If you’re running a tech startup, picking between 5WPR and M Booth is like choosing between a race car and a reliable sedan. Both agencies know how to handle tech companies, but they go about it in totally different ways.
5WPR is all about making noise. They want your startup to be the talk of the town tomorrow. M Booth takes the slow and steady route. They’re thinking about where your company will be in two years, not two weeks.
Here’s the thing though. Most founders I talk to aren’t sure which approach works better. And honestly? It depends on what you need right now.
5WPR’s Style: Go Big or Go Home for Tech Companies
5WPR doesn’t do subtle things. When they take on a client, they’re looking for ways to shake things up. Their whole thing is getting people to notice you fast. For startups, this means:
- Going after the biggest media outlets first
- Creating stories that get people talking
- Moving quickly when something works
- Not being afraid to stir the pot a little
I’ve seen this agency work with companies that needed to make a splash. Sometimes it’s incredible. A startup goes from nobody knowing about them to being featured in major publications within weeks.
But here’s the catch. Their approach can blow up in your face if you’re not careful. The same tactics that get startups noticed can also create headaches.
5WPR knows this. They’re pretty upfront about it. If you’re a startup that needs to play it safe, they’ll probably tell you to look somewhere else.
Also read: APCO Worldwide vs FGS Global: Who Gets Digital Storytelling?
M Booth’s Method: Building Your Tech Brand Step by Step
M Booth is the opposite of 5WPR. Where 5WPR wants to make headlines tomorrow, M Booth is thinking about building something that lasts. Their approach with clients looks like this:
- Lots of research before they do anything
- Careful planning that connects PR with your other marketing
- Testing messages before they go public
- Building relationships with journalists over time
For startups, working with M Booth means being patient. You’re not going to wake up to a viral story about your company next week. But the coverage you do get tends to stick around longer.
M Booth is really good at helping companies become the go-to experts in their space. This works great for B2B tech startups that need to prove they know what they’re talking about.
The downside? M Booth can feel slow. Especially if you’re a tech entrepreneur who needs quick wins to keep investors interested.
What Does Your Tech Startup Need?
Before you choose between two agencies, you need to figure out what your tech startup is trying to accomplish with PR.
Some of these companies need to get noticed fast to attract investors. Others need to slowly build trust with big corporate customers. Some need to be really careful about what they say because they’re in regulated industries.
This agency usually works better for startups that:
- Have something clearly different about them
- Can handle some controversy or pushback
- Need people to know about them quickly
- Have enough money to fund aggressive campaigns
M Booth tends to work better for tech companies that:
- Are in industries with lots of regulations
- Need to sell to big companies that take forever to make decisions
- Have complicated products that need explaining
- Want to be seen as the smart choice over time
The Money Question: What Tech Startups Should Expect to Pay
Let’s talk about cost, because that’s usually what decides things for startups.
Both agencies work with startups, but they charge differently. 5WPR often works on specific campaigns, while M Booth usually wants you to commit to working together for months.
5WPR’s campaigns can get results fast, but you also need to budget for media spending to make the most of their work. M Booth’s approach requires paying them consistently over time.
For startups without much money, this creates a tough choice. Do you spend big on a short campaign with 5WPR, or commit to paying M Booth for months?
It depends on your funding situation. Tech companies getting ready to raise money might benefit from 5WPR’s ability to create buzz quickly. More established tech startups might prefer M Booth’s steady approach.
Founders’ Personal Branding: Two Different Approaches
Here’s something interesting that most people don’t think about. These two agencies handle founders’ personal branding in completely different ways.
5WPR loves to make founders into personalities. They want your CEO to be the face of the company, getting quoted in articles, appearing on podcasts, and maybe even starting some friendly industry feuds.
For startups, this can work incredibly well. Think about how Elon Musk’s personal brand helped Tesla, or how Gary Vaynerchuk built his wine business through personal branding.
