The pace of software development is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, driven by AI tools like Cursor and Claude Code that allow companies to launch features faster than ever before. For startup marketers, this speed creates a new dilemma: how do you manage a product PR program when feature fatigue makes traditional announcements less effective?  If your brand is simply shoving a grab bag of features out the door, you are likely getting minimal traction and missed editorial coverage. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the evolution of product news in 2026. This week, episode 132 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to announce new products in 2026! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares the importance of AI in promoting product visibility and actionable steps you can take right now to get your product covered by journalists. 

Morgan and Chris discuss:

• Narrative Over Grab Bags: Grouping features into a meaningful theme is critical; a grab bag of unrelated updates often results in low-value, automated coverage, whereas a themed announcement builds a much stronger corporate narrative.
• The One-Week Pitch Rule: Speed is great, but effectiveness requires lead time. For any important announcement, ensure your PR team has at least one week to pitch busy reporters to maximize editorial coverage.
• Optimize for AI Visibility: Modern product PR isn't just for humans. Structuring your announcements to be indexed correctly is essential for appearing in AI recommendations and competitive listicles where prospects do their research.
• Define the "So What?": Before going to market, define the core message of your announcement by figuring out what is most meaningful for the reporters you are targeting. If the announcement lacks a newsworthy hook, it won't move the needle beyond a basic press release reprint.

Is your product news driving your corporate narrative, or just adding to the digital noise?  In a world of accelerated development, the brands that win are those that can turn fast features into compelling stories.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

You’ve spent months pitching investors, navigating due diligence, and finally closing your latest round of funding, only to realize that announcing it is harder than ever. With over 3,300 VC deals per quarter and a shrinking pool of dedicated venture reporters, your news is fighting for airtime in a saturated market. On this episode of FiredUp!, we address the frustration of silent launches and explain why the traditional embargoed press release is giving way to the media exclusive. We dive into the evolving playbook for funding announcements, teaching startup marketers how to pivot from simple statistics to high-impact storytelling that captures the attention of investors and customers alike. This week, episode 131 of the FiredUp! podcast is about what’s new in funding news! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares the differences in funding announcements in recent months and actionable steps you can take right now to maximize your chances of your funding announcement being reported on. 

Morgan and Chris discuss:

• The Shift to Exclusives: In a world with fewer reporters covering financing, the broad embargoed pitch is losing its effectiveness. To anchor your news, focus on securing a high-impact media exclusive with a reporter who understands your niche.
• Storytelling Over Statistics: A funding amount is a statistic, not a story. To get covered, you must provide the raw materials of a narrative—including your team's unique background, proprietary data, or a provocative point of view on where the industry is heading.
• Target "Unconventional" Outlets: Don't limit your reach to traditional print magazines. Some of the most impactful coverage in 2026 is happening in industry-specific newsletters and hot digital broadcast outlets like TBPN.
• Transparency with Your PR Team: Your communications team needs more than just the deal size. Give them full visibility into your company’s threads—the small, interesting details that can be pulled into a larger, more compelling story for a time-strapped journalist.
• Put in the Work: Raising the money is a relief, but the announcement requires its own dedicated effort. Be open to creative storytelling angles that might not make immediate sense to a founder but have been proven to cut through the noise.

Before your next announcement, identify three human threads in your company that have nothing to do with your valuation. These are the hooks that will help your PR team secure the coverage you deserve.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

With millions of podcasts already out there, the biggest challenge of starting one isn't just recording audio—it’s finding an audience and keeping them engaged. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive deep into the state of the podcasting industry with industry veteran Andy King. We address the specific pain points of audience acquisition, the shift toward video-first content, and the critical question every marketer must ask: Does your brand really need its own show, or should you be leveraging existing creators instead? This week, episode 122 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the best podcast strategies for 2026! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Andy King shares the importance of identifying market openings and what will make your podcast stand out and actionable steps you can take right now to decide what form of podcasting is right for you. 

Andy King is the Head of Podcast and Digital Media at Buchwald, a full service talent agency offering representation in all areas of the entertainment industry. A digital media & audio executive with 20+ years experience, Andy is developing original content while building and managing teams in broadcasting and industry roles.

Andy, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Consistency is Your Superpower: The #1 reason podcasts fail is "podfade"—quitting before the show finds its footing. Success requires a long-term commitment to a regular schedule, as audiences build habits around your release dates.
• Video is No Longer Optional: Podcasting has evolved into a visual medium. To maximize reach, you must have a YouTube strategy. Recording video allows you to create high-impact "clips" for social media, which serve as the primary discovery engine for new listeners.
• Marketing > Production: Many brands spend 90% of their budget on high-end production and only 10% on promotion. Flip the script. If you aren't actively marketing your show through social media clips, guest collaborations, and cross-promotion, even the best content will go unheard.
• The Brand vs. Creator Dilemma: Before launching a brand podcast, evaluate if your message would be more effective by partnering with an established creator. Buying into an existing, loyal community often yields a higher ROI than trying to build one from scratch.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH ANDY KING:

LinkedIn

Email

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

Gen Z, a self-reliant, digitally native, and mobile-first generation is entering the workforce and bringing a different approach to business and buyer behavior. Ian Baer, Founder of Sooth, joins us to share what data shows about Gen Z and how startups can rethink their marketing strategies to appeal to the generation leading our economy. This week, episode 34 of the FiredUp! podcast is about Gen Z’s impact on buyer behavior!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Ian Baer shares that although often viewed as a “walking meme”, Gen Z is a more financially responsible and self-reliant generation that approaches decisions more thoughtfully. He also shares actionable advice startups can take to get in front of a Gen Z audience.

Ian Baer is the Founder of Sooth, an insights-driven decisioning platform and consultancy that makes marketing more successful for clients, creators, and consumers. He has over 35 years of experience leading some of the largest Ad brands in the world including Publicis and TBWA, in addition to being the President of Rapp Collins (Omnicom) Chief Strategy Office of Rauxa, the president of Big Fuel Communications through their exit and an EVP for Deutch, has some incredible insights to bring to the table for startups. 

Ian Baer, Morgan, and Ian Lipner discuss:

• Gen Z often makes buying decisions based on the values of the company and the opinions of trusted influencers, often skeptical of traditional advertising and reviews.
• Brands targeting Gen Z should be transparent, provide abundant information, and use a variety of content formats to capture attention. 
• Gen Z is less career-focused than previous generations and are more likely to have multiple streams of income. 
• Businesses should lean in with information and advice as Gen Z rejects being sold to, preferring to form their own opinions. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH IAN BAER:

Sooth

LinkedIn

Email: hello@soothbetold.com 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Send us Fan Mail

Running a startup is inherently risky with a lot of unknowns. One of the ways to address the unknown is by conducting market research to uncover your ICP, understand how big the market is, whether or not your messaging is resonating with the right people and so much more. Sean Campbell joins us today to share how market research can be used to alleviate pains and maximize opportunity by providing clarity on the market. This week, episode 33 of the FiredUp! podcast is about where to start with market research!

 Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Sean Campbell shares how startups can use market research to inform important decisions and reduce risk. He also shares the incredible insight you can gain through this type of research. 

Sean Campbell is the CEO of Cascade Insights, a B2B-focused market research and marketing firm helping companies seize opportunities in the B2B technology sector. Sean is a well-regarded consultant, speaker, author, trainer, mentor, and educator. He has delivered talks for Fortune 50 companies and top tier conferences around the world and has written extensively on technology and business topics. Sean has been a professional services firm owner for more than 20 years. His work has spanned consulting engagements with tech giants and startups you’ve heard of, the sale of his first company, and the growth of delivery, sales, marketing, and operational practices inside professional services firms. Sean specializes in helping organizations find success and opportunity in the B2B tech sector via market research insights, smart strategy, and powerful messaging.

Sean and Morgan discuss:

• Qualitative research through in-depth interviews is often more valuable for startups than quantitative surveys. 
• Early research priorities should include developing buyer personas and understanding competitive messaging. 
• AI tools can help build initial personas, but custom research is needed to address bias in synthetic data and other issues not found online.
• The top 5 research areas that startups should focus their limited resources on. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH SEAN CAMPBELL:

Cascade Insights

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Managing The Professional Services Firm by David Maister

Send us Fan Mail

The Content Marketing Institute has released some interesting stats from a recent survey of B2B tech companies. We wanted to join in on the fun and discuss some of what they have found with companies’ use of AI, content challenges, and effective strategies in content marketing. This week, episode 32 of the FiredUp! podcast is about trends in content marketing! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

Morgan and Nicole discuss:

• The marketing strategies that Universities use to target potential students and their parents can provide valuable insights for startup marketers to consider. 
• Marketers widely use AI tools for brainstorming and content creation but having an AI policy in place is essential to ensure ethical use of the technology. 
• Content marketers often face challenges in creating the right content for their audiences, differentiating this content, and accessing subject matter experts (SMEs) for contribution.
• As our preferences change and evolve, popular content formats and distribution channels shift to keep up with the trends. 
• Having a structured content production process, editorial calendar, and internal activation are essential for scaling and repurposing content. 
• Investing a significant portion of the marketing budget in content marketing is crucial for driving business results.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Content Marketing Institute- B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends: Outlook for 2024

Content Marketing Strategy by Robert Rose 

This Old Marketing podcast

Firebrand Labs Report: How to Use ChatGPT for SEO Keyword Research

Firebrand’s AI Policy 

Send us Fan Mail

Traditionally, out-of-home advertising has been limited to brand awareness rather than direct response campaigns as it has been difficult to measure. Advancements in technology have created the opportunity for more specific and scientific measurement approaches. Ty Tinker, Head of Analytics at AdQiuck joins us to break down how we can use new technology for more targeted and flexible OOH advertising campaigns. This week, episode 31 of the FiredUp! podcast is about measuring OOH advertising!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Ty Tinker shares how advancements in technology have changed the approach to measuring out-of-home advertising efforts and actionable steps you can take right now to establish the incrementality of your campaigns. 

