Communication in Startups: Competitive Strategies for Differentiation

Dear Colleagues,

Startups have their own characteristics that give them specific needs when it comes to developing their communication strategies and actions. More and more entrepreneurs are clear that one of the fundamental objectives that determine the success of their project is to achieve maximum visibility and publicise their startups using all possible tools and channels. Many authors have researched the importance of communication in companies and, increasingly, experts and researchers are raising the need to explore the role of communication in start-ups in the entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem.
Stakeholder management and the establishment of trust must be examined differently in startup companies, where there are no relationships or resources, compared to established companies that generally have both. In a competitive market, the need to position oneself is clear and the definition of a differentiating and forceful message is fundamental. A very important part of the communication plan for startups should be dedicated to social media, including the control of usage and visibility ratios, online presence and metrics of actions taken by a highly qualified professional team. Several authors point to social media as a valuable tool and highlight the crucial role that communication plays in the success of a startup. From the very beginning of their activity and the launch of their product or service, good professionalised communication management can determine the success of the startup itself.

For these companies, as for any organisation, the corporate reputation of start-ups is one of their most valuable assets. Their behaviour and attitude have a direct impact on the perceptions and opinions of the public. A prominent role is played by their workers, who embody the identity of the organisation and can become great allies and ambassadors of the brand. Employees have a decisive influence on the culture and image that the organisation projects in its networks of influence, generating even greater trust than senior managers. With behaviour and interaction on social media or with the different clients with which the startup has a relationship, they are contributing to the construction and reaffirmation of the organisation's brand and reputation. In this line, the media plays a very important role by giving media coverage to entrepreneurs and their business initiatives.

Last but not least, all the changes brought about by artificial intelligence (AI) must be taken into account.  AI is an essential tool for startups in the digital age. Not only does it improve the effectiveness of communication and the relationship with customers, but it also allows emerging companies to compete with larger and already established players in the market. By integrating AI into their communication strategies, start-ups can position themselves as innovative, adaptive and customer-oriented, key factors for their success in a highly competitive environment.

As a result of the above, this Special Issue invites the submission of manuscripts that take an approach to the management of entrepreneurial communication through start-ups and that aim to provide an open and conciliatory view of this reality in today's society.

We invite submissions on the following topics:

• Communication strategies in startups;
• The role of journalism in the visibility of startups;
• Communication management in startups led by women;
• Media coverage of women-led ventures;
• Artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship in the digital society;
• Stakeholder management in emerging companies;
• Brand building in startups;
• Gender perspectives in the communication of entrepreneurs;
• Innovation journalism and the entrepreneurial ecosystem;
• Narratives and storytelling: how journalists tell startup stories;
• The corporate reputation of startups in the media;
• Data journalism in the analysis of the entrepreneurial ecosystem;
• Independent journalism and social startups;
• The role of digital media in the growth of startups.

Prof. Dr. Carlos de las Heras-Pedrosa
Dr. Dolores Rando-Cueto
Guest Editors

Ms. Ainhoa del Pino Rodríguez-Vera
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journalism and Media is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• communication in startups
• stakeholder management
• managed by women
• digital environment and artificial intelligence
• journalism
• corporate communication
• empowerment
• sustainability