M Booth takes a more measured approach to founder branding. They focus on building thought leadership slowly. Instead of making your founder a celebrity, they want to make them a trusted expert. This means writing detailed industry reports, speaking at conferences, and building a reputation over time.
Both approaches have their place. 5WPR’s approach can get your founder noticed quickly, but it also puts them at risk if they say something controversial. M Booth’s approach builds more sustainable personal brands, but it takes longer to see results.
The choice often depends on your founder’s personality. Some people are natural self-promoters who can handle the spotlight. Others prefer to let their work speak for itself.
Global vs Local Reach: Where Do You Want to Be Known?
Another big difference between these two agencies is how they think about geographic reach.
5WPR tends to focus on making a big splash in major markets. They want to get you covered in national publications, major blogs, and influential podcasts. For startups, this often means targeting places like Silicon Valley, New York, and other major tech hubs.
M Booth takes a more strategic approach to geographic expansion. They think about where your customers actually are and build coverage in those markets. This might mean starting locally and expanding gradually, or focusing on specific regions where your tech solution solves particular problems.
For startups, this choice matters more than you might think. If you’re building a global SaaS product, 5WPR’s approach to getting national coverage quickly might make sense. But if you’re solving a specific problem for a particular region or industry, M Booth’s targeted approach might be more effective.
I’ve seen tech companies make the mistake of trying to be everywhere at once when they should have focused on dominating one market first. Both agencies understand this, but they approach it differently.
Social Media Integration: How Each Agency Handles Digital
Social media is huge for tech startups, and both agencies handle it in their own ways.
5WPR uses social media to amplify their PR efforts. They create content that’s designed to go viral, start conversations, and get people sharing. For startups, this might mean creating controversial takes on industry trends, behind-the-scenes content that humanizes your company, or bold predictions about the future.
M Booth integrates social media more carefully into their overall strategy. They use social platforms to build relationships with journalists, share educational content, and establish thought leadership. It’s less about going viral and more about building a consistent, professional presence.
The difference is pretty clear when you look at their clients’ social media. 5WPR clients often have more followers and engagement, but M Booth clients tend to have more professional, polished feeds that build credibility over time.
For tech startups, the choice depends on your audience. If you’re targeting consumers or younger professionals, 5WPR’s approach might work better. If you’re trying to reach enterprise buyers or industry veterans, M Booth’s approach might be more effective.
Sustainability and ESG Messaging: The New Priority
These days, almost every tech company needs to think about sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) messaging. The two agencies handle this differently, too.
5WPR tends to take bold positions on sustainability issues. They might help a startup position itself as a disruptor in the green tech space, or create campaigns that challenge industry practices around environmental responsibility. This can work well for companies that have genuinely innovative solutions to sustainability problems.
M Booth takes a more careful approach to ESG messaging. They focus on building credible, long-term sustainability narratives that can withstand scrutiny. This might mean detailed reporting on environmental impact, careful partnerships with established environmental organizations, and messaging that emphasizes continuous improvement rather than revolutionary change.
For startups, ESG messaging is becoming increasingly important. Investors want to see that you’re thinking about your impact. Customers, especially younger ones, care about supporting companies that align with their values. And regulatory requirements around ESG reporting are getting stricter.
The choice between both two agencies on ESG often depends on how far along you are in your sustainability journey. If you have a genuinely innovative solution to environmental problems, 5WPR’s bold approach might help you get noticed. But if you’re still figuring out your sustainability strategy, M Booth’s careful approach might help you avoid making promises you can’t keep.
How Each Agency Handles Different Types of Tech Companies
Both agencies know tech, but they’ve learned it in different ways.
5WPR tends to work with tech companies that sell directly to consumers. Their approach works well for apps, gadgets, and services that regular people use.
M Booth has more experience with tech companies that sell to other businesses. Their careful approach makes sense for companies that have to convince multiple people to buy their product.
This matters because tech PR requires understanding both the technology and who you’re trying to reach. 5WPR is great at explaining complex stuff in simple terms. M Booth understands the complicated process of selling to big companies.