Ty Tinker is the Head of Analytics at AdQuick, a platform for planning, executing, and measuring out-of-home advertising campaigns. He is an innovative, forward-thinking data scientist with 4 years of experience using quantitative and qualitative methods of measuring. 

Ty, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• Mobile device data can be used to calculate impressions and attribution, using audience segmentation and targeting to track performance and measure success.
• Retargeting out-of-home exposed audiences can amplify the impact by reaching them through other digital channels. 
• AI and machine learning play a significant role in unlocking the correlation between out-of-home advertising and performance.
• Startups should view out-of-home advertising as an experiment, set up hypotheses, and measure the results.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH TY TINKER:

AdQuick

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Outlive by Peter Attia MD

Send us Fan Mail

Marketing in an online world can feel challenging when trends, algorithms, and our ideal audience are changing faster than we can keep up. You may be wondering, ‘What are the best practices when it comes to email marketing, video content, and AI? How many blog posts should I be putting out a week? Should I start a podcast?’ We have the answers to all of that and more. This week, episode 30 of the FiredUp! podcast we’re answering your burning questions about content marketing!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

The questions Morgan and Nicole cover are:

• What are some ways I can dip my toes into video marketing?
• How many emails should I have in an email drip campaign and what key metrics should I focus on?
• What type of content should I gate?
• What is the best way to use Chat GPT for copywriting?
• How many blog posts should we be putting out per week?
• What is interactive content and how can I get started creating some?
• Should I start a podcast?
• How can I link content like a blog post to a lead?

Have your own burning question? Email us at firedup@firebrand.marketing!

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

The topic of programmatic advertising is complex and with the increase in privacy regulations and removal of third-party cookies, the landscape is only becoming more challenging to navigate. Sean Crawford, Founder and CEO of Rhebus, joins us today to provide clarity on the future state of programmatic advertising and how companies are adapting to continue delivering effective paid media campaigns. This week, episode 29 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the future of programmatic advertising!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Sean Crawford shares how to navigate the upcoming challenges in programmatic advertising for both B2C and B2B companies and actionable steps you can take right now to leverage new tech trends and tools to stay ahead of the game. 

Sean Crawford is the founder and CEO of Rhebus, a company that provides innovative solutions for real-time bidding and programmatic advertising. In previous roles, Sean has served as the President of Bidstack Group PLC, a leading in-game advertising platform, the Chief Media Officer of RockYou, a social media gaming company that reached over 75 million users and an SVP at Adap.tv, one of the original programmatic video advertising platforms. His core competencies include strategic partnerships, business development, marketing, international expansion, and platform operations.

Sean and Morgan discuss:

• The upcoming changes in third-party cookies pose challenges but companies can still rely on their first-party data and explore alternative targeting methods.
• The future of AI and machine learning plays a crucial role in improving targeting and optimization in programmatic advertising. 
• Chatbots could become major players but raise questions about using other companies’ content without compensation. 
• Programmatic advertising will evolve to focus on understanding user interests across many different platforms.
• How Rhebus helps creators distribute content and generate revenue through platforms like Roku and Fire TV.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH SEAN CRAWFORD:

Website

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Untangled by Lisa Damour

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Send us Fan Mail

It’s no surprise to PR professionals out there that starting in PR can open doors in marketing and communications across a multitude of industries. So while the path from PR professional to CMO is one that few people travel, today’s guest Ronnie Manning shares the journey that brought him into his role, highlighting the ways that a PR background plays into a CMO's success. This week, episode 28 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the path from PR pro to CMO!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Ronnie Manning shares the skills and mindset required to succeed in a CMO role and actionable steps you can take right now to leverage your experiences as you transition into new roles. 

Ronnie Manning is the CMO at Yubico, a company that offers the gold standard for phishing-resistant multi-factor authentication (MFA). Before this role, Ronnie started as a PR professional, opening an agency of his own. He has 20 years of both Agency and Corporate Public Relations experience focused on media and analyst relations, social media strategy, technical writing and editing, product reviews, and strategic communications planning. 

Ronnie, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• Transitioning from agency to in-house allows for a deeper understanding of a single company and product. 
• A background in PR brings strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships, which are valuable in a CMO role.
• Maintaining a consistent and honest approach to marketing can contribute to long-term success.
• Education plays a crucial role in the cybersecurity industry and marketing efforts should be focusing on that. 
• Building a strong team dynamic and fostering collaboration are essential for success in marketing and PR.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH RONNIE MANNING:

Yubico

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Send us Fan Mail

Although we recognize that AI tools cannot completely replace the human touch, it is becoming increasingly important for professionals to adapt to its evolution, leveraging AI while adding their unique value. Today’s guest Katie King, CEO of AI in Business, joins us to discuss the current state of AI, what we can expect to see, and how you, as a professional, can stay in the know. This week, episode 27 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the impact of AI on marketing!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Katie King shares the potential opportunities and challenges that the advancement of AI poses to marketing and actionable steps you can take right now to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving landscape. 

Katie King is a published Author, Keynote Speaker, and Consultant on Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital, STEM, leadership, and business transformation. She has been voted the ‘Leading AI Strategist’ and ‘Top 10 AI Influencer 2023', with over 30 years of consulting experience, and has advised many of the world's leading brands and business leaders, including Virgin, Harrods, Rolls-Royce, o2, and more. In recent years, Katie has authored two books, ‘Using Artificial Intelligence in Marketing: How to Harness AI and Maintain the Competitive Edge’ and ‘AI Strategy for Sales and Marketing: Connecting Marketing, Sales and Customer Experience’.

Katie and Morgan discuss:

• To stay ahead, marketers should focus on leveraging AI tools as a foundation and further adding their unique value.
• Continuous education and training are essential for staying relevant in the rapidly evolving field of AI.
• While AI offers opportunities for innovation and efficiency, it is important to be aware of the risks at play. 
• Maintaining a human touch and strategic thinking will remain crucial in differentiating oneself in the market.

CONNECT WITH KATIE KING:

AI in Business- Website

LinkedIn- AI in Business

LinkedIn- Katie King

X (Twitter)

Instagram @katiekingmba

YouTube

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Send us Fan Mail

In our work, we run into quite a few common questions about PR best practices, industry trends, and strategies for startups. That’s why this week, on episode 26 of the FiredUp! podcast we’re answering your burning PR questions!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

The questions Chris, Morgan, and Ian answer are:

• Should we announce our seed funding or should we wait for series A?
• Is it worth entering Fast Company’s World's Most Innovative Company Award?
• Can we change things on our Wikipedia page that we don’t like?
• Should we as comms pros have a presence on platforms like Threads and BlueSky in addition to our startup?
• What is going on at TechCrunch? 
• Are newswires worth it?
• How many people do we need to survey for it to be newsworthy?
• Will the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times cover my funding story?

Have your own burning questions? Send them into firedup@firebrand.marketing for the chance to have them answered on the podcast!

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

A lot of startups avoid thinking about their brand positioning in the early stages, finding themselves driving the car before they’ve finished building it, so to speak. But brand positioning IS your brand. It is the north star that drives business focus and resonates with your customers. Today, we are joined by Bill Chiaravalle, Co-author of the book Branding for Dummies as he shares his guidance on developing a strategic brand positioning. This week, episode 25 of the FiredUp! podcast is about brand positioning and differentiation!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Bill Chiaravalle shares how a strong brand position saves time, money, and effort by showing a clear path for business decisions and actionable steps you can take right now to develop a unique and authentic brand position that resonates with your ideal customer. 

Bill Chiaravalle is the Owner and Creative Director of Brand Navigation, a brand design agency that delivers big agency experience in a small, boutique agency’s body. Prior to opening his own agency he was the Creative Director at Landor where he worked on branding programs for some of the world’s top companies. Overall, Bill has over 25 years of experience working with brand strategy and execution and actually Co-authored the book, Branding for Dummies 

Bill, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Developing a strategic brand position as early as possible can provide clarity, focus, and differentiation against competitors. 
• Brand positioning is a long-term strategy that requires a commitment to effectively imprint your brand identity. 
• Examples of clear and successful brand positioning in smaller-scale businesses- the key is simplicity.   
• Risk-taking is a difficult but necessary element to differentiate yourself against competitors.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH BILL CHIARAVALLE:

Brand Navigation

LinkedIn

Branding for Dummies

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout

In

Send us Fan Mail

Are you feeling stuck in a cycle of "safe" marketing tactics that yield diminishing returns? Whether you are struggling with a "too many cooks in the kitchen" approach to content, or you're terrified of the "snake-like gaze" of a top-tier reporter, you are not alone. In this special New Year's edition of FiredUp!, hosts Morgan, Chris, and Nicole pull back the curtain on their careers to share the "war stories" that shaped their approach to agency life and brand building.

