Industry Commentary | Public Relations for Technology Companies

Mar 13

How Products Get Into Deals Articles and Listicles

By Jackson Wightman Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

The Mechanics Behind Summer Commerce Coverage Summer Commerce Season is about to begin. What we at Proper call “Summer Commerce Season” is that special strip of the calendar that includes Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day and Prime Day. You could even throw Back-to-School into the mix. For publishers and…

Mar 03

Love0

Connections Don’t Get You Coverage

By Jackson Wightman Industry Commentary, PR Strategy No Comments

"So tell me about your connections," said a prospective client recently. I have a connection to my partner. She's great. But she certainly doesn't always do what I say she should (she's wise). I also have a connection to my two oldest friends. We've known each other since we were…

Feb 27

Love0

Top of Funnel Is Not Optional: A Series on Why Growth Starts Before Conversion

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

Over the past several months, we published a series of posts examining a persistent mistake made by companies entering or scaling in the U.S. market: They invest heavily in conversion before creating demand. Executives obsess over performance marketing efficiency, attribution dashboards, CAC optimization, and last-touch reporting while underfunding the one…

Feb 27

Love0

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

Love0

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

Love0

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

Love0

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

Love0

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

Love0

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

Love0

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…