Prexl Communications Guide for Startups

How to Win Customers, Investors, and new Talent through Inspiring Messaging
1. Auflage 2022
ISBN: 978-3-7398-0614-3
Verlag: UVK Verlag
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: 6 - ePub Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, 354 Seiten

Turning communication into your start-up's biggest asset Nine out of ten startups fail. One cause of failre is bad communication - both externally and internally. Yet there is little systematic advice on how startups and scale-ups can overcome this challenge and inspire all stakeholders around the company's vision, values, and offering. This book closes this gap - with seventy experts sharing their learnings and experiences. It is a guide for all curious to learn more about how to win customers, investors and new talent through a convincing narrative, covering external, internal, social media and leadership communication.

Lydia Prexl has been responsible for corporate communications at startups since 2019. For Getsafe, she built the communications function from the ground up; in 2022 she joined Unzer as Director of Communications. Before that, she worked as a communicator for numerous other companies.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Prexl, Lydia

Leseproben

1.1 Public Relations from a Scientific Perspective
  Prof. Dr. Swaran Sandhu Professor for Corporate Communication and Public Relations at the Hochschule der Medien Stuttgart, University of Applied Sciences, Germany   Daniel Rottinger startup communicator with a background in journalism There are countless views of what public relations actually is. Let's turn the tables first: What is PR not? Swaran · PR is definitely not parties and travel or drinking champagne and trying to turn bullshit into gold. And very importantly, PR is not paying for media content; advertising does that better. In slightly more modern terms: PR produces “owned content” on various channels, ideally leading to “earned content”, i.e. is picked up by third parties. Of course, modern campaigns are also flanked by “paid content,” but that is then the primary task of advertising. Daniel · In my definition, PR is not exclusively a metrics-?driven content machine that is only out to catch clicks and sales. That may deliver short-?term results, but it's not sustainable! Finally, the relationship aspect is undervalued. Or, to put it another way: purely quantitative signals are not enough; it's all about emotions and contacts – especially in media relations. And now, thinking positively: Do you have a favourite definition of PR? Why? Swaran · There's a classic essay from 1976 by Rex Harlow, who tried to develop a meta for PR back then. A lot has changed since then, of course. The lowest common denominator is: “Public relations is a strategic management task for shaping an organisation's public relations to minimise communicative risks while maximising opportunities, thus ensuring the organisation's long-?term legitimacy.” There's a lot in there. First, PR should always be a strategic task. If you only use PR as a tool in crises, trying to smooth things over, you've already lost. Secondly, PR needs access to the decision makers in management and must therefore also speak the language of management, i.e. understand important key figures and business models. Third, PR looks outward to the company's environment (what is happening right now, and what are the consequences for us?) and inward. You could also call PR a fine seismograph: provided this is done on a data basis and not on gut feeling. Fourthly, it's not just about image or reputation – which are, of course, still important parameters whose operationalisation can be argued about – but about the ability to recognise communicative risks and exploit communicative opportunities. And as a final point: PR is always designed for the long term and has a strong societal dimension.   You deal with corporate communications, with a focus on PR. To what extent do corporate communications go beyond PR? Swaran · Corporate communications is a collective term that encompasses all the organisation's targeted and planned communications activities. This means that communication disciplines that are often thought of separately, such as advertising, marketing, branding, social media, PR, CEO communications, influencers, sponsoring, sales, lobbying, sustainability communications etc. must be considered in a holistic way. The classic example of silo thinking is that advertising comes up with a great ad or campaign that really ignites creativitiy but might be provocative as well; however, the whole thing leads to a wave of outrage on social media, which is then picked up by platforms that still have a wide reach. Then PR has to get back at it, “explain” the process and apologise for the mismanagement of others. Daniel · PR and media relations are often used synonymously. If you have developed a common idea of corporate communications, you are talking about the same thing. This helps to 1) avoid typical misunderstandings (keyword: “we'll just drop some PR at it”) and 2) seriously clarify the type and scope of communication when you get started.   You also advise companies on organisational issues in corporate communications. Are there things that you think companies often do wrong? Swaran · Hectic activism out of the fear of missing something, according to the motto: “But XY is also doing this, we also have to be on platform Z”. Therefore: think first, set strategic goals, then act and check whether the goals are achieved. But also: allocate too few human and financial resources to communication if the attitude prevails that communication can be done on the side. Daniel · Underestimate the power of internal stakeholders! Communicators should build reputation with the team by providing tangible explanations and persuasion for their communication plans. Why? For one thing, PR is not common knowledge that is directly understood. Furthermore, especially in the case of owned media communication, they will regularly fall back on the competence of colleagues. If this support is lacking, it must first be painstakingly worked out again.   What qualities and skills you should bring to PR? Swaran · A good general education, curiosity, no fear of numbers and business models, a very good understanding of modern media systems, including social media, platform logic and algorithms, a good dose of strategic thinking, and, of course, superior copywriting skills.   What would good corporate communications look like for a startup with 300 people? Swaran · 300 people and yet a startup? At the very least, organisational rules and process definitions are required for companies of this size, even in holocratic organisational models. What seems important to me here is to be particularly clear about the core business and not to have many messages in parallel, but to consistently maintain a positioning. This is not only about external communication, but especially internal communication; you have to ensure that all employees share a common understanding of values and an identity. Especially in expansive growth phases, you must not forget the organisation's core: “Why do we exist and what can we contribute?”   And what about 50 employees? Or, to put it another way: at what point does corporate communications become necessary at all? Isn't that very “corporate”? Swaran · There are different interpretations of “corporate”. One is aimed at rather bureaucratic, slow structures from which startups want to distinguish themselves. But even startups can have toxic work cultures and self-?exploitation. That's why writing down hours is not a form of harassment but also a form of self-?protection. The second and much more exciting reading understands it as the holistic “physicality” of an organisation. And corporate communication should also be understood in this light: as a holistic view of organisational communication processes. Daniel · It helps internally and externally. I can communicate messages accurately only if I have created a clear internal communication structure. You can detect critical issues only if you communicate from the outside to the inside and vice versa. External stakeholders often ask questions that the C-?level has already discussed and more or less adequately answered it for themselves. All too often, attitudes toward supposedly daily topics only become transparent to employees through media coverage (“oh, so that's our position on this”). Speaking with one voice is also incredibly motivating.   Your three tips for founders who want to establish corporate communications? Swaran · Don't forget traditional and local media: relationships with journalists are worth a lot. Nevertheless, think holistically and avoid silos – and don't decouple PR from the decision makers in the organisation. Every (new) platform costs time and resources: focus on what makes the most sense for you. This includes not doing things. Hire professionals: You don't want to have accounting done by someone who just read “Accounting for Dummies”, do you? It's just that people always assume that anyone can communicate – but that's not the case. That's why you pick the best ones for your field. Daniel · Force yourself to regularly integrate the “PR topic” into the stressful daily startup routine. Continuity is important and builds trust – with internal and external stakeholders. Learn from tiny trials: Optimize your story and material by presenting yourself to smaller media during interviews – and implement the learnings during the big “media buzz”. Understand what makes the industry tick: Stock up on numbers, facts, figures, and short insights. Follow thought leaders in your field – become an insider who can be asked about the topic anytime. Will marketing automation and AI not make communication basics obsolete in the future? Daniel · As long as startups communicate with humans, the rules of...