Case Study — 01 / 04

PR without product:
how we built media presence
for an AI startup
under full NDA

When traditional PR is not an option, founder expertise becomes the strategy.

Founder PR AI NDA Case US & EU Markets Thought Leadership Earned Media
PR NDA
At a glance
Client
Early-stage AI startup
B2B · US & European markets
Challenge
Strict NDA: no product details, no client names, no metrics — while still needing media presence and credibility
Approach
Repositioned through founders — built a thought leadership strategy instead of product PR
Result
420,000+ media reach in 3 months · consistent founder visibility in industry media
01
Strategy

Instead of pushing the product, we shifted the entire communication strategy to the founders. We developed three distinct media profiles:

Technical voice AI, infrastructure, product thinking — for tech and developer-focused media
Market & growth perspective Trends, adoption, go-to-market — for business and industry outlets
Strategic & business positioning Industry vision, future of AI commerce — for leadership and investment media

The core strategy focused on earned media through expertise, not announcements. We positioned founders as contributors to ongoing industry conversations — not as founders promoting a product.

02
Execution

The focus was on consistency and narrative — not one-off placements.

Built a targeted US & EU media list — tech, AI, and business outlets
Secured expert commentary tied to trending AI topics
Developed opinion-led angles instead of product-driven narratives
Placed founders in interviews and contributed opinion pieces
Conducted deep positioning sessions — messaging, angles, tone of voice
Created a strategic speaking roadmap with relevant conferences and events
Result
420,000+
Combined media reach
0
Product details disclosed
3 months
To consistent media presence
Multiple placements in industry and tech media across US and Europe
Zero product, client, or internal data disclosed throughout the entire campaign
All three founders established as credible voices in the AI space
Built a foundation for long-term media presence — not one-off coverage
Enabled future speaking and partnership opportunities based on earned authority

When product PR is not an option,
founder-led strategy becomes the growth channel.

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