Where are you based?
Sean Gough: I live in Norwich, a small city on the East coast of England, about 2 hours from London.
What are your favourite things about living in Norwich?
Sean Gough: It’s the friendliest place I have ever lived. I moved here about 7 years ago and found it really easy to make new friends. It’s a university city too, which means there is a modern, cosmopolitan buzz. The politics is Greener than in many other parts of the UK. And we’re not far from the sea, with some amazing beaches that seem to go on forever. I love it here.
How long have you been at Black Unicorn PR?
Sean Gough: I started in November 2021, so two years now. I met JJ virtually and she introduced me to Mauro. They have the perfect blend of smarts and personality for PR agency co-founders. It’s a very impressive set up.
What are the startup verticals that most interest you?
Sean Gough: Ecotech is very important to me. It looks as if we’re not going to hit carbon targets through lifestyle changes alone. Tech is probably the only option now. There is some fascinating work going on in this area and I’m really keen to help bring it to the attention of a wider audience.
Beyond that, fintech is obviously massive with some incredible innovation and growth stories. And deeptech interests me greatly – I like the challenge of finding ways to make it interesting and accessible to non-technical audiences.
What are things you have seen startups struggle with, when it comes to PR?
Sean Gough: Startups (and established companies too, for that matter) sometimes flinch at the postures they need to take to get coverage. Editors are looking for impact rather than subtlety. If content is not presented in a way that grabs their attention immediately, then it’s not going to make it. You’ve basically got a few seconds to get through to them – usually via an email subject line, possibly the first line of your pitch.
It’s a brutal environment where messaging gets tested to the limits.
Startup founders might be new to PR and cautious about taking the provocative positions that could get them great coverage. They fear – understandably – that they might generate a negative story that reflects badly on them and their company.
That is exceedingly rare in tech PR and usually only happens where the company is very large and has a track record of negative behaviour. If you think about the companies that excel at PR coverage, it’s usually because they are either so big that they have to be tracked (think Microsoft), are a leader in an important new tech (think OpenAI), or they are comfortable with controversy (think Branson). Our task at BUPR is to find that sweet spot where provocation generates positive coverage, without alienating.
Speed of response is critical too. You might imagine that startups would be much faster clearing PR content for release than established behemoths. But the bandwidth of people senior enough to sign off is sometimes stretched very thin. Delay can be as counterproductive as subtlety when it comes to coverage.
From startups that you see excel with PR, what are some of the things that they are doing right?
Sean Gough: A strong founder who models openness to PR is a huge asset. If the team can see that a founder values PR and puts it high on her or his priority list, then that culture is likely to permeate through the organisation.
That then has a number of spin off benefits. People get the message that it’s OK to try the non-standard moves that are more likely to get coverage. Things move faster, because they are given a higher priority. And the level of communication between the startup and the agency is likely to be at a more constructive level – where workable ideas can germinate more easily.
What would you recommend to a startup that wants to get started with PR that they focus on first?
Sean Gough: Messaging. Be very clear what you want to be known for. And make sure it’s different from what the rest of the market is saying. “Me too” does not work in PR.
What is your top tip for early stage startups when it comes to PR?
Sean Gough: Don’t agonise over every decision. Agility is probably more important than precision in the early days. If you get something not quite right, there’s time and scope to fix it.
Are you a summer or winter person? Why?
Sean Gough: Definitely summer. The days are longer and warmer and you can be more ambitious with trips out. We love sea visits and swimming – much nicer when the sun is shining! Generally, I prefer to be warm and fresh produce tastes so much better when it has had real sunshine.
Favourite cuisine? Why?
Sean Gough: I’m vegetarian, which tends to mean that food has to work harder on flavouring. South Indian food tends to be very good in this regard – strongly flavoured but with a subtlety that makes it stand out as special.
What are your favourite hobbies? /that you are doing atm?
Sean Gough: I’ve recently taken on the role of Treasurer for our local Green Party. That’s certainly using up a lot of any spare time I once had. I’m also trying to teach myself to play the melodeon – it’s a bit like the accordion. I actually enjoy DIY projects (really!). And I love reading (I’m a member of a men’s book club) and cinema (we have a great independent cinema in Norwich).
You have a free weekend. Movies and popcorn or outdoor adventures?
Sean Gough: Outdoors every time. We love exploring Norfolk (the county where Norwich is located) and further afield. We belong to a walking group that visits places in the UK like The Lake District and The Peak District for long weekends. Earlier this year we walked from Lucca to Siena in Italy – a shortish section of the Via Francigena pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome. Next year we’re planning walking trips to Spain, Austria and Germany.
Meet more of our team members!
