Karla Jo Helms on Using Anti-PR® to Build Startup Credibility

1. What are the key misconceptions about PR that startups should rethink when building brand awareness?

That PR is about puff pieces and getting your name “out there” by hiring someone with media contacts to blast press releases. It’s not. That’s the old-school model—and it doesn’t work anymore, especially not for startups trying to cut through a saturated, attention-deficit marketplace. Startups tend to confuse visibility with credibility. But visibility without strategy is like shouting in a crowded room. Nobody listens.

PR—when done with the right strategy—is about building trust through earned media, not paid spin. With Anti-PR®, we help startups pinpoint what the industry isn’t saying, then position them as the truth-teller in that space. When you consistently bring real insight to the table — and stop parroting corporate-speak—you earn a level of credibility that no press blast or ad spend can buy. That’s when PR stops being a cost center and starts driving real business value.

2. How can startups compete with well-funded competitors using innovative brand positioning tactics?

You don’t beat Goliath by playing Goliath’s game. You win by being the voice of truth in an industry that’s starved for it. Anti-PR® arms startups with strategy—not just visibility. You identify what’s broken in your industry, then take a stand. If you're the only one saying what needs to be said, congratulations you own the narrative. You just became unignorable.

Startups can move faster, speak bolder, and take positions on things that their legacy competitors can’t touch. With Anti-PR®, we help startups uncover the uncomfortable truths in their industry—and then say what no one else is willing to say. That’s how you dominate a conversation without dominating ad spend. It’s not about being louder — it’s about being clearer. Own the uncomfortable. Be the company that calls out what’s broken and offers a better way. That’s how you stand out and get taken seriously, even without a Super Bowl budget.

3. What role does community-building play in amplifying a startup’s presence without mainstream media backing?

Media validation is important but it’s not the only game in town anymore. In a world where trust is decentralized, the most powerful form of credibility is community. And I’m not talking about “likes” or followers. I mean actual humans who care about your mission and are willing to evangelize it.

For startups, community-building is a superpower. When people feel like they’re part of something bigger — something that challenges the status quo — they don’t just buy your product. They share it. They defend it. They grow it.

4. How should startups balance controversial marketing stunts vs. sustainable brand trust?

There’s a fine line between being provocative and being performative and most stunts cross it. If you’re only trying to go viral, you’re playing a short-term game with a long-term reputation. And trust me, the court of public opinion has a very long memory.

That said, startups should be bold. They should take risks. But those risks need to be grounded in truth. When we work with clients through the Anti-PR lens, we help them take strategic stands—ones that reflect their mission and expose the real problems in their market. That’s how you get attention and build credibility.

If a marketing move doesn’t educate, provoke meaningful dialogue, or lead with value, it’s not disruptive — it’s just noise. When you disrupt with purpose, you build trust even while ruffling feathers. And that’s what keeps a brand top of mind and top of trust.

5. What role does thought leadership play in building credibility and market influence?

Everyone’s trying to be a “thought leader”, but they’re just recycling the same jargon, stats, and predictions. That’s not leadership — that’s regurgitation.

Real thought leadership is about insight. It’s about being the first to say what everyone else is still whispering or too afraid to admit. When startups tap into their founders’ unique lens and connect it to broader market truths, that’s when people start listening.

Through Anti-PR®, we coach startups to stop selling and start teaching. Every piece of content, every media appearance, every quote should do one of two things: challenge an assumption or solve a problem. That’s how you position your brand not just as relevant, but as essential.

6. How can a well-crafted data-driven Anti-PR® strategy improve a startup’s chances of overcoming funding challenges and scaling sustainably?

Investors aren’t just looking at your product or your deck anymore—they’re watching your traction, your message, and your influence. If you can’t tell a compelling story backed by third-party credibility, you’re just another risky bet.

This is where Anti-PR® shines. We use data — market data, competitor data, earned media performance — to craft narratives that aren’t just interesting, they’re investable. We show startups how to create momentum that’s visible to VCs, partners, and the public.

We’ve seen startups land funding because of the credibility our campaigns helped them earn. One media hit in the right outlet, supported by the right positioning and market timing, can do more for funding prospects than six months of cold outreach. When you’ve got third-party validation echoing your value proposition, the conversation shifts. You’re not just telling investors you’re ready to scale — you’re showing them that the market already agrees.