In SaaS, announcements are cheap. Growth is expected. Launching a new feature, closing a funding round, or expanding to a new market used to turn heads. Today, it barely earns a glance.
At the SaaS PR Summit 2025, this reality echoed through every session. In an age where everyone is shouting, the companies that win aren’t louder, they’re more relevant. The event gathered some of the most forward-thinking voices in tech communications to dissect what’s broken in SaaS PR and what’s working.
In 2025, it’s not about the milestone. It’s about the meaning. PR for SaaS companies isn’t about broadcasting success; it’s about translating it into stories that matter.
The New Rules of SaaS PR: Insights from the Summit
Episode 1: Back to Basics, but Better — With Matias Rodsevich
Matias Rodsevich, CEO of PRLab, opened the summit with a crucial reminder: PR in SaaS isn’t only a support function, but it’s also foundational. His session served as a reset button for attendees, challenging even seasoned professionals to rethink the fundamentals.
Matias stressed that storytelling remains the core engine of PR, but in SaaS, the story must work harder. It’s not enough to say, “We built a feature.” What problem does it solve? Why now? What does it say about the future of your industry?
He broke down key principles: creating narratives that resonate beyond product specs, positioning spokespeople as credible voices in their category, and measuring impact beyond vanity metrics. For SaaS founders used to metrics like CAC and ARR, PR needs its own playbook — one built on relationships, relevance, and resonance.
Episode 2: Thought Leadership With Teeth — With Joliene van Grieken
If there was one phrase that stuck from Joliene van Grieken’s session, it was this: “Safe doesn’t scale.”
In a sea of generic LinkedIn posts and recycled blog content, true thought leadership is a risk, and that’s the point. Joliene, founding partner of The Growth Syndicate, dismantled the notion that thought leadership is about being agreeable. In 2025, editors, podcast hosts, and even LinkedIn audiences crave perspective. That means taking a stance, challenging the status quo, and actually saying something new.
Her advice? Stop chasing consensus. Start provoking thought. Instead of another piece titled “The Future of AI in SaaS”, dare to publish “AI in SaaS is Overhyped — Here’s Why No One Is Actually Using It.”
And just as importantly, she emphasized that thought leadership is a strategy. True influence spans ecosystems: newsletters, niche communities, industry panels, and yes, even Reddit threads. The companies who win at thought leadership in 2025 are playing on every field, not just one.
Episode 3: Positioning Is Everything — With Estee Chaikin
Positioning is often treated like a branding exercise. But Estee Chaikin, founder of The Fractional Impact Team, made it clear: in SaaS, positioning is survival.
Her session drilled into the idea that if a SaaS product can’t clearly articulate its unique value in the language of its audience, it will get buried. The right positioning doesn’t just help you attract attention; it helps you keep it.
Chaikin walked attendees through how to align messaging with market trends, anchor it in customer pain points, and pressure-test it across sales, marketing, and media. The goal is both clarity and conviction. SaaS companies need to be unmistakable in what they offer and unforgettable in how they say it.
Episode 4: Cross-Border Comms — With Maria Astraukh
Expanding into international markets? Then Maria Astraukh’s session was mandatory viewing.
As Global PR & Communications lead at ServicePlan Group, Maria has seen countless companies fall into the trap of copy-pasting messaging across markets. It doesn’t work.
Her advice was clear: scale your PR, but never automate it. Messaging must be adapted to cultural nuances, local news cycles, and regional media preferences. Building credibility in a new market requires deep local insight, not just translation.
From building relationships with international journalists to navigating differing regulatory and media landscapes, Maria provided a blueprint for SaaS companies with global ambition and a warning: what works in San Francisco won’t automatically fly in Berlin or Singapore.
Episode 5: Content That Converts — With Nadine Froughi and Adrie Smith
If PR is the spark, content is the fire. Nadine Froughi (Tellent) and Adrie Smith (Neople) led one of the most practical sessions of the summit, diving into the anatomy of content that actually converts.
Too much SaaS content, they argued, is written for internal approval, not external impact. In 2025, your content strategy must be tied directly to business goals: acquisition, retention, community-building. That means leveraging customer insights, aligning with the sales funnel, and tracking performance like a growth team.
Their message was clear: don’t just produce content, but also produce momentum. And don’t underestimate the compounding power of good content in PR. A great article, case study, or video can be a press hook, a sales enablement asset, and a credibility boost all at once.
Episode 6: PR as a Growth Lever — With Alexandros Papaioannou
Too often, PR is seen as intangible: hard to quantify, and easy to cut. Alexandros Papaioannou, Global PR Director at Backbase, challenged that thinking head-on.
His session focused on reframing PR as a measurable growth driver, especially in SaaS. He shared frameworks for integrating PR with sales, tracking ROI through qualified leads and pipeline influence, and securing executive buy-in with data.
What stood out most was his approach to "reactive PR": having a game plan ready when something in the market shifts. Whether it’s a new AI regulation, a competitor's IPO, or an industry outage, being able to offer sharp, informed commentary in the moment can elevate a SaaS brand from vendor to visionary.
The Final Word: SaaS PR in the 95-5 World
One of the most important concepts repeated across sessions was the 95-5 rule: only 5% of your potential customers are in-market at any given time. That means your PR isn’t just for short-term wins — it’s a long-term investment. It’s about building mental availability now, so your brand is the first that comes to mind when buyers are finally ready.
As a leading SaaS PR agency, we know that consistency, relevance, and meaningful storytelling are what set standout brands apart. Funding announcements, product launches, and market expansions aren’t enough on their own. What matters is how you frame them — and whether they resonate beyond your company’s four walls.
The future of SaaS PR belongs to those who listen before they pitch, challenge before they conform, and lead conversations instead of chasing coverage. Louder doesn’t work. Sharper does.
