How to make your AI startup stand out

There’s only one thing standing between a brilliant new AI company and its target audience: the torrent of other new AI companies flooding the market. When competition is this acute, innovative technology is no longer enough to set a company apart; AI startups need a brand story, consistent messaging, and a resolve to make all company communications easy to understand. AI startups need PR. 

A carefully considered PR strategy can help startups connect with their target audiences and elucidate their value to investors. Startups frequently struggle to differentiate themselves from the pack, and since most people aren’t familiar with AI, it’s more important than ever for new companies to share their stories on a human level if they want to catch the public eye. Here are three strategies that we recommend to startups that want to show their audience how unique and valuable they really are.  

Humanizing your AI startup: connecting with audiences

One of the best things an AI startup can do is humanize itself. To do this, start by asking why your startup’s AI exists and giving an answer that goes beyond consumer trends or market insights. Think about what real human problems your new AI solves; there’s a big difference between an algorithm that selects groceries for strangers and a digital shopper designed by a parent, helping them figure out which snacks to buy for their kids.

Here's a real-life example: One of our previous clients, Wasteless, is a company dedicated to reducing food waste. To achieve its goal, Wasteless implemented a dynamic pricing system to help supermarkets sell older food at lower prices (thus preventing it from expiring on the shelves). But the “About” page of the Wasteless website isn’t an exposé on dynamic pricing. Instead, visitors see a video of the company founder, Oded Omer, explaining that he started Wasteless after he learned that 40% of food goes to waste. Omer makes the company seem more human just by explaining why it exists.

Of course, startups benefit most when their stories don’t just exist on their websites but jump into the media sphere. That’s where public relations comes in. PR is a great way to introduce the human side of a company—be that through quotes in press releases, stories on podcasts, or thought leadership pieces that go beyond the technical and into the personal. But before a company can talk to the press, it must find its voice.

Crafting a unique brand voice for AI companies

Every brand has a distinct voice that differentiates it from its competitors. For example, OpenAI’s voice is optimistic and occasionally more technical than that of the average company. (They do have to explain how artificial intelligence works, after all.) On the other hand, Google Bard’s voice is closer to that of a cheerful, creative assistant. Each voice matches the brand personality that the companies are trying to project, and each voice is consistent across all company communications, from press releases to social media posts. When choosing a brand voice, it is important to think about which industry the brand operates in, what its market position is, who its target audience is, and a host of other factors that will shape the language a company uses. Some companies know exactly what they want to sound like from the get-go. Others take time. The good news is that in the age of AI, there are virtual assistants standing by to help out, and we’ve actually already met two of them; sidestep creative roadblocks by jumping on Bard or ChatGPT and asking them to give an example of, say, an upbeat brand voice, or an approachable one, or even a spooky paranormal tone if that’s a better fit. They’ll be more than happy to offer examples and suggestions.

Whatever the final choice is, figuring out the right voice now will make communications consistent—and therefore recognizable—when they reach the press.

Simplifying AI messaging: making your tech easy to understand

In a crowded market, it might seem like a good idea to explain the benefits of a startup’s AI in granular detail—to really get into the nitty-gritty nuts and bolts of why this AI is better than the rest—but the truth is that very few people want technical details. Even journalists who cover AI aren’t necessarily well-versed in the minutiae of large language models. Even if they were, journalists aim to write in as simple and accessible a style as possible, so streamlining an explanation makes it much easier for journalists to write about a company.

Multimedia content is another great way to simplify messaging; infographics and videos can communicate the core message of a company quickly, and they don’t require much attention. However, if a brand is going to use visuals, they have to be intentional. Every photo, infographic, podcast episode, and video should serve a distinct purpose. Those smaller purposes add up to accomplish the ultimate goal of PR, which is of course, securing excellent coverage.

The standout startup

To stand out in the saturated market, startups need to know how to humanize their company, maintain a brand voice, and simplify their offerings. There’s a world of investors out there looking to channel capital into AI startups. More than that, there’s a world of people who could benefit from the changes brought about by AI. All a new business needs to do is capture their attention. Exciting, isn’t it? 

Is your AI startup struggling to stand out in today’s competitive landscape? Let us help you craft a powerful PR strategy that humanizes your brand, simplifies your messaging, and captures attention. Reach out to our team of PR experts today and discover how we can elevate your AI company to the next level