The best ideas in PR often sound… a little off.
They’re too generous. Too quiet. Too weird. Too early. Too something.
Until they work.
And then suddenly, they’re not “crazy.” They’re category-defining.
What separates brands that fizzle from those that lead? The willingness to back the idea before anyone else sees the brilliance. These seven moves prove that when boldness meets clarity, even the riskiest play can become a masterstroke.
“Offering a robust product at no cost seemed like an unusual move, but I believed in earning users’ trust and showing value upfront.”
- Valentin Radu, Founder, Omniconvert
When Valentin launched a freemium SaaS model, industry peers said he was lighting his profit margins on fire. But he knew exactly what he was doing: trading short-term revenue for long-term trust. The product spoke for itself, and customers stuck around because they felt respected, not sold to.
Most brands don’t lose because their product is bad. They lose because they ask for the buy before building belief.
Ask yourself: What can you give away today that builds such deep goodwill, people can’t wait to pay you later?
Takeaway: Give with purpose. Make the value impossible to ignore, and make sure it aligns clearly with your brand promise to plant the seed of loyalty from day one.
“Intuitive branding can become iconic when it aligns authentically with the mission.”
- Carla Niña Pornelos, General Manager, Ward-Nasse
Renaming a gallery from Studio 84 to Murmur didn’t just rebrand a space. It reshaped how the public experienced it. Critics said it lacked punch. But the name wasn’t made to impress. It was made to evoke. “Murmur” whispered identity through experience, and that whisper stuck.
In a world shouting for attention, subtlety can be radical.
Takeaway: Don’t just name your brand—frame it. Let it hold emotional weight. The most powerful brands don’t always scream; sometimes they linger.
“It was almost laughable to think men would buy into artisanal soap—but they did, because it finally sounded like it was for them.”
- Adam Wagner, COO, Raindrop Agency
Dr. Squatch didn’t just sell soap. They sold a version of masculinity that smelled like pine tar, grunted in ads, and poked fun at fancy shampoo bottles. What started as a tongue-in-cheek niche became a runaway success because it tapped into an identity no one else was talking to.
This is what happens when you lean hard into the “unmarketed” audience and give them something to rally around.
Takeaway: Don't fear the fringe. If you're not polarizing a little, you're probably not resonating deeply with anyone.
The old way: build the thing, then figure out how to talk about it.
The smart way? Talk about why you’re building it and let your audience grow with you.
Founders who show up with raw POVs, build-in-public updates, spicy takes, and shared stumbles create a groundswell of belief before the offer even exists. Their audience doesn’t just buy… they feel like they co-created.
PR tip: Your launch moment isn’t when your story starts. It’s when the rest of the world finally notices.
Takeaway: If you're still hiding behind the product, you're missing the whole point of modern storytelling. Build the narrative. The product will follow.
Let’s be clear: humor is not a bonus. It’s a high-converting strategic weapon.
When a brand makes you laugh, it lowers your guard. It builds parasocial trust. And in a world full of templated taglines and “our mission is…” fluff, it feels more real.
Brands like Duolingo and Dr. Squatch didn’t go viral by accident. They made humor the delivery system for their value.
Takeaway: If funny is your natural tone, don’t mute it to appear professional. In the right hands, humor is professionalism. It shows confidence, humanity, and edge.
The most iconic brands follow guidelines. The most talked-about brands know when to break them.
Maybe you’re a minimalist skincare brand doing a chaotic pop-up. Maybe your fintech startup launches a meme-laced TikTok series. These aren’t distractions. They’re calculated shifts that earn attention.
You don’t need to be unpredictable. You just need to be interesting.
Takeaway: Be consistent until you're ready to surprise. Then surprise in a way that reinforces who you are, not who you were.
A founder’s rebrand. A quiet product update. A weird customer use case. All of these sound un-newsworthy… until someone reframes the narrative.
This is where great PR earns its keep. Most stories aren’t “ready.” They need to be repositioned through tension, irony, or deeper cultural relevance.
Takeaway: Stop waiting for a lightning-bolt moment. The best stories are hiding in plain sight if you know how to read them differently.
It’s the one that feels risky, but becomes obvious in hindsight.
The strategies above didn’t win because they followed best practices. They won because they challenged them, with clarity and conviction.
If you’re sitting on an idea that feels too “out there” to pitch, maybe that’s exactly where your breakout begins.
Ready to turn the thing that scares you into the moment that defines you? Let’s talk!
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