We have helped many companies secure the valuable attention they need during funding rounds, whether it’s a seed round or a Series C round. The time leading up to a funding round is crucial – not only do you want the investment round to be successful, but you also want to build momentum around the company by telling compelling stories that will resonate with audiences.
Map Out Your Story Early
Companies use funding rounds to support the exponential growth of their company. Every funding journey is different. If you’re a startup, your company is likely going through a funding round to grow credibility around the company’s products or solutions. If your company is already well-established, oftentimes, you are trying to break into a new market. Depending on the funding round stage your company is in, your company’s strategy will need to be well thought out and concise, with a clear trajectory of where the company is headed and how it will get there.
No matter the situation, it is best to be diligent and proactive in getting public relations efforts geared up early. While the investment itself is important, what can elevate the funding round later is growing market awareness leading up to the funding. What are the differentiators your company brings to the market? Can your company’s pending investment round be tied to current trends or breaking news within the industry?
Pave the road in advance of the funding news coming out to the public. Creating a story around the news early helps the investment round news hit the maximum achievements it can and generate more buzz within the market.
Working With the Press
Whether your company is a start-up that’s fresh on the scene or a well-established company, never wait until the funding round begins to start telling your company’s story. Start sharing company messages early to boost investor confidence by creating public-level traction. People want to see the momentum going through the process, as it tells a story of where your company started and where it is headed in the future.
Whether you are new or well-known, it’s never a great thing to come out of the gate with funding, or to be “operating in the background” or “under the radar.” Reporters are under pressure and it’s important to be considerate of their time, so be a source for reliable information that will be valuable. This will make them more likely to consider writing a story about your company’s investment round. As communications experts, we want to be in the best service for them, so forming a relationship with a reporter is key to securing potential press coverage in the future.
Supporting Client Expansion and Growth
Evergreen & Oak recently helped global ad tech platform, Good-Loop, through a successful Series A round. Good-Loop is a purpose-powered ad tech platform that drives ad engagement by converting people’s attention into donations to good causes around the world. The company is on a mission to make the connection between brands and consumers more meaningful by delivering respectful ads that bring real social impact, while also driving significant business and brand uplifts for advertisers.
In preparation for the impending investment, we worked closely with reporters to highlight the company’s differentiators in the market and how they are using their products as a force for good within the advertising industry. We drafted compelling pitches discussing why Good-Loop was undergoing the Series A round. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Good-Loop went through the investment round to help support the company’s product roadmap, including the development of new solutions aimed at reducing digital advertising’s substantial carbon footprint. It was important to share with reporters that Good-Loop wasn’t just an ad tech company, but a company that is fighting for sustainability within the advertising industry.
With the Series A funding round, the company also plans to expand its international teams, including opening new offices in New York and Chicago to serve its growing US markets that currently comprise 33% of total revenue. The ad tech company’s CEO and founder, Amy Williams, made a trip from London to New York to meet with New York-based reporters to provide them insights about what the company does and how their product supports climate initiatives and introduce them to Amy.
The New York press tour was extremely successful. Amy met with several reporters who all covered the company’s investment round and positioned Amy as a thought leader in the ad tech space. The investment round press release was covered and syndicated by top tier key US tech, business and trade publications. Good-Loop closed the Series A round with $6.1M, with reporters coming to Amy to further discuss the company’s future.
The road to a funding round can be daunting, but it does not have to be. With a little preparation and the right PR partner, you can turn your company’s investment into an exciting story that grabs the attention of the entire market.
