In the 1980s there was a famous television ad for head & shoulders dandruff shampoo with the tagline, “Because you never get a second chance to make a first impression.” Those prophetic words are highly applicable to the topic of PR and startups.

Here’s why: in the startup sector, perception can be the difference between thriving and failing. A company in the startup phase is in a unique moment in the lifecycle of their business. Most new companies have not received much public exposure in the form of earned media, nor are they on the airwaves because advertising is incredibly expensive. And unless they have raised significant sums of money from private equity ventures, fledgling firms simply don’t have the resources to bankroll aggressive ad spends.