Reputation-Led Growth - це нова парадигма зростання для стартапів

In a market where blue oceans are becoming increasingly rare, the real differentiator lies in how a brand builds and communicates its reputation.

In other words, innovation alone is no longer enough to fuel exponential growth and market attention, as we've seen over the past decade. In an environment where every startup, no matter how disruptive, faces fierce competition, consumer scepticism also grows – they now struggle to differentiate the "new" from what truly lasts and solves their problems.

That's where the deciding factor comes in. Today, what separates businesses that survive from those that scale is reputation. And when I talk about reputation, I'm referring not only to the ability to communicate the impact of the value proposition, but also to the skill of "talking" to the public and managing the market narrative around the brand. After all, a company's reputation isn't just a reflection of what it says about itself, but of the genuine perception it builds in the market. 

To get an idea of the size of this impact, the 2nd National Research on the Impact of Public Relations in the Innovation Market – The Investor's Perspective, developed by MOTIM, reveals that 91% investors agree that brands that efficiently present their value proposition significantly increase the likelihood of receiving a financial injection.

This means that, currently, simply having a disruptive solution or cutting-edge technology is no longer enough. If the brand doesn't know how to build connection and trust, it's already lost the race. And here, I'm not talking about catchy slogans or fleeting marketing campaigns. I'm referring to consistency, authenticity, and frequency. Reputation is built every day, and every action is an opportunity to reinforce or undermine that trust.

Reputation-Led Growth: A New Approach Takes Centre Stage

It is within this context that the Reputation-Led Growth mentality emerges: a strategic approach that integrates a company's unique assets – its history, its values, what the brand represents, and how the leader embodies all of this in a continuous process of reputation management. 

The concept not only helps expand reach, but also creates stronger bonds with clients, partners, and investors, educates the market, accelerates the sales process, and attracts the best customers, keeping them engaged and interested. More than that, it's crucial for preserving the company's image, protecting it from market fluctuations and the intensity of competition.

Unsurprisingly, using MOTIM research figures once again as a basis, nine out of ten investors consider the founders' personal brand a crucial factor in their investment decisions. Furthermore, over a third of venture capital professionals cite the founders' positioning and background as the key strengths of a brand in seeking investment. 

This data shows that founders and leaders are now more than just business managers. They must be the guardians of the brand's reputation. Anyone still believing that building a strong business is optional will find out too late that the market is no longer driven solely by good ideas. We are in an era where real value lies in the trust and credibility a brand conveys – and in how it remains relevant in consumers' daily lives over the long term.

The era of improvisation is over. If reputation is growing at the same pace as the business, we've entered the era of Reputation-Led Growth. Here, the only sustainable advantage is being remembered, and remembered for the right reasons.

Silas Colombo is CCO and founder of БУНТA graduate in Journalism and with an MBA in Communication and Marketing Strategies from Cornell University, he was responsible for developing communication campaigns for brands like Itaú, Volkswagen, and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games Organising Committee. At the accelerator, he's the director of communication and has already produced public relations strategies for over 200 innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship brands, from startups to multinational companies.