Defining the Category & Overcoming Low Awareness

Launched in 2019, 917Ventures’ crucial go-to-market plans were disrupted by the pandemic. This resulted in low brand awareness within the competitive Southeast Asian startup ecosystem, making it difficult to differentiate itself from traditional VCs and communicate its unique value as a strategic corporate venture builder.

Strategic PR for Market Education & Leadership

PRecious Philippines developed a PR-first, digital-supported strategy to formally establish and define the 917Ventures brand. Applying the PRecious IMPACT Pathway, we moved from a communications challenge to a business-driving solution:

• Identify: We identified a core perception gap. The market didn’t understand what a “corporate venture builder” was, often confusing 917Ventures with a traditional VC.
• Map: We mapped the core business objective (increasing high-quality deal flow) to a clear PR goal: establish 917Ventures as the #1 most credible and visible scaling partner for startups in the Philippines.
• Plan: We developed distinct, powerful thought leadership narratives for each member of the 917Ventures management committee, building a multi-faceted leadership profile. This allowed them to speak with authority on innovation, scaling, and market entry.

Activate: We launched a sustained, high-level media campaign targeting both local Philippine media (to build the home-ground story) and top-tier regional tech media (to attract international partners and startups).

Measurable Results: Media Dominance and Deal Flow

The campaign successfully established 917Ventures as a leading startup collaborator in Southeast Asia, delivering measurable business results.

• Dominant Media Presence: Secured 100+ pieces of high-quality media coverage with an earned media value of over ₱439 million.
• Top-Tier Regional Placements: Landed key broadcast interviews with premier regional outlets like CNBC and Bloomberg, and secured in-depth features in influential tech publications such as e27, Business Times, and Tech in Asia.
• Market Leadership: Achieved and maintained the highest share of voice (SOV) in its category throughout the campaign.

Direct Business Results: This dominant media presence directly translated into tangible business opportunities. By achieving the highest SOV, 917Ventures became the top-of-mind partner for startups, leading to a significant increase in high-quality inbound inquiries from founders via LinkedIn. The top-tier regional media solidified their credibility with international partners, paving the way for organic speaking invitations at prestigious conferences like Echelon Asia, which in turn strengthened their deal flow and partnership pipeline.

Key Takeaway – Educate to Lead

For a new or complex business model (like a corporate venture builder), you must first educate the market before you can lead it. A multi-faceted thought leadership program, built around key executives, is the most effective way to define your category and build authority.