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

Nicole, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• Podcasting is a Team Sport: Launching a successful show requires more than just a microphone; it involves a complex choreography of editing, graphics, distribution, and guest management. To avoid podfading, invest in a production team—like Galati Media—to ensure professional quality from the start.
• The "Message-Fit" Secret to PR: High-impact media pitching isn't about big ideas; it’s about finding the perfect alignment between what your audience wants and the timing of your message. When you provide exactly what a reporter needs, the process becomes clean and easy.
• Master the "RACI" Framework for Content: To prevent too many cooks from mangling your marketing assets, clearly define who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed. Establishing a "pecking order" before you start a project prevents stakeholder anxiety and protects the final product.
• Audit for the Bottom of the Funnel: It is easy to get stuck writing entertaining top-of-funnel blog posts, but a library full of only gap content will slow your pipeline. Use visual case studies and "how-to-roll-out" guides to bridge the gap from awareness to conversion.
• Calculated Risks Drive Results: Don't be afraid of outlandish ideas if they align with your brand's value proposition. Whether it’s putting a bank account online to prove security or hiring recognizable voices for pitches, bold moves are often what break through cluttered media environments.

As we head into 2026, take a hard look at your marketing. Are you leaning on white papers and blog posts just because they are comfortable? We challenge you to identify one tactic that makes you feel uneasy—whether it's B2B TikTok, short-form video, or a bold PR stunt—and give it a try.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

A brand archetype helps define the personality and voice of a business. Identifying your brand archetype guides the PR team in crafting the messaging and content that reinforces the brand’s image to better resonate with your target audience. This week, episode 24 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to use brand archetypes for PR. 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the team shares how the 12 brand archetypes help audiences unconsciously understand a brand’s personality and how knowing the scope of your brand can help determine your archetype and thus, drive strategic decisions. 

Chris, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• Breaking down 6 of the 12 archetypes (the sage, hero, ruler, creator, magician, and rebel) to better understand why a company might resonate with one over another. 
• Examples of companies that fall under each of the archetypes and how they successfully embrace it in everything they do.
• What your specific brand archetype means for your PR team. 
• How Firebrand went through the process of determining and implementing our archetype.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Elevate Your PR Campaign with the 12 Brand Archetypes

The Hero and the Outlaw: Building Extraordinary Brands Through the Power of Archetypes by Margaret Mark and Carol S. Pearson

Send us Fan Mail

ABM (account-based marketing) is not for everyone and you might find yourself deep in the trenches at the start of implementation. Today’s guest, Bill Odell brings a behind-the-scenes look at how he transitioned a business towards an ABM approach from initial pilots to scaling efforts and the successes and mistakes made along the way. This week, episode 23 of the FiredUp! podcast is about implementing ABM.

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Bill Odell shares his insights on implementing account-based marketing strategies for businesses with varying levels of resources and actionable steps you can take right now to use his experiences as a guide in refining your own marketing approaches. 

Bill Odell is the principal of Odell Marketing and former CMO of Aerospike. He is a C-level executive with over 20 years hands-on experience and a strong track record working with high-growth, category creating B2B technology companies (IPO, 3 Acquisitions). Bill has successfully guided teams and executions across all marketing functions and multiple technology domains. 

Bill, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• The difference between an ABM (account-based marketing) strategy and a broader-based marketing approach.
• Starting small with targeted pilots to mitigate risk and prove ROI before scaling.
• Engaging targeted accounts through high-quality, relevant and valuable content. 
• ABM strategies for startups that are working with limited resources. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH BILL ODELL:

LinkedIn

Odell Marketing 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott

Send us Fan Mail

Cold email can feel daunting for startup marketers. It is marketed as this ‘set it and forget it’ method, which is great for people who are serious about doing it the right way. But, like anything, it is a skillset that takes attention to do it well. Luckily, today’s guest, Dan Englander, Founder and CEO of Sales Schema quite literally wrote the book on the topic and is here to guide us in the right direction. This week, episode 22 of the FiredUp! podcast is about why cold email works!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Dan Englander shares why cold email has become something that strikes fear in startup marketers and actionable steps you can take right now to approach outbound marketing the right way, building trust and relationships along the way.

Dan Englander is the founder and CEO of Sales Schema, a fractional new business team for marketing agencies. Dan founded Sales Schema in 2014 to help marketing service companies reach new heights by aggressively focusing on new business. Previously he was the first employee business development lead at IdeaRocket, and before that, Account Coordinator at DXagency. He's the author of Mastering Account Management, The B2B Sales Blueprint, and Relationship Sales at Scale.

Dan, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Bridging the gap between small-scale but highly personalized messaging and large-scale impersonal outreach that relies on numbers.
• In order to begin to do outbound marketing well, you need to focus on the prep work. 
• Improving delivery rates and building reputation through domain warming.
• Best practices for writing copy that encourages people to connect further. 
• Information you can gain from the way someone says no that can influence how you proceed. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH DAN ENGLANDER:

LinkedIn

Sales Schema

The Digital Agency Growth Podcast

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Road Less Stupid by Keith J. Cunningham

The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro

Notion

Send us Fan Mail

In marketing, we often talk about building on momentum but when you’re just starting out, you don’t have momentum. You need a jump start and frankly, a lot of founders don’t know where to begin. Today’s guest Scott Schwarzhoff, Operating Partner at Unusual Ventures, joins us today to discuss how early-stage startups can get leverage the relationship with their VC firm to start making moves that will get them further, faster. This week, episode 21 of the FiredUp! podcast is about getting your startup marketing program off the ground!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Scott Schwarzhoff shares how startups and VC firms might work together differently based on the model of the VC firm and actionable steps you can take right now to get the most out of your VC firm as an early stage startup. 

Scott Schwarzhoff is an Operating Partner at Unusual Ventures, responsible for marketing and go-to-market services for the Founder Services Team. With 20 years of enterprise software experience spanning startups and large enterprises, Scott is passionate about finding a company’s “true North” story and bringing it to life throughout a go-to-market. 

Scott, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• The VC firm’s role in finding patterns that help companies “skip ahead” and start generating income quicker. 
• Peeling back the layers to answer the questions: “Why anything?”, “Why now?”, and “Why you?”
• What makes a good relationship between a VC firm and a portfolio company’s marketing team and how to nurture a productive relationship in the long-term. 
• Writing a successful press release statement that goes beyond the cookie cutter format.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH SCOTT SCHWARZHOFF:

LinkedIn

Unusual Ventures

Unusual Ventures Startup Field Guide

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Start with Why by Simon Sinek

Made to Stick by Charles Kahlenberg

VIZCOM

Send us Fan Mail

Open source can be seen as a marketing strategy more than anything else. And when you don’t always know who your end user is and what they’re using the product for, it can prove to be challenging. Luckily, today’s guest knows just how to market in this unique landscape. This week, episode 20 of the FiredUp! podcast is about marketing in the open source space!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Jonathan Symonds shares his strategies for appealing to users from all angles and actionable steps you can take right now to build an engaged community around your product that is proud to represent it. 

Jonathan Symonds is the Chief Marketing Officer for MinIO where he is responsible for product marketing, demand generation and corporate awareness. Previously, Jonathan was the CMO of Ayasdi, a pioneer in the field of machine intelligence and was the VP of Marketing for GPU-powered analytics pioneer, HeavyAI. He has over 20 years of enterprise software and analytics marketing experience at Ace Metrix, 2Wire and Tandberg. He holds an MBA from Cornell and a BA from Washington and Lee University.

Jonathan, Morgan, and Chris discuss: 

• Startups play either a leadership or stewardship role in open source projects, depending on the ownership. 
• Balancing conflict from the expectations of idealistic users and the commercial demands of running a business by staying true to the principles of the brand itself.
• Using web analytics to identify who is using your product and in what ways they’re using it.
• Maximizing content creation efforts through technical writing and video production. 
• The buckets of marketing KPIs that MinIO is using to track performance. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN SYMONDS:

Website

X (Twitter): @minio

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Blue Ocean Strategy 

Wynter

Send us Fan Mail

Building and maintaining a strong brand community is crucial for companies in today’s digital landscape. Today’s guest, Nuri Djavit, CXO of EMOTIV, shares his secrets for building an engaged community that allows brands to create deeper connections with customers and develop brand loyalty over time. This week, episode 19 of the FiredUp! podcast is about building a community!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Nuri Djavit shares the impacts an active community has on a business’s growth and actionable steps you can take right now to leverage community feedback in your product development and marketing strategies.

Nuri Djavit is a seasoned marketing leader with a solid track record spanning technology, media, and consumer brands across diverse markets, from startups to scaled organizations. He really specializes in brand experience that drives engagement, trust, and measurable business success. He has much experience in building a community as he was the CMO at Singularity University and is currently the CXO at EMOTIV, an AI-powered neuroscience company, both having large communities. 

Nuri, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• Going the extra mile to build a brand community is worth the effort, especially for B2B businesses that rely on long-term relationships.
• The components that make a successful and sustainable community.
• Community heroes are not always an idolized leader, but the members themselves.
• Establishing culture and guidelines through executive buy-in and early expectation setting.
• AI has the potential to enhance community management, providing tools to streamline productivity and engagement.

