My suggestion would be to only spend time and energy on PR activity that serves a greater purpose than winning the contest. While this is a great excuse/reminder that PR is important, think beyond the startup battle. Look at this as an opportunity to tell your story.
Here are some thoughts that will help in positioning yourself as a thought-leader:
- If you're the only entry from Canada, use this as an opportunity to build relationships with come Canadian tech journalists. Reach out and ask permission to tell them more about your mission. Use the Startup Battle as a hook because it's current and newsworthy. But remember - you really don't want to see "Help griflens win Startup Battlefield" as the headline. You'd rather see them tell the story of your value proposition.
- Are there interesting / relevant startup-focused local media outlets - i.e.: BetaKit, Canada.com, TechVibes, etc that would cover your win and appeal to their readers for help? (Those three are TO-based.)
- Brainstorm 5-10 interesting blog topics you could write on and subsequently submit as guest posts to relevant lifestyle blogs with solid readerships. Pitch the blog owners the topic first and ask if they'd be open to you submitting a guest post discussing the topic. Be sure you're proposing how you can add value to that community. Again, don't lead with 'we're a finalist in the Global Startup Battle' - instead, add voting for you as a classy call to action, once you've given the readers something of value. (Rule of thumb: Give first, Ask second.)
- Network with as many influencers as possible on multiple social media channels like Twitter and via email. Introduce yourself, share your news - without asking for their help, they may just be intrigued to learn more about you and subsequently vote.
Just a few ideas off of the top of my head.
Cheers,
Heather
PS: Oh, and good luck! :o)
