Using media relations as a validation tool in early-stage startup development

A recent study carried out at Haaga-Helia shows that early-stage startups should use media relations for acquiring knowledge with which to test and validate their product-market fit. The role and benefits of using media relations to develop early-stage startups should be recognised and media relations should be more strongly integrated with the usual activities and crucial thought processes of startup founders and their teams.

Seeking to understand why media relations are not used more widely at the beginning of the startup journey, the study revealed that seeing media relations as a tool for achieving growth benefits may not be in line with the current mindsets of early-stage startup founders.

The study was conducted by reviewing and synthesising academic literature related to startup lifecycle stages, earned media, and media relations and by collecting empirical insights from six media relations practitioners with experience in working with or at early-stage startups. The main research outcome is a conceptual model that illustrates the potential use of media relations as a tool for acquiring crucial knowledge and learning in the early stages of a startup lifecycle.

In this article, we explore and discuss the benefits and challenges of using media relations during the early stages of the startup lifecycle.

Defining early-stage startups and media relations

Startups are organisations that create technological innovations that disrupt traditional industries under conditions of extreme uncertainty and resource scarcity at the beginning of the startup lifecycle (Dalton, de Lima & Benitez 2024; Hahn 2019; Paoloni & Modaffari 2018). Startups build products from zero to one by developing a minimum viable product (the initial version of their product). This allows them to test hypotheses and experiment to determine which aspects of their product resonate with intended customers and which strategies or tools can be used to attract new business as the company grows. (Lorenzo, Kawalek & Wharton 2024; Ries 2011; Omura s.a.)

Startups go through different lifecycle stages, from idea to exit. Startup lifecycle models can vary based on the focus applied. Some models focus on describing the various operational characteristics and organisational challenges startups go through as they mature (Gutterman 2023; Ulč & Mandel 2021). Other models describe the growth milestones required for startups to land funding (Singh & Mungila Hillemane 2023; Choi s.a.; Gold 2025). Finally, there are models underlining the importance of learning and developing new skills, seen as critical for the growth of startup companies (Dalton et al. 2024).

Based on the literature review, three dimensions were identified on which startups must focus across all their lifecycle stages:

• Strategy and practicalities
• Funding needs
• Knowledge acquisition and learning behaviors

Considering all three dimensions, a new definition of an early-stage startup was created and applied.

Media relations can be defined as a type of earned media aimed at securing ‘unpaid publicity’ by building relationships with members of the news media, such as journalists, to share information and persuade the public about an organization, person, or phenomenon (Telg & Lundy 2021; Moriarty, Mitchell & Wells 2015). In seeking this unpaid publicity, public relations practitioners aim to persuade media editors to write stories about a company or brand. If done successfully, a company secures media coverage, and this provides additional credibility because the communication is not ‘owned’ by the company but is instead endorsed by a ‘third party’ (Moriarty et al. 2015). For early-stage startups, such third-party validation can be an initial step to become more credible in front of different stakeholders, such as investors and target customers.

Repositioning media relations beyond credibility and reputation

The results presented below are based on interviews with six informants with startup experience. The informants have experience in media relations across multiple industries. Five different themes were addressed in the interviews:

• The role of media relations in refining a startup’s product and growth strategy
• Media relations as a tool for experimentation and validation
• The benefits of media relations
• The motivation and timing for using media relations
• Factors that influence media appeal and quality

When discussing the role of media relations in early-stage startup development, informants agreed that media relations can help startups refine their product and growth strategies. This is based on the assumption that media relations can provide external validation from the points of view of the market and audiences, support customer or user acquisition, and offer insights into selecting a correct media strategy. As one interviewee pointed out, media relations can also help gain feedback and improved understanding about competitive positioning.

If a journalist shows interest immediately about what you do, you might have a competitive angle no one else is using.

Accordingly, through media relations the product and growth strategy can be refined based on direct feedback from journalists and the market. Media coverage can serve as an indicator of how appealing a company is to the public, while also helping startups assess whether media relations can function as an effective growth channel. All in all, media relations can act as a feedback loop for a company’s product and growth strategy.

To acquire knowledge about customer and market expectations, early-stage startups need to engage in continuous experimentation and validation. It is through this idea of validation that early-stage startups can start viewing media relations in a new light: validation activities directly inform founders and their teams. Validation is critical, especially in early growth phases, not only because it allows startups to understand what is working and what is not, but also because it helps identify indicators that show which marketing and communication tools are effective for achieving growth objectives.

