With 88% of businesses increasing their PR budgets this year, the tech sector is bound to benefit massively.
The sector is bigger than ever, faces a growing number of challenges, and demands sharper, more strategic storytelling for companies to stand out.
With this in mind, here are 11 scenarios where tech PR can help.
When a new tech startup launches, it faces the immense challenge of standing out among a sea of lookalikes, who all chase the dream of becoming the next Apple or Tesla.
Even with generous funding or a well-known founder, nothing matters if no one knows the company exists.
Sure, marketing drives visibility, but tech PR gives that visibility meaning through clear-cut messaging and reputation building.
It’s how startups articulate their mission, values, and ambitions in a way that immediately entices stakeholders.
At its core, tech PR helps startups become more than their product, but a story people want to follow and be a part of.
Just look at Airbnb. From the start, it positioned itself not as a rental platform, but as a way to create meaningful stories between travellers and hosts, focusing on human-centricity.
It's now a market leader, having stayed true to this core ethos, helping build trust, loyalty, and a positive presence online.
Without tech PR, would this have been possible? We'd argue not.
Just as tech PR can elevate a brand, it can also raise the profile of a founder or CEO.
Of course, many executives avoid the spotlight, lacking the confidence and valuing their privacy. However, the corporate world isn’t what it was 50 years ago.
These days, news travels fast, and stakeholders increasingly demand transparency.
If executives fail to show leadership, they risk the media, competitors, or public opinion filling narrative gaps, which often leads to reduced confidence and skepticism.
On the other hand, a visible, thoughtful, and credible leader can be a company’s strongest asset.
Whether it’s speaking on industry shifts, responding to crises, or sharing a long-term vision, executives can drive real influence and position their company ahead of others.
On a personal level, executives can unlock new career opportunities or lay the foundation to launch a new business.
The hardest part, though, is staying authentic. Audiences don’t want to listen to a polished spokesperson, but an individual with a unique point of view. These are the leaders who really rise above the noise.
Rapid customer acquisition is what all tech firms strive for. It signals strong demand, traction, and market fit, while helping offset the costs of R&D and product development.
For investors, this is a dream.
But what exactly drives customers to buy from a brand, and more importantly, stay loyal to it?
It’s not the product itself. If this were the case, we’d have thousands of wildly successful AI firms.
The real difference maker is how brands use storytelling to emotionally connect with customers.
When done well, brands don’t just promote features. They spark conversation. They drive online debate, media frenzy, and a consumer NEED for a product or service, not just a want.
The best tech PR campaigns tap into this all the time by weaving the brand’s story into the issues, tensions, and trends of the time.
Whether it’s the rise of remote work, the push for ethical AI, or growing concerns around privacy and data, there’s always an angle to position brands as relevant and forward-thinking.
Once brands become part of something bigger, that’s when consumers begin to notice them wherever they look, and prioritise them ahead of their competition.
Approximately 32% of top-performing press releases are dedicated to product or service launches.
Why? Tech firms need to make immediate announcements to build anticipation, attract media attention, and create urgency among potential customers and investors.
Without this basic function, the most innovative products would go unnoticed, and companies would lack the clear timelines and delivery milestones they need to stay accountable.
Most importantly, this signals to stakeholders that the business is serious, stable, and ready to scale.
However, press releases aren’t the only way tech PR can help launch a product or service.
Creative PR stunts can generate buzz in an interactive, fun, and left-field way.
Social media posts can tease a product by gradually releasing content over time.
Exclusive media briefings can deepen media relationships and unlock favourable coverage.
Influencer partnerships can build credibility with niche audiences.
Thought leadership articles can showcase expertise.
The tech firms that incorporate a mix of these tactics will usually fare far better than those that don’t.
Without the right talent, a tech firm can’t build a great product, let alone outperform its competition.
And with three in four firms struggling to retain talent, it’s clear this isn’t just an HR issue, but an industry-wide priority.
That’s why more and more companies are investing in tech PR to strengthen their employer brand, showcase company culture, and position themselves as the destination of choice for leading talent, through thought leadership content to behind-the-scenes footage of team socials.
Platforms like LinkedIn actively prioritise and amplify this type of content, while many of the largest national and trade publications now cover workplace culture regularly.
As a result, there’s always potential for a viral post or quote in a trending media story that engages recruits worldwide.
Everyone wants to work for the biggest, most recognised, ethical, and rewarding companies. Tech PR helps businesses and their leaders show they fit the mould.
A good partnership can be completely transformative. It can offer cost-effectiveness, market expansion, access to new technologies, and unlock brand-new innovative pathways.
Because of this, collaborations between tech firms have been steadily rising in recent years.
Microsoft and Adobe integrated Microsoft Co-Pilot and Adobe Experience Cloud to streamline the user experience.
Amazon invested $4bn in Anthropic to join the AI race.
Infosys and NVIDIA expanded their partnership to strengthen their generative AI solutions.
Bharti Airtel partnered with Google Cloud to deliver cloud solutions to Indian businesses.
But while these are good examples of partnerships in practice, these are already established giants with deep pockets and strong reputations.
For smaller or emerging tech companies, securing similar partnerships can be much harder, requiring a strong brand, clear value proposition, and often, the support of tech PR to get on the radar.
