Imagine planning a surprise party but forgetting to send the invites until the night before. The cake’s perfect, the decorations are up…but the room’s still empty.
That’s the trap too many early-stage companies fall into when they delay communications until top-line data is in hand. But in today’s crowded, noisy landscape, visibility can’t wait. Stakeholders from investors and media to future partners and trial participants need to know you exist before there’s data to talk about.
So, what do you communicate before you have results?
You communicate your vision. Your leadership. Your promise.
At Green Room, here’s how we guide our clients to show up early and strategically.
Start Early. Engage Often.
For early-stage companies, engagement isn’t just possible pre-data, it’s essential. One privately held biopharma came to us while still shaping its identity. With a subcutaneous therapy platform and clinical milestones approaching, the company needed a cohesive story.
We helped leadership align on messaging that articulated both corporate vision and scientific potential. From there, we brought the message to life across stakeholder segments: short-term (investors, talent, media) and long-term (patients, HCPs). Each group received a tailored version of the same core story delivered in language that spoke to their individualized needs.
Just like in corporate America, journalists are being forced to do more with less. They need time to understand the science and the unmet needs of a potential drug in a therapeutic area before reporting on it. That education takes time. Reporters need to get up to speed on your science and your story well before the data is available. Holding up your message and media strategy creates major blind spots in accurate reporting or can even turn a journalist off from covering your news. You don’t want to leave your audience scrambling for context.
Offer a Point of View, Not Just Updates
Being visible isn’t enough. You need to stand for something.
Our Green Room team worked with a pre-commercial gene therapy company operating in a rare disease space. While waiting for data, we worked with their CEO to publish op-eds, appear at investor forums and partner with advocacy leaders to elevate the disease’s unmet need and spotlight their novel approach. Afterall, without a product, audiences look for “a reason to believe.” In many cases, that means looking at the company’s leadership and their track records to build credibility on past successes. Sharing that vision as well as unique perspectives give stakeholders a glimpse into where the company could go. It provides the roadmap and sets the stage for future data milestones.
The result? Momentum. Media interest. Trial recruitment.
Thought leadership, when done right, builds authority and community.
Build a Digital Presence That Scales with You
We get it. When you are pre-revenue, web traffic may not feel like a priority. But a neglected digital presence is a liability. Whether it’s attracting top talent, supporting trial recruitment or shaping how AI interprets your brand online, a polished, findable and future-proof website is non-negotiable.
With 80% of consumers relying on AI tools for search, your site is either fueling credibility—or fading into digital irrelevance.
The bottom line: If you’re not telling your story, someone else will and they won’t get it right.
Start communicating before the data drops. Establish your voice, build the foundation, and send out those invitations well before the party starts. Letting people know what to expect is always a best practice and will be sure to optimize not only your attendance at the proverbial party but getting your story in front of the right people.