When Things Go Wrong: How Each Agency Handles Tech PR Problems
Tech companies face unique PR problems. Data gets hacked, products break, regulators get mad, and people question whether what you’re doing is ethical.
5WPR tends to handle problems aggressively. They want to get ahead of the story, control what people are saying, and sometimes fight back. For tech companies facing serious threats, this can work.
M Booth handles problems more carefully. They focus on managing relationships, crafting careful messages, and rebuilding trust over time. This works well for companies that need to maintain long-term relationships.
The choice often depends on what kind of problem you’re facing. 5WPR’s aggressive style might work if competitors are attacking you unfairly. M Booth’s careful approach might be better if you messed up and need to fix things.
Content Creation: How Each Agency Tells Tech Stories
Both agencies also create different types of content for clients.
5WPR creates content that gets people engaged right away. Their content tends to be provocative, timely, and designed to start conversations. Think controversial opinion pieces, bold predictions, and direct challenges to how things are usually done.
M Booth creates content that builds authority over time. Their content tends to be educational, research-based, and designed to show expertise. Think detailed reports, comprehensive case studies, and thoughtful industry analysis.
Both approaches can work for startups, but they do different things. 5WPR’s content helps companies get noticed quickly. M Booth’s content helps them build lasting credibility.
How to Measure Success: Different Ways to Track Results
Both agencies measure success differently, which affects how startups should think about their PR results.
5WPR focuses on immediate results:
- How many articles mention you
- How much engagement you get on social media
- How many people visit your website
- How many leads you get from PR
M Booth focuses on longer-term results:
- How brand awareness grows over time
- How much your voice matters in industry conversations
- How much people see you as a thought leader
- How many customers you acquire and keep
Startups need to understand these different ways of measuring before choosing an agency. If you need to show quick results to investors, 5WPR’s metrics might be more useful. If you’re building for long-term success, M Booth’s approach might be more valuable.
What to Think About When Choosing
Picking between both agencies depends on several things specific to your startup like:
How fast do you need results? Months or years?
How much risk can you handle? Can you deal with potential backlash?
Who are you trying to reach? Regular consumers or business buyers?
What’s your budget? Can you invest long-term, or do you need quick wins?
What industry are you in? Do you need to be careful about regulations?
What stage is your company? Are you trying to raise money or already funded?
Who are you competing against? Do you need to stand out aggressively or build trust?
The Truth: Neither Agency is Perfect
Neither agency is perfect for every startup. Both have limitations that companies should understand.
5WPR’s aggressive approach can create problems if not handled carefully. Their focus on quick results can sometimes hurt long-term brand building. And their style doesn’t work for every market.
M Booth’s careful approach can feel frustratingly slow for startups that need quick wins. Their strategic focus can sometimes miss opportunities for viral moments. And their approach requires sustained investment that not all companies can afford.
The best choice depends on your specific situation, not on which agency is “better” overall.
Other Options for Tech Startups
Both agencies are just two options among many for startups. Other approaches include:
- Working with smaller PR agencies
- Building your own PR team
- Using freelance PR people
- Focusing on organic growth and word-of-mouth
- Partnering with industry influencers
Each approach has pros and cons. Startups should consider all options before committing to any single strategy.
The Final Decision: What’s Right for Your Startup?
Choosing between the agencies is really about deciding your startup’s communication strategy. Are you going to be bold and aggressive, or strategic and patient?
Both approaches work. 5WPR has helped tons of companies get noticed and grow fast. M Booth has built lasting value for many clients.
The key is picking the approach that fits your specific needs, resources, and goals. Don’t choose based on what worked for someone else. Choose based on what makes sense for you.
PR is complicated, and there’s no perfect solution. Whether you choose 5WPR, M Booth, or something else entirely, the most important thing is to be smart and intentional about how you communicate.
Your startup’s PR strategy will change as you grow. The agency you choose today doesn’t have to be the one you stick with forever. But making the right choice for where you are now can make a real difference in your success.
