Blog | Public Relations for Technology Companies

Feb 27

Ludicrous PR advice, straight from Silicon Valley

By Jackson Wightman AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

Silicon Valley dispenses a lot of terrible advice about PR. Search for pretty much anything from the folks at Y-Combinator and you’ll encounter dilettantism on a grand scale. Alongside investors, a range of other, non-VC actors, espouse ideas that are untethered to reality. A core tenet of Valley PR bullshit…

Feb 23

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Gartner and the Narrative Arms Race

By Jackson Wightman AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

Nope, it was not an astrological event. That glow lighting up the sky? That’s the Comms-Industrial-Complex reading Gartner’s predictions about PR budgets doubling by 2027 thanks to Generative Engine Optimization. But extra cash for agencies is not the real story. Gartner’s third prediction is. It reads: By 2029, 45% of…

Feb 19

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How to Choose a PR Agency for a Series B Announcement

By Proper Propaganda AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

A practical guide for venture-backed tech founders, 2026 A Series B announcement is one of the highest-leverage communications moments a startup gets. The right PR agency shapes how journalists, investors, recruiters, and AI-powered search systems understand your category position. The wrong one files a press release and reports impressions. This…

Feb 19

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Content Fast and Slow

By Jackson Wightman AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

My apologies to Daniel Kahneman for the riff on his title. Maybe, like me, you’ve acquired this strange new reflex vis-a-vis AI-produced content. I just shut down when I see the see-saw cadence. Three. Short. Sentences. Thinking that resembles candy floss. We can all tell when someone shits on a…

Feb 17

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A Fishing Fable About the Top of the Funnel

By Jackson Wightman AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

Johnny fishes in the pond near his house once a week. He catches 2 fish. They make for an amazing dinner. The fish are so tasty that he starts fishing twice a week. At this level he can pull 3 fish a week. He does this for 2 months straight.…

Feb 12

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What Companies Should Have in Place Before Asking Agencies for Proposals

By Proper Propaganda Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

Most companies reach out to agencies too early, too vaguely, or for the wrong reasons. The result is predictable: mismatched expectations, bloated proposals, wasted time on both sides, and relationships that struggle before the work even begins. This pattern has existed for decades. Strong agency engagements start with internal clarity.…

Feb 12

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Should You Invest in Generative Engine Optimization Before ROI Is Clear?

By Jackson Wightman AI & Search (GEO), Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

A billboard has no reliably traceable ROI.Depending on where it is, it can cost hundreds of thousands. But not one time, ever, has it driven perfectly attributable sales.Still, we’ve been buying and selling billboards for a hell of a long time. They are durable (heck, even Steve Jobs loved them).The…

Feb 11

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You’re Not Buying Cement: How to Procure Expertise Properly

By Jackson Wightman Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

I am always grateful to receive invites to pitch on new business. Proper turns 15 this year, so I’ve known downturns and have learned not to expect new opportunities. We are entitled to exactly nothing. That said, of late, I have been inundated with companies doing bad work around agency…

Feb 05

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“Good tech” rarely wins on its own. In North America, the story determines whether good tech gets adopted.

By Proper Propaganda Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

This isn’t an anti-product argument. Obviously product matters. But in U.S./Canada markets, many category leaders did not win because they had the most advanced technology. They won because they paired competent, well-engineered products with narrative clarity the market could understand and repeat. Below are several major technology examples. Case Study:…

Feb 05

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Data Shows Democrats and Republicans Share Similar Views of Tech Media

By Jackson Wightman Industry Commentary, PR Strategy

For decades, we’ve heard about how America is divided. It’s breathlessly reported by the media, and the narrative has accelerated to warp speed since Donald Trump first won the White House It's rooted in factual, essential truth. But that does not mean, without nuance, it can’t be destructive—especially for communications…