The 'Incumbent Anchor' Narrative
by Emilie Gerber • Founder & CEO at Six Eastern
A PR expert and founder of Six Eastern, an agency that has worked with over 100 tech companies including Ramp and Perplexity. Previously led communications at Uber and Box, specializing in turning product launches and corporate milestones into strategic media coverage.
🎙️ Episode Context
Emilie Gerber deconstructs the black box of public relations for startups, moving beyond theory to strictly tactical advice. She outlines how to craft pitches that actually get opened, why "category creation" is a failing narrative strategy for press, and how to differentiate media targets based on business goals (funding vs. product growth). The conversation provides a blueprint for founders and product leaders to generate coverage without needing expensive agencies or warm introductions.
Problem It Solves
Startups often fail to get press because they pitch complex 'category creation' stories that reporters find confusing or unverifiable.
Framework Overview
A positioning framework that anchors a new product against a well-known industry giant. By defining the product in relation to an incumbent, you give the reporter immediate context and inherent conflict, which drives story interest.
🧠 Framework Structure
Identify the 'Household Name': Find t...
Define the Specific Wedge: Articulate...
Put the Conflict in the Subject Line:...
Avoid Category Creation Jargon: Do no...
When to Use
When launching a product in a crowded market or when the product is complex and difficult to explain from scratch.
Common Mistakes
Claiming to be a 'Category Creator' which signals marketing fluff to reporters, or choosing an incumbent that isn't actually well-known enough to serve as an anchor.
Real World Example
Ramp's launch of their bill pay offering. Instead of pitching 'streamlined vendor payments,' Six Eastern pitched it as 'Ramp taking on Bill.com' (a public company). This angle secured a CNBC feature for a product update that typically wouldn't get covered.
A lot of companies want to position themselves as category creators, and I actually hate that. It doesn't work... It doesn't land with press... Instead, it's actually really great when you can talk about how you are doing what X household name does, but better.
— Emilie Gerber