Welcome to our first-ever ‘Meet the Team’ article! In the Meet the Team series you will gain unparalleled insight into the minds behind our work, from tips for PR folks in startups to things like your favourite dessert. We know, we know, it was about time!
Today we talk to one of our senior team unicorns, Joe Krasean. For him, we kept American spelling on the blog, but otherwise we take no hostages, lots of questions asked! So go ahead and meet Joe Black, I mean… Joe Krasean!
Where are you based?
Joe Krasean: I’m based with my wife and kids in Karlsruhe, Germany and sometimes Minnesota!
What are your favourite things about living in Karlsruhe?
Joe Krasean: Karlsruhe is a very clean and well organized city. It’s easy to get around and the prices of things are reasonable. Great for kids! And I love many of the people here.
How long have you been at Black Unicorn PR?
Joe Krasean: I’ve been with BUPR for 2 years almost exactly.
What are the startup verticals that most interest you?
Joe Krasean: Fintech seems to be king of everything, so we go fairly deep there. As a former educator, I also find EdTech interesting. As an agency, we are looking to add more climate tech clients to our roster.
What are things you have seen startups struggle with, when it comes to PR?
Joe Krasean: I think a lot of our clients have a tough time understanding how much is out of our control with PR. There’s a huge difference between PR and some of the other areas of marketing. It’s ultimately up to the journalist to tell our story and hopefully we give them the right materials to tell that story the way we would like to have it told. But unlike an advertisement, we cannot control 100% of the message in an earned media placement.
From startups that you see excel with PR, what are some of the things that they are doing right?
Joe Krasean: A big aspect of PR success at the startup level is to understand that it requires a input and relatively frequent communication with your PR agency. It’s not the case that a business can simply pay the fee and then “get” the PR. This might be the case with some other services, but not PR. We often find ourselves stuck getting approval, quotes, green lights, etc.
Clients that we have the most success with understand that BUPR is an extension of their internal team, and they give it attention just like with any other department in their organization.
Another difficult pill to swallow is that early-stage startups have to fight for every scrap of attention from a journalist. Newsworthiness in early stages is more limited and must therefore be fully understood and exploited. It’s rare that someone in the media comes knocking on our door to get a comment on something. That kind of attention is reserved for the giants of tech. So I think there is a degree of humility that is required. Don’t be afraid to rack up those Tier-2 wins. PR is about momentum and beating the drum every day – not so much about the ‘one golden placement’ theory.
What would you recommend to a startup that wants to get started with PR that they focus on first?
Joe Krasean: If you are intent on doing PR, get some professional photos taken of you and your team immediately. Delaying this means delaying media placements. Secondly, any business can and should do a “PR audit” of every public-facing portal they have, from homepages to social media profiles. Just imagine that a reporter wants to write an article on your business, and they start doing some simple web searches. What will they find, and how inviting and attractive is your presence?
What is your top tip for early stage startups when it comes to PR?
Joe Krasean: Work with BUPR. We will get you situated. Just kidding. I would say, don’t try to guess how PR works. You will start executing in the wrong way and it will eventually be a waste of time. Take your time to get educated on how PR works, and specifically, in the context of startups.
Are you a summer or winter person? Why?
Joe Krasean: I’m from Minnesota and I played ice hockey for 20 years. Part of my soul will always be in the snow.
Favourite cuisine? Why?
Joe Krasean: Difficult question!! There’s so much good food around (just not in Germany). But today I had Shakshuka that my wife made with spaghetti noodles. That was damn tasty. So today that’s my favorite.
What are your favourite hobbies?
Joe Krasean: I don’t have hobbies – I have a toddler. But when I do, running is my go-to in the outdoors, and I recently took up climbing.
You have a free weekend. Movies and popcorn or outdoor adventures?
Joe Krasean: We live 4 hours from the Alps. Growing up in Minnesota, I would’ve had to drive 14 hours across Nebraska to get to the nearest mountains. So I try to get to the Alps as much as possible. These mountains are absurdly beautiful. We also live near the Schwarzwald and the Pfalz (a lesser-known gem!) – both super cool places. But after hiking, there’s still time for movies and popcorn!!