Think about it. If you’re a tech firm looking to partner with another that shares strategic interests, do you meet with a startup founder recently interviewed on broadcast television or someone who barely shows up in search results?
From this perspective, the value of tech PR is undeniable.
Recent reports show that 42% of tech businesses find it difficult to obtain funding from private equity and other sources, thanks to how risk-averse investors have become.
However, though the majority of startups fail, most don't because they lack funding. Many are well-funded, which is probably the most worrying concern for any VC.
Most fail because of poor strategic decisions and management styles, uninspiring company culture, and internal misdirection, all of which investors look out for.
Case-in-point, before tech firms and their leaders think about investment, they need to get their priorities right, and more importantly, leverage tech PR to showcase that they have.
Celebrate workplace achievements and culture on social media.
Share thought leadership insights to position themselves as experts.
Promote case studies in the press to showcase innovation and trajectory.
Host events and webinars to facilitate face-to-face interactions with investors and the media.
The more transparent tech firms are, the better.
As a tech firm grows, the question of an IPO becomes inevitable. After all, tech IPOs have historically delivered some of the strongest stock appreciation across all sectors.
But that doesn't mean there aren't risks. 80% of IPOs are unprofitable, with tech firms making up a large share.
So, what exactly determines a successful IPO?
More often than not, it comes down to a tech firm's equity story and how it is told.
For instance, it’s not uncommon for a tech IPO to launch strong on the back of solid financials, only to stumble at the first sign of economic pressure.
Usually, this is because investors haven’t been given a compelling reason to stay, with the company failing to sell its vision and generate enough buzz or long-term confidence to weather the storm.
In many cases, these IPOs lack a tech PR strategy.
On the other hand, firms that invest early in strategic PR tend to build credibility well before the IPO bell rings by showing up in the right conversations, building a track record, and earning trust over time.
For more established companies, this comes more naturally, whereas newer firms often have to work twice as hard. That said, the rewards are always worthwhile.
When a tech firm is about to be acquired or merged with another, its workforce is bound to be anxious, customers and clients will have questions, and regulators may be skeptical.
There’s bound to be significant change ahead, including new faces, ways of working, fresh ambitions, and even redundancies.
This is ultimately why M&A processes can take several years to complete, as companies ensure alignment across all parties.
But what often goes overlooked during this process is the role tech PR plays in successful integration.
Without sufficient communication and transparency, 70-90% of M&A deals fail, whether due to cultural clashes or stakeholder pushback.
Even when deals go through, once stakeholders and the media uncover issues that weren’t clearly disclosed upfront, trust can unravel fast, creating a reputational storm that could’ve been avoided with proactive honesty.
That’s why, before any M&A plans are discussed, companies must conduct a reputational risk assessment and plan communications accordingly.
This includes internal messaging, conferences, social media updates, and well-prepared media interviews to control the narrative and lay the foundations for a fresh brand identity.
Otherwise, a deal is bound to fail sooner or later.
If you’ve been keeping up with headlines to date, you’ve probably noticed how fast the tech landscape is changing.
Not only because technologies like AI, quantum computing, and facial recognition are rapidly advancing, but also because regulators have been reacting so decisively.
The UK introduced the Online Safety Act to protect younger users.
The EU passed the AI Act, the world’s first comprehensive AI regulation.
The US introduced worldwide trade tariffs, aiming to strengthen the US economy.
Amid this climate, staying silent is no longer an option.
Rather than being blindsided by regulations, leaders have a huge opportunity to use thought leadership to influence them.
Most proposed policies aren’t set in stone. Regulators will often consider views from all aspects of the business community to ensure they don’t overlook important considerations.
Even if companies and their leadership teams aren’t heard, simply appearing in the media can generate greater authority within their market and give them a competitive edge by showing they are in tune with the times.
Eventually, tech firms are bound to face a crisis.
If it doesn’t occur internally, then externally, a supply chain mishap or world disaster will ensue.
There's also the fact that tech firms are often partnered with companies across almost every sector, vastly increasing their chances of being pulled into a crisis by association.
So, how should firms react when a crisis hits?
In an ideal world, the issue would be resolved before anyone noticed. But in reality, as a global backlash can erupt in minutes, leaders need to be prepared to control the narrative.
Have a holding statement ready. This can fast-track your initial response, which is crucial, such as in the case of a server outage or data breach.
Brief your leadership. Spokespeople must approach the media and show accountability for the company's actions, particularly if the crisis was intentionally caused.
Prioritise internal communication. All employees must be informed of the situation to eradicate misinformation and mitigate future harm.
Plan for the aftermath. Future PR efforts must address stakeholder concerns, alleviate negative press, and move away from the crisis.
Of course, not all crises can be resolved. In fact, many can be worsened with the wrong messaging, leading to reputational damage that becomes a company's death knell.
So, whereas many other tech PR activities can be carried out internally, handling a crisis requires the perspective of a non-biased tech PR professional.
They've dealt with many crises before, they know how the media works, the tripwires to avoid, and what you should do to keep your stakeholders on side.
There's no magic spell that makes a crisis vanish, but a smart, strategic response can shape how you recover. Don't leave that to chance.