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In episode 26 of our podcast, we welcome two guests: Carina Goldschmid, CEO and founder of the PR agency Startup Communication, shares her knowledge as a PR expert. Her agency's clients include numerous startups, which is why she has a detailed understanding of the PR and communications needs of young companies and can explain the right tools to achieve their goals.
The second guest is Philipp Schrögel, science communication consultant and research coordinator at the Käte Hamburger Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies at Heidelberg University. He provides insights into science communication—which some founders still remember from their university days—and highlights the similarities and differences with corporate communications. He also explains how a startup can communicate even complex topics in a comprehensible way.
Goals, target groups and formats
After a short round of introductions, we will address the question of communication goals from minute 3:15 onwards. Because the goal that a Startup The goal that is set determines everything else and can vary depending on the phase the startup is in. This is not only about what goals a startup should set, but also when it actually makes sense to actively start communicating. It turns out that the two questions are related: The time to kick off is when you can define concrete goals.
Next (starting at minute 11:30), we discuss how university spin-offs present their research results, before turning our attention to target groups (or, more accurately, interaction groups, since you interact with them rather than just targeting them) at minute 21:50. While this also depends on the goal, when it comes to customers, young startups often choose the wrong target group. This happens especially when founders focus too much on themselves when considering who should buy their product. Furthermore, it's important to remember to review your target group regularly.
Whether blog, podcast, or video – the search for the right format – takes center stage from minute 30:45. Based on science communication, which has undergone significant changes in recent years, it becomes clear that it's especially important to experiment at the beginning. Since it's difficult to know in advance which content in which format will be best received by the chosen target group, it simply has to be tested.
Evaluate correctly and set smart goals
Anyone who sets goals should also regularly check whether they're achieving them. This also applies to communication, of course. As we explain at minute 34:25, it's extremely important to define measurability right from the start when setting goals. So, don't just say you want to generate more leads, for example, but also determine how many leads need to be generated at a minimum to achieve the goal. And the question of which measures will help achieve the goal shouldn't be neglected either.
Owned, earned and paid media
Another important question in communication is choosing the right channel. However, this is less about choosing between Facebook and TikTok, but rather about what types of channels exist and how a startup can leverage them. A general distinction is made between owned, earned, and paid media. We explain exactly what these mean and what each channel can achieve starting at minute 39:10.
We then turn to the question of how to convey complex topics, such as those in the deep tech sector, in a way that is understandable to a broader audience. As a researcher or founder, you naturally have much deeper knowledge than, say, an interested layperson or even a journalist. We explain in detail how a startup achieves this starting at minute 48:15. The short version, however, is: Don't underestimate the audience, but "please don't bullshit."
We'll clarify what's missing for a successful PR campaign starting at minute 57:05. This includes the messaging—the message that should reach the target audience—but also the topics and content, as well as the organization.
Diversity and the Post-Apocalypse
To conclude the podcast, we take a brief look at the topic of diversity (starting at minute 1:40:20). It quickly becomes clear that the goal cannot be to fake diversity in communication. Rather, communication must reflect and support the corresponding corporate culture. This also makes it clear that this is not primarily a communication issue.
And if you want to know whether a startup can learn something from post-apocalyptic studies for its crisis communication, you can find out from minute 1:13:40.
