We had a great conversation where I shared what’s broken in the old way of doing things, why data matters more than ever, and how the industry can move beyond vanity headlines toward campaigns that truly deliver.
Here are the key takeaways from that podcast – and what they mean for the future of crypto-native PR.
Outset PR leaves traditional behind to build a data-driven future
For a long time, public relations in the crypto and Web3 space followed the same basic principles used in other industries: you build relationships with journalists, craft a compelling narrative, and pray for coverage. In reality, it was a game of chance – you could have the best product in the world, but without the right media placement, you were left hoping the audience would notice you.
When we started Outset PR, we didn’t just focus on telling great stories. We kept the client’s product value front and center, constantly asking: “Why does our client need PR? What’s the purpose of the coverage they ask for?” For us, it was crucial to understand whether a project really needed to be in a specific outlet, or if their message might resonate better elsewhere. These reflections led us to develop a much more strategic, focused approach to PR – one that prioritized clear goals over blind optimism.
Over time, our PR services began to feel less like a guessing game and more like a system we could observe, refine, and improve. As we worked with more projects and collected data on our strategies’ performance, it became evident that PR could and should be measured. That’s when we naturally gravitated toward a more structured approach.
The same logic applies even when things go off-script, such as in crisis situations. With clients, we use our system of “triggers” – indicators that help us decide whether to stay silent or respond publicly. And if something does catch them off guard, speed and clarity become our greatest assets.
That’s the concept driving everything we do at Outset PR: preparedness, adaptability, and using data to guide campaigns toward tangible outcomes. You can see it clearly in how we approach syndication: placing a story in one outlet is just the beginning. From there, the content gets republished across various crypto-specific media spaces – and it’s in this syndication where we see the true power of numbers.
Data means nothing without people who know what it says
As much as I want to talk about numbers and measurable outcomes, none of it would matter without the people making it all happen. A truly data-driven approach is about having a team that knows how to interpret the numbers, act on them quickly, and keep improving everything we do.
At Outset PR, this shift started with people who weren’t afraid to do the hard work manually. Even today, all of our post-campaign analytics, led by Maximilian Fondé, is done manually. Why? Because existing tools only capture a fraction of what’s really happening out there.
And yes, Max isn’t just someone who understands the importance of data. He genuinely loves digging for it. Together with his team, they track the ripple effects of every story we place. Six search engines, internal databases, custom monitoring logic, and a lot of spreadsheets.
But here’s the hard truth: finding people who are not only willing but excited to do this kind of precise, repetitive work is incredibly rare. We were lucky to build a team that cares not just about the results, but about how those results are achieved.
At first, there were three people scraping every lead we could. Now, we are a group of thinkers. Of builders. Of people who ask, “What if we tried it this way?” and then test it the same day.
I’m proud that Anastasia Anisimova started with us as my personal assistant. And look, here she is – overseeing the agency’s media relations. I’m proud that Max built an entire media analytics department from scratch. I’m proud that our default setting as a team is ownership, curiosity, and care.
Because without the right people, data is just noise.
Final thought: Web3 PR demands more clarity, and we’re all in
Old PR was all about press releases. New PR is data-driven.
But this shift won’t happen overnight. Right now, most of the industry still considers PR as something that happens “out there,” with results that are hard to validate and even harder to act on. That’s exactly what we are working to change.
At Outset PR, we’ve already made data a core part of our everyday process, helping Web3 projects see which efforts actually move the needle. It’s not easy, but we’ve seen it work time and time again. Our participation at TOKEN2049 only confirmed that we’re moving in the right direction.