If able to sustain long-term success, communities are a brand’s lifeline, creating unparalleled loyalty and value that directly impacts growth potential.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH NURI DJAVIT:

EMOTIV

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

A product marketer truly sits in the middle of the marketing team, the sales team, the product team, and the customer. They must be able to speak everyone’s language while also understanding the positioning of the product, audience, and competitors so that they can get the appropriate exposure and stand out. Today’s guest, Kristine Newman, VP of product marketing at Shoreline.io, knows how to position the product to create a magnetic pull of energy from the right audiences. This week, episode 18 of the FiredUp! podcast is about product marketing strategies.

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Kristine Newman shares how a product marker is a key part in highlighting how the product can address the customer’s precise pain point early on and actionable steps you can take right now to create a cohesive and aligned product message between every step of the buying cycle. 

Kristine Newman has 20 years of experience in marketing and product, focused on areas of GTM strategy, messaging and positioning, digital marketing, and integrated marketing campaigns. Before her role as VP of Product Marketing at Shoreline.io she was the VP of Product Marketing at SalientMG. And before that, Kristine was a Director of Marketing at Petco, and an SVP of digital Products and Solutions at BCW Global, one of the world’s largest, full-service, global communications agencies. Previously, Kristine worked at start-ups that enabled digital marketing programs for clients including Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and MapQuest. She spent the first eight years of her career as a technology consultant at Accenture.

Kristine, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• How a product marketer differs from a product manager and when the hand-off between the roles takes place.
• The value of having a product marketer on your startup team day 1.
• It is critical to align messaging across all teams to ensure consistent customer experience throughout every funnel level. 
• How product marketers play a role in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of all go-to-market efforts. 
• AI’s impact on the role of product marketing and tools that are paving the way.   

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH KRISTINE NEWMAN:

LinkedIn

Shoreline.io

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

Send us Fan Mail

The difference between content creation and content marketing is the strategy behind the content. Anyone in your company can create content in their area of expertise but it is the intentionality behind the content that takes the consumer on a journey through your funnel, ultimately bringing them to the intended outcome. Today we are joined by Nicole Pytel, VP of Content Marketing at Firebrand as she gives us the insider perspective about common mistakes companies are making when it comes to their content marketing. This week, episode 17 of the FiredUp! podcast is about content marketing audits!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Nicole Pytel shares how every piece of your company’s content feeds into the bigger picture of the customer journey and how you can do a content audit to get a grasp on where you are now so you can better see where you need to be.

Nicole Pytel started her career in TV, sports, and news. She has spent 15 years in content marketing, most of that time with startups Nicole ran her own content marketing agency before jumping into the enterprise world with work at Google Cloud’s activation team and YouTube’s B2B ads division. Three years ago she made the move back into tech startups, joining Firebrand in launching our content marketing service   

Morgan and Nicole discuss:

• How content marketing differs from content creation.
• Case studies and customer stories go so much further in showcasing the business impact than writing about the mission, vision, and values of the company. 
• The things we look at in a content audit and what we aim to gather from collecting data in these areas.
• Mistakes companies are making when it comes to their content marketing strategy.
• Interactive content is on the rise with brands looking to create more engaging content for consumers. 

Don’t ignore your content marketing. It is the basis for what the world thinks about you as a company. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH NICOLE PYTEL:

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Hour One- AI Generated Videos

Send us Fan Mail

In every episode we have asked our guests to share their trend predictions for the upcoming year. Trend prediction is a practice we at Firebrand look forward to as well so on this special episode of the podcast, the team is sitting down to look back on the trends we predicted for 2023 and what we expect to come out of 2024. This week, episode 16 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about our 2024 industry predictions!

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Morgan, Nicole, Ian and Chris are going through the industry predictions they made last year and breaking down what they got right and what they may have missed the mark on. The team also dives into their predictions for what they expect to happen as we enter into 2024. 

The 2023 predictions we break down in this episode include:

• Disruptive technologies (like the Metaverse and Gen AI) would not be a big factor for startups. 
• More startups would move towards account based marketing (ABM) and utilize their existing tools and systems to do so. 
• There would be a need for more content as buy cycles have extended and startups need to keep their prospects engaged over a longer period of time.
• Companies would dial into attribution platforms as understanding what marketing efforts are working would become more important than ever before.
• Companies would revamp their messaging, dialing in more on the messaging that gets right to the pain relief. 

The 2024 predictions we cover in this episode include:

• X (formerly Twitter) will continue it’s decline and the current CEO will be out by the end of Q1 of 2024. 
• Programmatic advertising is going to get a lot harder due to increasing privacy measures cloaking IP addresses. 
• Content is going to become more visual and more interactive as the need to capture consumer attention is becoming increasingly difficult. 
• B2B brands targeting Gen Z will need to start showing up where they are– primarily on platforms like TikTok.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

So many startups share the common dream of starting their own category and it's not hard to see why. It sounds so much more appealing to strike out on your own and define a new space instead of fighting for attention in a crowded field. But, is category creation all it's cracked up to be? Today’s guest, Kashif Mahbub has experience in creating multiple categories for different startups and is here to share some insight on creating a new category vs. slotting into an existing one. This week, episode 15 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to create a category.  

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Kashif Mahbub shares what is (and alternatively, is not) category creation and why it might be worth it for certain startups to go through the expensive and sometimes painful process of creating a category of their own. 

Kashif Mahbub is the CMO at the customer experience automation company, Ushur. He has been instrumental in creating 3 categories for startups. Kashif is an award-winning marketer, most recently ranked in the top 30 most influential CMO in B2B by Finite. In a career spanning 20 years, Kashif has brought industry-defining products to a global market, built product and marketing teams, as well as functions from the ground up. He is also an advisor, helping tech startups establish brands that punch above their weight. 

Kashif, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• Why startups are willing to take the time and effort necessary to create a category.
• The first steps essential in category creation. 
• Sticking to your company’s principles and values in the face of competition, keeping the focus on the solution for your customer. 
• Offering unique value in an existing category vs. creating a category of your own. 

Category creation is not a campaign, but rather the DNA of a company. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH KASHIF MAHBUB:

LinkedIn 

Ushur

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Send us Fan Mail

2025 was a big year in tech marketing, so much so that it almost felt like its own decade! In this retrospective episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the "AI or Die" reality that defined 2025 and why your old SEO strategy is no longer enough to survive in 2026. Many B2B marketers are currently facing the reality of declining click-through rates as Google evolves from a search engine into an answer engine. We address the specific struggle of cutting through the noise in an era of AI-generated content and "rage bait" marketing, helping you pivot from simply ranking to becoming a trusted citation source. This week, episode 120 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the biggest tech marketing news of 2025! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares highlights of the biggest tech marketing stories of 2025 and actionable steps you can take right now to prepare for the challenges and opportunities in marketing in 2026. 

Morgan, Nicole, and Chris discuss:

• Mastering Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): Visibility in 2026 is less about ranking in the top 10 and more about being the cited source within AI-generated responses from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews.
• The Reality of Agentic AI: While 2025 was the year of "agent" hype, 2026 will be the year of operational utility, where autonomous agents move beyond chatbots to handle complex lead-gen and security workflows.
•  Why Rage Bait Marketing is a High-Risk Gamble: Using controversy to gain attention—as seen with recent startup backlashes—can generate short-term "cheap" visibility, but often fails to build the long-term trust required for B2B relationships.
• AR Glasses Win Over the Metaverse: The mass market has spoken; lightweight, stylish AR (like the Meta Ray-Bans) is gaining significant traction for everyday utility, while bulky VR "metaverse" experiences remain a niche product for big-budget experiments.
• Sustainability of the AI Economy: As the stock market continues to ride the AI wave, the real-world bottleneck is becoming infrastructure—specifically the rising cost of electricity and the massive data center build-outs required to power next-gen models.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

While the landscape of tech news is changing, there are some things that remain consistent in their ability to work effectively. Today’s guest, Travis Van, founder of Tech News, shares actionable insight into what we should be focusing on and what to avoid through the lens of tech PR to keep up with the times. This week, episode 14 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the latest tech PR tactics. 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Travis Van shares what is (and isn’t) working in tech PR and actionable steps you can take right now to set realistic expectations and leverage the trends proven to get your stories out there. 

Travis Van is the founder of Tech News, one of the very few technologies that has transformed tech PR for the better. From his perch at Tech News, Travis tracks media movies, coverage trends and so much more. Travis is a longtime tech industry marketing and PR pro. He has worked with early stage founders at MuleSoft and Splunk with a particular focus around programming languages, developer frameworks, operating systems, and cybersecurity. 

Travis, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• Tech News makes PR better for everyone by providing a solution that cuts down on irrelevant pitches and increases the effectiveness of the pitches that are sent.
• The evolution of tech PR and best practices in avoiding some of the “antipatterns.”
• Misconceptions founders have when it comes to PR and what to have in place before seeking coverage. 
• Leveraging case studies and user stories to build credibility and trust with potential customers. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH TRAVIS VAN:

Tech News

travis@technews.io

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Name a bigger challenge than marketing to an audience that rejects the very idea of marketing. Engineers are known for sniffing out the BS and blocking unwanted marketing efforts from even entering their stratosphere, creating roadblocks for startups that sell to developers. Today’s guest, Erik Dietrich, CEO of Hit Subscribe joins us to share the “right way” to get through to developers through authentic approach and relationship building. This week, episode 13 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about DevRel and technical copywriting. 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Erik Dietrich shares best practices for reaching developers through content, communities and other authentic engagement strategies, forgetting the traditional marketing approaches that often get denied. 