The interviews revealed several additional benefits of media relations beyond those commonly cited: establishing legitimacy, educating the market, attracting investor interest, and validating growth assumptions. The newly identified benefits included acquiring new customers or users, increasing marketing ROI, and strengthening the employer brand and talent attraction. As one interviewee suggested, focusing on media relations teaches startup teams to adopt a fresh point of view.

Sometimes startups can be in their own bubble. What media relations teach is to look at what you do from the outside. It also teaches you how to connect your business and your product or service to the different trends that are shaping the world, or the different news that people are talking about.

Notably, using media relations for validating growth assumptions was a novel benefit for the informants and one that is not widely discussed in startup literature. It is important for early-stage startups to understand media relations as a tool for validation and learning. In terms of customer or user growth, employer branding, and talent attraction, media relations can be a tool that is not only cost-effective for reaching the masses but whose effects also trickle down throughout the entire organization. As one interviewee concluded, focusing on media relations is an investment in branding.

Media relations give the best ROI in terms of impressions. It’s the most efficient tool for startup branding.

Finally, other topics discussed in the interviews were related to issues that influence early-stage startups’ media appeal. Most interviewees agreed that the optimal time to start investing in media relations is usually when the company has developed an identifiable purpose.

Media appeal comes from a clear and differentiated narrative, a product that works, a founder story with a real ‘why’ or a point of view that shows you understand the ecosystem and your place within it.

Media relations as a validation mechanism for early-stage startups

The interview findings confirmed that media relations can help validate quite many crucial issues at an early-stage startup. Knowledge acquisition and learning through media relations emerged as a key insight: early-stage startups can use media relations to engage in learning through experimentation and hypothesis testing to validate their product, market and customers, thereby advancing the company’s development (Lorenzo et al. 2024; Ries 2011).

The interviews confirmed that in addition to helping startups establish legitimacy, educate the market, and attract investor interest, media relations can also contribute to validating growth assumptions. Furthermore, this process can provide insights into key metrics related to, for example, unit economics and customer acquisition costs (Eisenmann 2020; Ries 2011). Several validation exercises were brought up and discussed by the interviewees.

• Validating mass appeal: Early-stage startups can discover what the masses find interesting, what trends they tap into, and what topics appeal to the media.
• Validating media relations as a growth channel: Early-stage startups can explore whether a media relations campaign helps attract users, customers or new talent.
• Validating credibility: Early-stage startups can test whether their assumptions about what makes them credible truly appear credible to the media and audiences.
• Validating strength of differentiation: Early-stage startups can validate how unique their narrative and unique selling points are.
• Validating messaging for target audiences: Early-stage startups can learn what messages resonate with their ideal customers in the media channels they follow.
• Validating messaging effectiveness: Early-stage startups can validate whether their existing messaging resonates with the press and the ease of communicating those messages.

Turning the pitfalls of media relations into learning needs and opportunities

As media relations require special knowledge, research, hard work, time, strategic vision, skilled communications, and long-term commitment to human-to-human relationships building, startup teams may regard engaging with the media as both risky and demanding at the early stages of their development and growth.

While successful media relations are built strategically step by step over time, preparing for media relations as early as possible can bring competitive advantage by creating useful learning needs for startup teams. When startups recognise that media relations can offer value beyond generating ‘media hits’, they begin to see media relations as a way of building long-term growth partnerships that can aid their development over time.

To approach media, startups need to build competences to forge a convincing purpose, share authentic stories that resonate among key audiences, and inspire and invite dialogue with relevant publics. By investing in media relations development from early on, startups can gain valuable lessons on strategic messaging, market expectations, and stakeholder collaboration and engagement.

Media relations gone wrong can obviously be harmful to early-stage startups. Therefore, startup teams need to be aware of and able to avoid common pitfalls such as mixed messages, unrealistic promises, or failures to respond constructively to criticism from target audiences. To address such learning needs, startup teams and media relations experts could join forces in planning how to organise the media relations development and learning process in such a way that practitioners receive appropriate support for handling and mitigating the potential risks and negative effects of media publicity. Master thesis studies combining research and practice can also help provide the necessary encouragement and scaffolding for leveraging the potential of media relations in early-stage startup development.

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