibility and targeted exposure following their $7.5M seed round [TechCrunch was named a top priority]
The Solution and Results:
Following an accelerated onboarding, MAG PR developed a strategic roadmap reflecting a clear workback plan for Seek’s formal press launch, with the goal to introduce the brand as a new key player in the generative AI space emerging from stealth. On a mission to produce the “buzz” effect, MAG PR activated a media embargo strategy, engaging pre-distribution of the news with a VIP group of targeted press contacts to lock in stories ahead of the announcement.
Our execution resulted in 99 total press mentions including 9 highly targeted features, with a total potential reach of 97M+. SiliconANGLE broke the news first, followed by Forbes, Datanami, InsideBIGDATA, and others worthy of recognition.
Just 90 days later, MAG PR achieved another round of positive results – this time planning and executing Seek’s $7.5 million seed funding announcement allowing ample time for editorial review under embargo terms. The campaign resulted in blown-out features in TechCrunch, Business Insider, and BuiltIn NYC, plus mentions in every relevant funding-related newsletter, like Fortune Term Sheet, Axios Pro Rata, WSJ VC Pro, and more.
Our strategic PR efforts helped Seek AI gain rapid traction in the red-hot generative AI space, one of the most anticipated future spends among technology leaders. The company’s natural language interface enables business users to ask questions and receive faster answers, at the same time reducing the burden of repetitive coding for data teams.
“As an early-stage tech company emerging from stealth, we brought on MAG PR as a strategic partner to guide us through our launch and fundraising efforts—and we couldn't be happier with the measurable success of our program to date! MAG PR has both the media relationships and storytelling chops to help you stand out in a crowded market. Their boutique agency excels at landing impactful headlines and bylines in well known-known publications that bolster share of voice and top-of-funnel awareness. They helped us gain exposure for our product and boosted our brand's credibility. We highly recommend MAG PR for any early-stage company looking to put their stake in the ground as an industry leader." - Sarah Nagy, CEO & Co-Founder, Seek AI