In my decade at 10Fold, I’ve taken part in dozens and dozens of new business pitches. These pitches have covered the full spectrum of B2B tech, from AI to networking to cybersecurity to semiconductors and much more. I’ve noticed that prospects’ priorities have changed over time, with growing interest in digital services and an increased demand for advanced metrics quantifying the business impact of PR.
But a few core things have stayed the same. From a media specialist’s standpoint, one really stands out: Prospective clients really want the team to demonstrate proven relationships with the reporters they care about.
Media relationships are essential in PR. But it takes a lot more to drive consistent, quality coverage for B2B tech clients year after year. Technical credibility and creative, compelling pitches are just as important. It really follows the 90/10 rule: These days, about 90% of media opportunities come from good pitches, while 10% come from leveraging relationships.
The media landscape is changing faster than ever
Relationships come in handy. Imagine an agency is helping launch a cool new semiconductor company out of stealth. If the PR team knows some of the key media in the chip space, they can simply drop their friendlies a line and secure several solid briefings right out of the gate – no real wordsmithing or clever pitching required. That’s incredibly valuable, but it really only amounts to about one out of ten total media opportunities in 2025.
Why? Because individual relationships are fleeting – now more than ever.
Thanks to AI, shifting business models, major acquisitions, and other disruptions, the media landscape is constantly in flux. Reporters move to other publications all the time, often taking on a role covering a different technology or adopting a new beat that no longer encompasses B2B tech at all. Lots of media, especially at top-tier tech pubs like TechCrunch and VentureBeat, are leaving traditional press outlets entirely, taking lucrative opportunities to write content in-house for venture capital firms and hot tech companies.
Then there are broader transformations. For example, a publication that moves from featuring earned coverage to relying mostly on paid opportunities. Or an outlet that lays off its core editorial staff and now only publishes contributed content.
The media landscape is changing at an unprecedented rate today. Good relationships matter, but they don’t last as long as they did in the past. Because of this, PR firms need more to yield strong, ongoing results.
Technical expertise and skilled pitching achieve enduring results
With reporters hopping jobs and publications evolving overnight, how can B2B PR agencies deliver wins for clients? It’s about the fundamentals. Firms need a deep grasp of technology – and the ability to translate that domain expertise into effective media pitches. Simple, quality pitching accounts for the vast majority of a client’s media wins.
What does it look like at a high level? First, it means that an agency should “get” a client’s tech, even the more complicated emerging technologies. They should be able to understand how a client fits into its competitive ecosystem, explain the key innovations and differentiators, and articulate its business benefits for a broader B2B tech media audience. When PR is capable of all that, they can identify key trends relevant to their clients and weave their POV into stories on those topics.
And that leads to the next point: Understanding the tech is only half the battle of great media relations. The other component is creative pitch writing. A long, overly academic pitch that doesn’t speak to any trends or offer counterintuitive perspectives won’t go very far with the media. It has to be timely, make a strong argument, and tell reporters something they haven’t heard over and over before. You can’t just know what you’re talking about – you also have to say something interesting.
Reporters care about credibility. They want fresh insights. Many are already dismissive of PR professionals. They wake up to hundreds of PR pitches in their inboxes each morning, and the majority are irrelevant to their beat. The only way to break through and make a real impression is to demonstrate you understand the tech they’re covering and to offer POV that’s compelling and unique.
10Fold leverages relationships, domain knowledge, and skilled pitching for big media wins
Are you looking for a PR firm that can deliver media wins that impact your business? 10Fold has the relationships, but we also have the domain experience and pitching expertise to reach reporters that matter. Check out our case studies to see the results we’ve delivered for clients.