Erik Dietrich is the CEO of Hit Subscribe, a unique marketing business that helps companies reach software engineers with content. Surprisingly, his background is not in marketing but rather in roles as a programmer, software architect, dev manager, CIO, IT manager, and strategy consultant. Erik has used his diverse background and experience to transition into his current role in technical marketing.

Erik, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• How developer relations differ from traditional PR and marketing, favoring more of an authentic approach.  
• The mix of technical and non-technical skills needed for a DevRel expert to be successful. 
• Getting creative to reach developers through new channels as many are bypassing traditional media sites. 
• Creating effective technical content for developers by finding the balance of providing enough information without overwhelming the audience.
• Pros and cons of leveraging open source communities to create technical content. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH ERIK DIETRICH:

Hit Subscribe 

LinkedIn 

Email: erik@hitsubscribe.com

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress Free Productivity by David Allen

Send us Fan Mail

PR measurement has evolved from the early days of media clippings to industry recognized frameworks and best practices. And measurement tools are advancing in a way that allows companies to holistically evaluate outcomes of their efforts for awareness, reputation, and lead generation. Richard Bagnall, Co-managing Partner of CARMA and board director at AMEC joins us today to share his wealth of knowledge on the topic, giving actionable advice on what and where to focus measurement efforts on. This week, episode 12 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to measure PR! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Richard Bagnall shares why measuring PR still proves to be difficult, even after all this time and actionable steps you can take right now to understand what is best to measure, based on your business goals and find the right tools to do so. 

Richard Bagnall is the Co-managing Partner of CARMA, a technology and consulting company blending technology and talent to deliver insight to their clients. In addition to this, he has held several voluntary roles including chairing the global professional trade association, AMEC, between 2016 and 2022. Richard led on the development of the Integrated Evaluation Framework which is acknowledged today as international best practice. He is Mr PR Measurement.

Richard, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation Framework takes the helicopter view of the Barcelona Principles and gives organizations the ability to measure in a realistic, meaningful way. 
• Attainable ways for startups to look at measuring PR- depending on their goals.
• Less focus on Share of Voice and more intentional focus on what is working for the company as an individual. 
• How much of a company’s budget should be allocated to PR measurement tactics. 
• What to bring into your PR measurement tech stack. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH RICHARD BAGNALL:

LinkedIn

richard.bagnall@carma.com

X (Formerly Twitter)

CARMA

Trust in Covid-19 Vaccines [CARMA] 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

How to Sell Value- Demystified by Crispin Manners 

Send us Fan Mail

As a startup, data is one of the things that you’ve got in your toolbox that can help you level up and drive consistent coverage. On episode 11 of the FiredUp! podcast, our own Ian Lipner, Senior VP of Firebrand breaks down the basics of data storytelling!

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Ian Lipner shares how companies can leverage the data they are already accessing to tell a story and actionable steps you can take right now to find media coverage-worthy trends that journalists can actually use.

Ian Lipner has been in PR for 25 years focusing on technology clients. He founded and ran the Washington DC Office of LEWIS which is where we worked together and he helped the company launch its research division. After that, Ian joined the crisis communications agency called LEVICK, where he managed the company's emerging brands and their cybersecurity practice before he joined Firebrand. 

Ian and Morgan discuss:

• Finding the balance between curating a story that has depth with the speed at which you’re able to deliver. 
• Formats you can use to package your data sets in a way that journalists can present them as a trend or part of a larger story.
• The first steps to take when starting a data storytelling program within your business.
• Analyzing customer data to gain valuable insights and create authentic content.
• Breaking down the acronym “DATAGO” as it applies to the process startups go through in approaching data storytelling.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH IAN LIPNER:

LinkedIn

ianl@firebrand.marketing

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

How to Stand Out with Data EBook

Send us Fan Mail

The first 90 days are arguably the most important for a new CMO as it sets the tone for the type of leader they’re going to become. Often new marketing leaders are met with a laundry list of tactical ideas that if the focus is on checking off the boxes instead of gaining awareness and driving revenue, the role will quickly turn into a tactical rather than strategic one. On episode 10 of the FiredUp! podcast, marketing leader and advisor, Chris Heggem sheds light on the first 90 days as a CMO. 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Chris Heggem shares the importance of establishing yourself as a data-driven, goal-focused leader in the first 90 days and what every new CMO should be focusing on from the very start. 

Chris Heggem is a marketing leader and advisor specializing in B2B tech. He helps companies with unique products and services establish their identity to communicate more clearly with customers, differentiate from the competition, gain market share, and drive revenue. Over the last 15 years, Chris has worked with and advised over 50 Silicon Valley startups to solve their marketing challenges including Noname Security, Avi Networks (acquired by VMware), Yubico, Sofi, and PagerDuty.

Chris, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• The one metric marketing should be measured by. 
• Where the focus should be before you even join the company and in the first 30, 60, and 90 days. 
• Balancing the foundational work with quick wins in a time when balance is hard to find. 
• Getting inside the mind of your buyer to accurately position your messaging.
• Framing expectations and success for the board in the first 90 days. 
• Structuring a marketing team with limited resources. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH CHRIS HEGGEM:

Website

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Finding an agency already established in the market you’re looking to enter into or expand into is key to the success of your business. That's why Firebrand has partnered with CommsCo to help US and UK startups and scaleups launch in each other’s markets as seamlessly as possible. On episode 09 of the FiredUp! podcast, Ilona Hitel, founder of CommsCo breaks down what is happening in the UK tech PR market and how American-based companies can make the transition.  

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Ilona shares everything you need to know before entering into the thriving tech scene in the UK and actionable advice you can take right now to prepare to launch your business abroad. 

Ilona Hitel is the founder of the UK tech scaleup PR agency CommsCo. Her passion is working directly with tech exec teams to develop their proposition, messages, content, and ideas which will raise awareness and differentiate. In tech, this often involves turning complex propositions into easily understood ideas, and building working relationships that spark creativity, backed by a determination to make things happen. Back in the day she had a hand in the launch of Salesforce, Sophos, and MessageLabs in Europe - creating a love of working with early stage tech organizations to maximize awareness of their incredible innovations. 

Ilona, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• Opportunities for startups coming into the UK media scene. 
• Leveraging the UK as a starting point to build momentum before expanding further into other European markets. 
• What US companies need to understand before expanding or launching in the UK and other European countries. 
• How Firebrand and CommsCo partnership works to help startups launch seamlessly in new markets. 
• Lead generation and customer references are two of the many goals of UK company PR campaigns. 
• 2024 PR trends and predictions.  

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH ILONA HITEL:

Website

Blog

Facebook

Instagram

X (Twitter)

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Creativity is essential when it comes to standing out with your marketing. It will help your startup cut through the noise and quickly capture your customer’s attention. On episode 08 of the FiredUp! podcast, Doug Zanger, founder of Creative Bohemian shares the importance of incorporating creativity into your marketing!

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Doug Zager shares how data and creativity are important when creating engaging marketing strategies and how sometimes taking a step back to focus on other things is the best thing you can do to spark creative solutions. 

Doug Zanger is the founder of Creative Bohemian, a Portland, Oregon-based advisory and consulting practice focused on developing strategic narratives for agencies, brands, media, editorial and more. Additionally, he started Indie Agency News, a platform for independent agencies, in the summer of 2023. Zanger is also executive director of ThinkNW, a marketing trade body focused on the Pacific Northwest and an adjunct professor in the school of business at Portland State University. A 30-year veteran of the advertising and marketing industry, Zanger was director of brand and purpose communications at The Martin Agency. Prior to The Martin Agency, Zanger was an editor at Adweek and Americas editor at The Drum, with coverage prioritizing DEI, sustainability, climate and other critical purpose-related topics. Before his tenure in journalism, Zanger spent eight years at Stillwell Partners, working on the Advertising Week B-to-B events and its content development. In his 15 years in radio, Zanger built in-house creative practices at Rose City Radio and Entercom, winning the coveted Radio Mercury Award in 2003 and other recognition throughout his tenure. 

Doug, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Blending data science and optimization with the art of creativity and how to use data to “measure” creativity. 
• Progress over perfection. Creating an environment that fosters experimentation and risk-taking.
• Finding the tone to reflect the brand’s personality. 
• AI’s impact on creativity- is it killing it or getting the ball rolling?

Ideas don’t always come from the office. They might start there but they don’t always end there. If you find yourself in a rut, try taking yourself out of the situation and letting your brain focus on something else. You just might find the ideas will start flowing naturally. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH DOUG ZANGER:

Creative Bohemian

LinkedIn

Indie Agency News

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Send us Fan Mail

Attribution tools help us provide a complete picture of the customer journey and the precise touchpoints that lead to sales. On episode 07 of the FiredUp! podcast, Jamie Hallitt, Head of Growth at Ruler Analytics shares how using attribution can help us quantify the success or failure of our marketing efforts. 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Jamie Hallitt shares how attribution helps companies understand the direct revenue-generating impact from their marketing channels and actionable steps you can take right now to this insight and data to tweak your strategy and make informed marketing decisions.

Jamie is Head of Growth at Ruler Analytics; a marketing attribution and measurement platform. He has been in and around B2B marketing for 13 years, working agency-side with some of the largest tech companies in the world, client-side for PE-funded scale-ups & professional services firms, and freelance for a healthy mix of SMEs and agencies. His current role at Ruler Analytics spans Marketing, Sales, and Partnerships giving him the ability to lean into all areas of his expertise. At Ruler Analytics, they are obsessed with providing marketers with meaningful insights to help them make better data-informed decisions. 

