5 Reasons Why You Should Be Looking At PR Earlier Than You Think
Most startups think about PR like they think about hiring a CFO—something to handle once things take off. But by the time you’re “ready,” it’s often too late to get the results you want.
At Cittadina Marketing, we’ve seen this pattern on repeat: brilliant teams with brilliant products who delay PR until launch day. Then it’s all go-go-go—scrambling for coverage, trying to get noticed, and wondering why the media isn’t returning their emails.
Here’s the truth: strategic PR isn’t something you tack on at the end. It’s something you build into your growth journey from the start.
Here’s why starting early is the PR superpower most startups overlook.
1. Relationships Take Time—Start Now
Great media relationships aren’t built overnight. The most impactful PR wins often come from journalists who already know you, trust you, and understand what you’re building.
And that kind of relationship? It takes time.
Starting PR before your launch means you’re laying the groundwork—not begging for attention when the clock is ticking.
At Cittadina, we help clients start building journalist relationships early—through briefings, casual conversations, and insight-sharing that positions them as sources, not salespeople.
👉 Start early. Be useful. Be remembered.
2. Shape the Narrative—or Someone Else Will
When you don’t tell your story, someone else will—and they may not get it right.
Your early positioning creates the blueprint for how investors, analysts, customers, and yes—journalists—talk about you. If you don’t proactively define your value, competitors and market commentators will do it for you.
Early-stage PR gives you a voice in that conversation. It allows you to define:
Who you are
What problem you solve
Why you matter right now
👉 Want to lead your category? Start telling the story before others do.
3. Messaging Gets Sharper Through External Pressure
Working through PR messaging—what you’d say in interviews, what your media hook is, why your story matters—forces startups to clarify their narrative in ways internal brainstorms simply can’t.
We’ve had clients discover their most powerful differentiator not through market research, but during PR prep. That external lens of "Why would a journalist care?" is often the best way to refine your proposition.
👉 The earlier you go through this, the stronger your story will be—across every channel.
4. Early PR Helps Guide Product Strategy
Yes, PR is about communication. But it’s also a sharp tool for strategic alignment.
Knowing what makes your product newsworthy helps prioritise which features deserve attention—and which can wait. That awareness helps you build a launch that actually earns headlines, not just ticks boxes.
It also gives product and marketing teams a shared language around value, relevance, and timing.
👉 PR insights don’t just shape stories—they shape roadmaps.
5. It Builds Investor Confidence—Long Before You Pitch
Investors don’t wait until your pitch deck to learn about you. They Google you. They read about your team. They watch your digital footprint months in advance.
Well-placed early PR creates a credibility layer you can’t fabricate at the last minute. It signals traction, sharp positioning, and leadership with vision. We’ve seen firsthand how early PR gave our clients the edge when it mattered most—by helping them show up smart, relevant, and already on the radar.
👉 Fundraising starts before the pitch. PR makes sure you’re already in the room.
Early PR Is Strategic PR
Here’s the core truth: PR isn’t just about being loud. It’s about being early, consistent, and intentional.
At Cittadina, we treat PR as a strategic asset—not a one-time tactic. We help startups weave PR into the fabric of their growth plan, building visibility and credibility before they’re in the spotlight.
Because by the time you “need” PR, you’ll wish you’d started six months ago.
Start Shaping Your Narrative Now
Ready to stop playing catch-up with your story?
Let’s build a PR strategy that works before launch—and sets the stage for everything that follows.
Let’s talk.
hello@cittadina.co.uk