Roeder-Johnson
High Concept
Strategic Communications
MATTERHORN, SWITZERLAND © STEVE JOHNSON
Roeder-Johnson Corporation provides strategic communications counsel to startups that are redefining markets.
From our base in the Silicon Valley, we have served over 130 technology companies since our founding, including over 100 company launches, by challenging executive teams to truly understand their company’s value added, and to clearly articulate and make memorable their unique “High Concept”.
With such vast startup experience, we have a deep understanding of what young companies need and how they should communicate – now, and in the long term.
Leadership and the High Concept
Tactical communications – classical PR to most – is all about getting ink – or pixels. Strategic communications, by contrast, is all about being understood and remembered – for the right things and for the long term. When details fade – as the browser is dismissed, the magazine set aside, or the analyst hangs up the phone – you want to be remembered for two key concepts at a minimum: how you are changing the world, and why you are the undisputed leader in doing so.
Our talent is helping your executive team develop a view of communications as a core business strategy, and presenting your vision and leadership position in simple, clear, and memorable terms – what we call the “High Concept” – on an ongoing basis.
The Benefits of a Leadership Position
Your strategy of being remembered and perceived as a market and thought leader that is “changing the world” (and why) can have profound tangible and intangible benefits. Some of these include:
- Achieving higher prices and better deals
- Attracting better partners, sooner, with better terms
- Attracting the most desired employees
- Lowering the cost of capital
- Increasing the velocity of information about you, your leadership position, and your products.
- De-positioning competitors as “not leaders”
Having a communications strategy to make this happen – typically overlooked by most startups – can be the “unfair advantage” that takes you over the top.
Leveraging the High Concept
Once developed, as a key business strategy, the High Concept is then used as the essence of all company communications – from investor presentations to website content, to product marketing collateral, public relations, social media, and all other communications – internal and external. And, as many of our clients have later stated, it can get your entire company – executives to rank-and-file – to talk about why you are important in simple and consistent terms, reinforcing your leadership position.