Jamie, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• What an attribution report can inform you about your marketing efforts. 
• Why companies often struggle with marketing attribution.
• The valuable investment attribution is for startups where every penny counts.
• Attribution’s continued role even after the sale is made.   
• Unpacking the different types of attribution tools and the advantages of each depending on your sales cycle.  

Do your research. It is important to find the right attribution tool to offer you the right solution for how you plan to use the data. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH JAMIE HALLITT:

Website

Ruler Analytics Preview

Facebook

Instagram

X (Twitter)

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Diary of a First-Time CMO by Alice de Courcy

Send us Fan Mail

Building and managing a marketing team for a late-stage private company is a high wire act. It takes a skilled marketer to conceive and manage campaigns that project the energy and ambition of a startup and the maturity of an established brand. Today, Thomas Been, CMO at Domino Data Lab provides valuable advice for early-stage marketers on building an adaptable organization that keeps up with the times. This week, episode 06 of the FiredUp! podcast is about structuring your marketing team!

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Thomas Been shares the vital pillars of your marketing team and actionable steps you can take right now to structure your marketing team early on and allow it to grow alongside your business growth. 

Thomas is a seasoned marketing executive with global experience building and managing marketing teams that establish brand awareness/market leadership and contribute to revenue. He has held technical and sales roles, though marketing has taught him the importance of alignment across functions. For Thomas, marketing affords him the opportunity to learn and leverage two primary interests: the transformative power of technology, as well as customer experience and interactions. He is a US resident with a French passport and a global perspective that drives his work to impact organizations, build effective marketing teams, and continue learning.

Thomas, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• Structuring a marketing team to “do more with less” in a late stage private company.
• The evolution of marketing roles as the economic landscape develops over time.
• Where marketing starts and ends (or perhaps, never ends).
• Leveraging customer stories in all areas of your marketing strategy. 
• Knowing when it is time to hire someone to manage communications full-time.
• Where AI has an impact on marketing and where it still falls short. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH THOMAS BEEN:

Website

Facebook

IG Threads

X (Twitter)

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Branding is so much more than a logo, it is your company’s entire identity that touches every part of the customer and employee experience. Today, Kate Harris, co-founder and Creative Director of SIREN shares why defining and articulating the soul of the brand is what separates great companies from everyone else. This week, episode 05 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about creating your brand and your company’s visual identity. 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Kate Harris shares the importance of building your brand strategy beyond logo creation and actionable steps you can take right now to develop your brand and maintain consistency throughout your company’s structure.

Kate Harris is a co-founder and Creative Director of SIREN, where she oversees all creative coming through the agency's doors. Kate has concepted and developed numerous high-profile campaigns for a variety of clients, including PayPal, AWS, TechCrunch, WIRED Magazine, The Red Cross, and the City of San Francisco. Her true passion is bringing new tech and emerging start-ups to life for their customers. Kate believes that defining and articulating the soul of the brand is what separates great companies from everyone else.

Kate, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• The key elements and players that go into creating a good brand.
• How an established brand can help a startup compete with big-name companies.
• Common branding mistakes companies make when establishing their brand.
• Setting the parameters to uphold your brand as it was intended. 
• How your brand not only your customers but your employees and company culture as well.
• What to consider when determining if it is time for a brand refresh.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH KATE HARRIS:

SIREN

LinkedIn

Friends of Firebrand: Unlocking the Soul of Your Brand

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

The Myth of Sisyphus 

Send us Fan Mail

Many B2B startups find themselves stuck in "founder-sales jail," where growth is limited by the founder’s bandwidth and a lack of documented, repeatable processes. If you're struggling to bridge the gap between initial traction and a scaled sales organization, this episode of FiredUp! is for you. We explore the strategic rise of the Fractional CRO (Chief Revenue Officer) and how this role provides the "outside lens" and expertise needed to audit, triage, and scale your revenue engine without the overhead of a full-time hire. This week, episode 119 of the FiredUp! podcast is about the role of the fractional CRO! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Jonathan Tice shares the important role a fractional CRO can fill in your growing business and actionable steps you can take right now to find someone who will help to bridge the gap between founder-led sales and a strong sales team. 

Jonathan Tice is the Founder and Fractional CRO at Fit To Scale. Jonathan is a veteran revenue leader who specializes in helping B2B SaaS and AI companies navigate the complex transition from founder-led sales to high-growth teams. As a Fractional CRO, he provides strategic advisory and hands-on support to incubators and startups, helping them build repeatable sales playbooks.

Jonathan, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Define Your "Bridge" Strategy: Understand that a Fractional CRO isn't just a part-time manager; they are a high-level strategic partner who aligns sales, marketing, and customer success to prepare your company for a full-time leader.
• Audit Before You Hire: Before hiring your first sales rep, use a fractional leader to "audit, assess, and triage" your current business. This identifies whether your bottlenecks are in product-market fit, messaging, or the sales process itself.
• Document the "Founder Magic": The biggest hurdle in scaling is failing to document the sales process. A successful transition requires turning the founder's intuition into a repeatable playbook that a new hire can actually follow and execute.
• Shift to Signal Tracking: In the AI era, volume is no longer a differentiator. Startups must move toward signal tracking—identifying high-intent behaviors and "warm" signals—to prioritize sales efforts effectively.
• The 2026 High-Touch Trend: As digital noise increases due to AI, the most successful startup growth strategies in 2026 will lean back into in-person meetings and exclusive customer events to build authentic, human-to-human relationships.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH JONATHAN TICE:

LinkedIn

Fit To Scale

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a

Send us Fan Mail

No one knows the tech PR industry like today’s guest Sam Whitmore. For thousands of PR pros, Sam Whitmore’s Media Survey is a must-read for its practical advice about newsmakers and publications, and its close attention to the ever-changing media landscape. What mistakes do PRs need to stop making? What publications should they pay more attention to? Where are the opportunities, and why aren’t you getting them? If you’re a comms pro, or just manage comms pros, you won’t want to miss Episode 04 of the Fired Up! Podcast!

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Sam shares how media and PR have evolved since he started his career and actionable advice you can use to evolve your practice and keep up with the times.

Sam Whitmore is the founder and editor of Sam Whitmore's Media Survey, providing tech media analysis and consulting to tech PR pros and media buyers.

Whitmore is a frequent public speaker and often is interviewed regarding tech media and tech PR trends. Whitmore spent 14 years at Ziff-Davis Publishing, and 12 years at PC Week as a reporter, editor, columnist, and editor-in-chief. He later served as a company vice president in business development and served as an on-camera reporter for Ziff-Davis Television (ZDTV) before leaving to launch Sam Whitmore's Media Survey in April 1998.

Sam, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• Patterns in the PR industry that often repeat themselves over the years.
• The biggest things PR professionals don’t understand about the reporters they’re trying to reach.
• Publications that brands and PR should be paying more attention to.
• Common questions PR agencies are seeking answers to in consulting. 
• Thought leadership’s role in PR and media.
• The ongoing importance of storytelling in media and marketing.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH SAM WHITMORE:

Website

Facebook

X (Formerly Twitter)

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Axios

Semafor

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson 

Send us Fan Mail

In many cases, fractional CMOs come into play when a CMO leaves a company and there is a gap to fill for someone that can continue leading the team and directing the strategy. The roles and responsibilities of a fractional CMO largely depend on the needs of a company and although intended to be a temporary fill, often lead to companies adopting a new structure with just a fractional CMO in place. Today, Alison Murdock of Trusted CMO is here to share the unique outsider perspective a Fractional CMO can bring to a business. This week, episode 03 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about the role of the Fractional CMO!

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Alison Murdock shares what a Fractional CMO is, why they may be appealing to a startup in particular, and when a company might consider bringing one into their business.  

Alison Murdock is the founder and Chief Marketer of Trusted CMO, offering startup and growth-stage company teams the marketing resources, experience, and talent to make a greater impact on their business.

Alison, Morgan, and Ian discuss:

• KPIs that a startup should consider when hiring a fractional CMO.
• The 3 core positions that need to be in place for B2B marketing and the order in which to hire.
• What Alison learned early in her marketing career with companies like 6sense and Firstup that carried into the development of her own company.
• Areas in your marketing budget you can cut and areas you should hone in on and invest in.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH ALISON MURDOCK:

Trusted CMO

LinkedIn

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Send us Fan Mail

Most people interact with out-of-home advertising daily. From ads on the metro to billboards on the highway, brands leave their mark and get their messages out wherever they can. Today, Rick Robinson of PJX Media is here to tell us why startups should take advantage of out-of-home advertising and when they should get started.  This week, episode 02 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about trends in out-of-home advertising and how to start taking advantage of out-of-home opportunities the right way! 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Rick Robinson shares the key elements to good advertising design and actionable steps you can take right now to get started in the out-of-home advertising space.

Rick Robinson is the CEO of PJX Media, a New York-based marketing agency specializing in Out-of-Home advertising. PJX has figured out how to merge technology and people to build the most efficient and effective OOH media agency in the industry. Rick believes the best work happens when technology, media, and creativity come together to achieve a perfect merger of content and context. 

