Dear BAMf Podcast: Episode 24 with Sam Ahmed

Dear BAMf // Episode 24: Sam Ahmed of Nauta Capital talks about Public Relation strategies, competitors, and international marketing.

In this week's episode of the Dear BAMf podcast, we speak with Sam Ahmed, Head of Marketing & Communications at Nauta Capital. Sam is passionate about telling context-driven founder and brand stories that inspire. With 10+ years' of experience leading multi-channel marketing & communication initiatives at incubators, accelerators, and venture capital, she's worked with some of Europe's most innovative teams. In this episode, Sam speaks on tough marketing and PR questions for our listeners, including this one about international marketing:

Dear BAMf,

My startup is based in Europe, but we have a big presence in the States and the U.S. is our main market. Given our big footprint in Europe, I'm finding it hard for U.S. press to consider us for coverage, even to mention us alongside competitors. We're a dominant player in the industry and soon to be a unicorn-level valued company. What are your thoughts on getting more U.S. press given our non-U.S. headquarters? 

Listen now to hear how Sam advises this writer to move forward.

Dear BAMf: Episode 24

Episode 24 highlights:

• (01:00) What is the best way to get your client on board with core messaging? Be clear on setting expectations from the jump. Set the tone by sitting with the CEO and senior leadership team to organize and brainstorm messaging strategies. Focus on how you can move forward together. A lot of start-ups are not fully evolved, so be patient. 
• (07:42) Proving your worth with a client that wants more deliverables can be taxing. Discuss deliverables with your clients and determine a cadence for the next 90 days. Promise that you are doing the best job that you can, but that promises are not as important as building a strategy. Sam says, "My advice would be definitely to prioritize managing the expectations. That means that you need to tell them the reality is that no brand was ever made overnight."
• (14:57) How do you get more press in the U.S. as an international brand? Try to build relationships with journalists who cover international topics. You can also work with a PR agency based in the U.S. that already has those journalist relationships. Create content that's curated for the market. 

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