Startup PR professionals should be jumping on the AI bandwagon

It’s only been a couple of months since OpenAI’s ChatGPT exploded into the public consciousness, and it already feels like our news feeds will never be the same again.

Whether it’s headlines about AI startups securing massive funding rounds or Twitter threads about how you should be using ChatGPT, the AI news cycle is well and truly here. Sorry, web3, you had your 15 minutes of fame.

Going from all-out rage prompted by the FTX fiasco to ChatGPT setting off the red alert at Google HQ made for a sudden, even shocking shift in the tech news cycle. Crypto publication Decrypt pointed out the focus hasn’t shifted only for the media: JPMorgan’s e-Trading Edit report noted that institutional traders are also looking carefully at AI while blockchain begins to lose its allure.

In this environment, it’s going to be extremely tempting for tech startups to quickly slap the words “AI” and “machine learning” wherever they’re vaguely applicable and dial up the newsworthiness of a given announcement or market insight.

Actually, that might not be a bad idea. In fact, it’s a huge opportunity to miss.

Clearly, AI stories are going to have a relatively easier time catching reporters’ attention in this climate. That said, the need to differentiate messaging within the AI vertical is going to rise considerably with the influx of similar pitches heading to reporters’ inboxes.

The question is whether tech startups should shift their PR messaging toward AI-related topics. Such an approach is a given for startups that actually focus on AI: ChatGPT has paved the way and now they can reap the industrywide rewards. But for companies where AI was previously No. 4 on the list of proof points, machine learning capabilities should merge into the main hook of the announcement.

But what if we’re not an AI startup?

Startups that don’t have much to do with AI will likely fear accusations of “jumping on the bandwagon” if they wade into the discussion. Startups might think they should avoid the topic altogether unless they’re an all-out AI firm. The logic is for their PR messaging to stick closer to their core technology or brand mission and prioritize the longer-term benefits of clear positioning.

But startup PR is scrappy. It’s a question of all-out survival. All kinds of strategies and tactics are valid in ways that are just not possible for established brands. If AI-related coverage can get a new, unknown brand into its target publications today, it could help get the brand’s pitch deck in front of potential investors or partners tomorrow.

There’s no doubt many will hesitate before taking this approach. The assumption is that once the news cycle moves on and funding/interest in AI has died down, the firm might pigeon-hole itself into a mostly irrelevant vertical.

But in our experience, odds are high that people simply won’t remember the specifics from last year’s headlines. In the here and now, it’s always better for tech startups to push innovation, which is where innovation departments and PR come into play.

Take for example a former client of ours, a podcasting app that was launching in the U.S. The market was highly competitive, even saturated, and standing out was going to be tough. While we were workshopping the PR strategy, the founders mentioned that they had been considering developing an AI-driven audio search feature.

We encouraged the client to expedite trialing the feature in a low-cost way so that we could pitch it to reporters and let them try it out. While the feature was ultimately scrapped (as the majority are on any platform), it did get the brand’s foot in the door and helped secure coverage around their launch.

In fact, larger tech companies that get consistent coverage — names like Samsung and Google — often have a dedicated innovation department that issues information on ongoing projects to catch on high-traffic topics while they’re trending. Even if those projects don’t see the light of day, the PR team has strategically positioned the brand as “innovative.” With this precedent, startups should not feel abashed to use any means necessary to get their name out there.

In short, it’s currently a fantastic time for AI startups to make themselves known. For other tech startups that are considering wading into the discussion but wondering if they’re welcome, we suggest getting stuck in there regardless.