Rick, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• The use of CGI in out-of-home advertising.
• When a startup should think about adding out-of-home to their marketing plan.
• The 2 key elements of out-of-home advertising design.
• Major marketing mistakes brands should avoid at all costs.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH RICK ROBINSON:

LinkedIn

X (formerly Twitter)

PJX Media 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Naming your brand should be an easy task, but if you’ve ever tried it, you know how there’s so much to consider to land on the right thing. Today, we’re chatting with Anthony Shore about naming products and brands, along with an eye-opening discussion on Twitter’s new “debrand” into X.

This week, episode 01 of the Fired Up! Podcast is about the brand naming process and how to know when you’ve found the right one! 

Download A Startup’s Guide to Attribution. Learn how to track the performance of each of your marketing channels and see how they influence lead conversion. 

In this episode of the Fired Up! Podcast, Anthony Shore shares the importance of naming your product and startup. We also discuss some actionable steps to get started with a quality name for your startup or product. 

Anthony Shore is the Chief Operative of Operative Words. Over the course of 30 years, he has introduced more than 250 product and company names to the world. Trained as a linguist at UC Santa Cruz, his BA thesis received the Chancellor's Award and Linguistics degree Honors. As Global Director of Naming and Writing for Landor Associates, he led naming, nomenclature, and brand strategy projects for Global 500 companies for 13 years. A year at Lexicon Branding and prior jobs as a photomechanical typesetter, software marketer, product manager, copywriter, and door-to-door fundraiser have shaped his real-world and holistic perspective on brand naming. In 2009, he started his agency, Operative Words, to focus exclusively on what he is good at: creating memorable and effective brand names in six words or fewer.

Anthony, Morgan, and Chris discuss:

• How Twitter’s new brand to X is actually a debrand.
• Why a good brand name is important for a startup.
• Who should have a say in your brand naming process.
• Why group brainstorming sessions don’t work for brand naming. 
• The step-by-step process to a powerful brand name.
• Selling a brand name up the ladder and to the broader public.
• Why there isn’t a different strategy for B2B brand naming. 
• Hot takes on good and bad brand naming practices.
• Examples of rebrands that make sense.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH ANTHONY SHORE:

LinkedIn

Operative Words

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Facebook

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

LINKS MENTIONED: 

Brand Naming by Rob Meyerson (Amazon)

RhymeZone

OneLook

Sketch Engine

Wordnik

USPTO

Send us Fan Mail

Aaand we're live! Well almost. Meet the hosts of startup marketing podcast, FiredUp! and learn about the show in this two-minute trailer.

The show will launch on September 28, 2023 for free across all major podcasting networks.

FiredUp! is the show for marketers working in early and late-stage startups. Each week, we walk through fresh strategies and tactics to build brand and drive demand for your startup. Featuring interviews with marketing leaders, our take on the latest trends, and practical tips about PR, content marketing and growth marketing, we promise plenty of signal with some noisy fun along the way. 

FiredUp! is hosted by the team at startup marketing agency, Firebrand. Learn more at firebrand.marketing today. 

Send us Fan Mail

Is your advertising strategy hitting a wall because you're only spending on Google Ads and LinkedIn? For scaling B2B startups, relying solely on these two networks limits your reach, increases your cost, and prevents precision targeting of high-value accounts. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive deep into how to build a powerful multi-channel paid media program that accelerates growth with Phil Parrish. We explore the strategic necessity of programmatic advertising and discuss how leveraging your CRM data and intent signals can transform your retargeting and ABM (Account-Based Marketing) efforts, securing a new competitive edge in a crowded market. This week, episode 118 of the FiredUp! podcast is about B2B advertising beyond Google ads and LinkedIn! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Phil Parrish shares the role of PR and SEO in a comprehensive marketing strategy and actionable steps you can take right now to expand your reach beyond traditional channels and test new platforms.

Phil Parrish is the Co-founder and President at PrograMetrix, a highly specialized and performance driven programmatic advertising agency. He leads the vision and strategic growth of PrograMetrix while also dedicating time to provide executive level support for the agency's growing roster of clients. Phil has spent the past 15 years of his career working within the digital marketing industry on the advertising technology and agency sides.

Phil, Morgan, and Nicole discuss:

• Move Beyond the Duopoly: Don't limit your media budget to just Google Ads and LinkedIn. Effective B2B advertising at scale requires a robust multi-channel approach that includes platforms like streaming audio, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH), and specialized content syndication partners.
• Unlock Precision Targeting with CRM Data: Retargeting and ABM are most effective when powered by your first-party CRM data. Using this data, you can build a more precise, high-intent audience segment, making your ad spend significantly more efficient.
• Programmatic is Essential for New Channels: To access emerging channels like streaming audio and DOOH, programmatic advertising is the key. Programmatic DSPs (Demand-Side Platforms) allow you to apply the same data-driven rigor and AI optimizations to these platforms as you do to standard digital channels.

Challenge your team today: Audit your CRM data and identify how you can use it to build your most precise, high-intent audience segment. Then, find one new programmatic channel (like streaming audio) to reach that segment outside of the usual duopoly.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH PHIL PARRISH:

LinkedIn

PrograMetrix

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

Are you worried about your current B2B marketing strategy in the new year? The landscape is shifting rapidly, dominated by AI search and a tightening focus on efficiency. If you're still relying on old SEO tactics and gated content, you're falling behind. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the most critical marketing predictions for 2026. We break down the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the shift in PR spending to executive thought leadership, and the urgent need to use signal-based advertising to combat ad fatigue. We also tackle the growing problem of AI slop and how to ensure your AI-generated content doesn't dilute your brand's unique value. This week, episode 117 of the FiredUp! podcast is about tech marketing predictions for 2026! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares the importance of SEO in the face of AI search and actionable steps you can take right now to prepare your marketing strategies for 2026. 

Morgan and Nicole discuss:

• The Rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The future of search isn't just about SEO; it's about optimizing for AI search tools. Marketers must now focus on GEO to monitor and manage how LLMs summarize their brand, requiring new AI visibility metrics.
• Gated Content is Dying: The strategy of hiding valuable information behind forms is failing. The trend is moving toward making all content ungated and easily consumable by both human prospects and AI-generated content aggregators to gain maximum brand presence.
• PR Spending Shifts to Executive Visibility: Instead of broad announcements, PR spending is increasingly prioritizing executive visibility and thought leadership. This is driven by the need for authentic, human perspectives that cut through the noise of generic AI slop.
• Signal-Based Advertising Replaces Retargeting: With buyers experiencing ad fatigue, the new focus is on using signal-based advertising to reach prospects at the exact moment of high intent. This requires sophisticated personalization of the web experience without resorting to "creepy" over-customization.

How are you preparing your marketing strategy for 2026? Let us know!

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

Is your content strategy for 2026 ready to go? Or have you created your strategy without looking at updated information? Many content marketers are still prioritizing quantity over true audience value, and the rapid evolution of AI tools is demanding a major pivot. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the core findings of the Content Marketing Institute’s latest research, combined with our own expert predictions. We break down the need for AI-driven personalization, the shift from ABM to ABX strategy, and the critical importance of improving your learning velocity to convert data insights into competitive content assets at the speed required for 2026. This week, episode 116 of the FiredUp! podcast is about content marketing trends for 2026! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares aligning with sales and understanding buyer behavior and actionable steps you can take right now to prepare your marketing strategy for the new year. 

Morgan and Nicole discuss:

• B2B Buyers Demand Thought Leadership: According to the Content Marketing Institute, the number one area that B2B buyers want to see from brands is increased thought leadership. Simple product-heavy content is no longer enough; your content must offer unique, forward-thinking perspectives.
• The Pivot to ABX (Account-Based Experience): In 2026, the strategy shifts from rigid ABM to a flexible ABX approach that emphasizes personalized, contextual experiences. This requires leveraging AI tools to achieve true AI-driven personalization and deliver the right content to the right person at the right time.
• Operational Efficiency is a Top Priority: Marketers are being forced to do more with less. Operational efficiency is a top focus for 2026, often driven by the adoption of AI tools to automate processes and free up teams to focus on high-impact creative capabilities.
• Learning Velocity is the New Competitive Edge: It's no longer enough to just measure content performance. The new differentiator is learning velocity—the speed at which you convert performance data (measuring not just how content performed but why) into improved assets, new content styles, and strategic pivots.

The gap between content creators (who just follow an editorial calendar) and true content marketers (who are data-driven strategists) has never been wider. Take a look at your top-performing piece of content from this year. Did you measure the why behind its success? Challenge your team to build a process for faster learning velocity in 2026—your competitive edge depends on it.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

LINKS MENTIONED:

2026 B2B Content and Marketing Trends Report

The Next Era of B2B Content Marketing: 6 Predictions for 2026

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

Send us Fan Mail

In today's hyper-competitive startup landscape, how far is too far to achieve rapid brand awareness? Many founders are embracing controversial, 'rage-bait' tactics or viral marketing stunts to break through the noise of content clutter. The pain point is clear: in highly competitive, "winner-takes-all" markets, the risk of anonymity often feels greater than the risk of controversy. On this episode of FiredUp!, we analyze real-world examples of publicity stunts and provide a strategic framework for using controlled controversy to propel your startup messaging forward without sacrificing your long-term brand equity. This week, episode 115 of the FiredUp! podcast is about whether all publicity is good publicity! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares examples of negative publicity and analyzes if it truely is negative, and actionable steps you can take right now to decide if risk-taking with your publicity is right for your brand. 

Morgan and Chris discuss:

• Understand the Existential Risk: In highly competitive, "winner-takes-all" startup markets, the risk of being ignored (anonymity) is often a greater threat than the risk of generating controversy.
• Rage-Baiting is a Tool for Speed: Many modern startups are intentionally employing "rage-baiting" tactics—creating a controversial or provocative message to instantly generate massive viral conversation and overcome the noise of the crowded content landscape.
• Successful Stunts Must Connect to Strategy: The most effective and legendary publicity stunts are those that strategically advance your core startup messaging and serve a larger business purpose, rather than being attention solely for the sake of attention.
• The Stunt is Only Part of the Plan: A viral success story, while unpredictable, must be viewed as a short-term awareness play that quickly transitions into a way to build a sustainable network effect. Attention is the first step, but it must be followed by a strategic plan to convert that attention into a measurable advantage.

Before you launch your next viral campaign, ask yourself this question: Does this stunt just generate noise, or does it strategically advance our core messaging and help us acquire customers? Don't let the short-term need for attention sabotage your long-term brand vision.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

In saturated markets like San Francisco, AI billboards are everywhere, making your Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising nearly invisible. If your investment isn't building instant brand recognition and credibility, you’re wasting money. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the strategy for making your OOH messaging stand out with Rick Robinson, CEO of PJX Media and long-time OOH expert. This week, episode 114 of the FiredUp! podcast is about out of home advertising in the AI era! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, Rick Robinson shares the current state of and what’s working with Out-of-Home advertising and actionable steps you can take right now to make your messaging stand out from the crowd and get noticed by potential customers. 

Rick Robinson is the CEO of PJX Media, a New York-based marketing agency specializing in Out-of-Home advertising. PJX has figured out how to merge technology and people to build the most efficient and effective OOH media agency in the industry. Rick believes the best work happens when technology, media, and creativity come together to achieve a perfect merger of content and context. 

Rick, Morgan, and Nicole discuss these key takeaways:

• Creative Must Prioritize Visual Impact: To stand out against the high-volume use of AI billboards in tech hubs, your creative design must be laser-focused on a single, clear message. OOH is a visual medium, not a narrative one—less text and a stronger visual are paramount.
• OOH is a Brand Credibility Play for Startups: For early-stage companies, Out-of-Home advertising is a powerful way to instantly look like a serious player. This perception of scale can be a critical factor in attracting startup funding, top-tier talent, and press attention.
• Leverage Programmatic DOOH for Accessibility: Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) is now highly accessible to startups through programmatic DSPs. This technology lowers the barrier to entry, allows for geographic targeting, and provides new ways to measure basic performance metrics in a privacy-safe manner.
• Adopt an Investor Mindset: Treat your OOH spend as a key investment, not just a marketing line item. Approach the channel by thinking like an investor and a citizen of the space, and always seek expert advice to ensure your spend is strategically executed and measurable.

The clutter is not an excuse to avoid the channel; it's a challenge to be more strategic with your creative design. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH RICK ROBINSON:

LinkedIn

X (formerly Twitter)

PJX Media 

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Send us Fan Mail

The biggest challenge in B2B marketing today is that you no longer fully control what your prospects read. AI search tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity are summarizing and repackaging messages about your company, which means any inconsistency in your narrative is amplified. If your core message is shaky, you're losing control of your brand story. On this episode of FiredUp, we dive into how to future-proof your AI messaging strategy. This week, episode 113 of the FiredUp! podcast is about messaging in the AI era! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares the role of AI in shaping brand perception and actionable steps you can take right now to ensure your brand messaging is uniform and accurate across platforms. 

Morgan, Nicole, and Chris discuss:

• The importance of consistent messaging across every channel for the sake of LLMs.
• How a messaging house, a canonical source of truth for your core narrative and your competitive differentiators, ensures consistency for your entire team.
• Monitoring your GEO and PR strategies to prevent the spread of outdated information.
• Clearly articulating your “why”, not just the “what” of your product or service.

It's a great time to be a brand marketer, but only if you have control over your story. You need a game plan to ensure your core message is distributed everywhere the LLMs are looking. When was the last time you checked how ChatGPT summarizes your company versus your top competitor? Use that summary to identify the biggest hole in your AI messaging today, and start fixing it with a unified messaging house!

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

Is AI coming for your PR job, or is it just coming for the tedious parts of your workflow? Many communications professionals are stuck in ChatGPT limbo—using basic prompts but failing to unlock the true potential of AI agents and agentic workflows. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the frontier of vibe coding and PR automation. This week, episode 130 of the FiredUp! podcast is about AI agents and vibe-coding in PR! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares what non-standard PR tasks can look like if using AI for assistance and actionable steps you can take right now to implement vibe-coding as an option for internal projects. 

Morgan and Chris discuss:

• From Chat to Agents: Move beyond simple text generation. The real power of AI in PR lies in agentic workflows—AI systems that can plan, execute multi-step tasks, and use tools autonomously to solve complex problems.
• The Rise of Vibe Coding: Discover how "vibe coding" allows PR professionals to create custom software and tools using natural language. You don't need to be a developer to build the specific PR utilities your team needs to scale.
• Adaptability Over Displacement: AI isn't necessarily taking jobs, but those who master AI are taking the lead. Learn why "onboarding" to agentic tools is now easier and more intuitive than earlier, more rigid iterations.
• Automating the "Non-Standard": AI is moving into the realm of non-standard PR work. By applying agentic workflows to research, monitoring, and outreach, consultants can free up time for high-level strategy and relationship building.

The tools are getting better, faster, and more accessible every day. The question isn't whether AI will change PR, but whether you will be the one directing the agents.

This week’s challenge: Revisit an AI tool you "bounced out of" six months ago. Whether it’s an agentic platform or a specialized PR utility, the technology has likely leaped forward. See if it can now handle that one manual task you dread most.

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

The biggest mistake B2B startups make is writing long, boring content because they haven't taken the time to be concise. If your message is getting lost in a wall of text, you're failing to communicate your value. On this episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the lost art of short form content and concise communication. The team breaks down the framework for developing a single, strong unified message based on your product-market fit, share powerful editing techniques, and discuss the "writing as performance" mindset to ensure every word counts and your audience is instantly engaged. This week, episode 112 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to write short! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares the importance of short, concise writing to quickly show your audience your value and actionable steps you can take right now to practice concise writing. 

Morgan, Nicole, and Chris discuss:

• Deciding on your single, core message derived from your product-market fit before writing a word.
• Using a structured editing approach, with multiple passes, to make your copy more concise.
• The importance of a strong, compelling hook at the beginnin of your copy and how to achieve it.
• Thinking of “writing as performance” to help create stand-out copy that doesn’t hide in the shadows.

The longer your content is, the less likely it is to be read and understood. Take one of your recent long-form pieces and apply the three-pass editing technique—how much word count can you cut while still delivering your core message?

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail

You've issued the press release, but the reporters aren't calling. The truth is, getting media coverage requires a proactive, tailored media pitch, not just a document on a wire. If you're missing out on detailed press mentions that could be building your brand, this episode is for you! On today’s episode of FiredUp!, we dive into the mechanics of a winning PR strategy for B2B tech. We break down the difference between a press release and a pitch, how to craft an irresistible subject line, and how to find the perfect journalist who actually wants to cover your news. This week, episode 111 of the FiredUp! podcast is about how to pitch the media! 

Download the Multiplier Marketing Megapack today. Exclusive offer for all our listeners — get all our Startup Guides in one go! Over 50 pages of advanced tips and advice that dive deep into content marketing, search advertising, and marketing attribution.

In this episode of the FiredUp! podcast, the Firebrand team shares how to create a news hook to actually get journalists’ attention and actionable steps you can take right now to get your story prioritized over your competitors. 

Morgan and Chris discuss:

• The Pitch is Not the Press Release: A press release is a multi-audience marketing document, often driven by product and sales needs. The media pitch is a concise, tailored email that makes a clear case to the reporter, speaking to industry trends and their specific coverage needs.
• A Story Must Have a Timely "News Hook": To get attention, your news must be timely. For B2B tech especially, you must create a "news moment" that gives the reporter a compelling reason to cover your story now, not next week. Ladder up your product launch to classic elements of news like impact, oddity, or conflict.
• Clarity and Conciseness are King: Most reporters prefer to be pitched via email and want the core of the pitch to be short—ideally only four or five lines. Your subject line must be upfront, immediately flagging the category of the news (e.g., "Exclusive Lead," "News:") without misleading the journalist.
• Mass Personalization is Key to Targeting: The biggest frustration for journalists is getting irrelevant pitches. You must tailor your communication to the interests and needs of each reporter, ensuring your news aligns with their narrow beat and what they've covered in the past.
• Follow-Up Once, Then Move On: Build time for follow-up into your PR strategy. Most reporters advise one follow-up a couple of days after the original pitch; after that, you can generally assume they are not interested.

The most common mistake startups make is using customer marketing language in a pitch, making themselves the star of the story to the reporter. Remember: Reporters are not your customers. Your goal is to be a resource for their story. 

Thank you for listening! Tune in to all the episodes for practical tips on crushing your startup marketing goals. Don’t forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast, and tell us your key takeaways!

CONNECT WITH FIREBRAND:

Firebrand is a startup marketing agency. We help tech startups secure outsized marketing outcomes on their path to growth.

Youtube

LinkedIn

X (Formerly Twitter)

Work with Firebrand

Apply to Be a Podcast Guest

Send us Fan Mail