How 3 Successful Startups Built Brand Awareness on a Budget

Running a startup is hard. Figuring out how to get your product noticed and your voice heard is like an extreme sport. Pay-to-play marketing strategies are often out of reach and it can feel like the deck is stacked against you.

We get it. The struggle is real. On the bright side, small budgets and limited resources empower teams to dig deep, be resourceful and get creative. Many founders have pointed out that their best ideas were often the result of forced constraints that required unconventional, breakthrough thinking.

Big Risks, Big Payoff

As a startup, the best thing you’ve got going for you is your capacity to take a leap of faith without legal redlining the sh*t out of your ideas. Sure, you can blow your cash on an expensive PR agency to get press hits at the beginning, but it’s less fun and rarely gets the payoff that you hope it will.

I’ve got the receipts to prove it too.

Startup Ingenuity

Consider this advice instead - earn press rather than paying for it. Here are three startups that used budget-friendly, breakthrough ideas to gain traction for their brands:

PR Stunt - Who Gives A Crap : This environmentally friendly toilet paper company started its journey with a bang in 2012. Founder Simon Griffiths sat on a toilet seat in the team’s empty warehouse and pledged (via a live feed) that he wouldn’t get up until the team had secured its full target of $50,000 via crowdfunding. It took 50 hours, but the stunt was a success. This humorous and unusual approach not only raised the funds needed for the company but also put the brand on the public's radar. It also emphasized their commitment to their cause - building toilets in the developing world. Judging by the sharpie on the toilet paper and low-production style video, we’re guessing this didn’t cost the team too much dough to create.

Host an Event - Misfits Market : Launched in 2018, Misfits Market introduced themselves to the world with a series of pop-up events, showcasing their 'ugly' fruits and vegetables, and challenging societal norms about produce beauty standards. Their approach was simple yet bold—highlighting the waste in our food system and offering a sustainable alternative that also saves money for their customers. Misfits Market turned what many saw as a flaw into a rallying cry for environmental and economic sustainability. From its humble beginnings, the brand captured the attention (and wallets) of eco-conscious consumers, growing exponentially to a staggering $2 billion valuation today.

Create Original Content - Chubbies : Founded in 2011 by four friends from Stanford, Chubbies set out to bring fun back into men’s wardrobes with thigh-liberating shorts reminiscent of the 70s and 80s. Their launch strategy was unconventional and scrappy - debuting the designs at a Fourth of July beach party in Lake Tahoe, instantly selling out and capturing the hearts of party-goers. This success was amplified through videos and social media antics that often featured ridiculous, yet entertaining content, like real-life Mario Kart races , which embodied the brand's weekend-warrior ethos. Even today, much of the brand’s social content is lo-fi and heavily reliant on humor and their 'Friday at 5' vibes, engaging followers in a way that transcends traditional marketing.

Get a deeper dive into each brand’s strategy PLUS more breakthrough ideas and examples here: How to Build Brand Awareness on a Budget .

Improv Exercise: Marketing Scene Replay

Inspired by these startups, let’s add an improv twist. Gather your team and choose one of the tactics mentioned above (PR Stunt, Host an Event, Create Original Content). Each member takes turns reimagining the campaign for their own brand, explaining why their idea could create buzz and how they will win over audiences. Perform this in a round-robin format:

• Team Member 1: Suggests an audacious PR stunt that fits with your brand’s vibe.
• Team Member 2: Imagines a unique event concept that brings your brand to the audience IRL. Bonus points for pairing it with an existing industry event.
• Team Member 3: Proposes a new content series for your brand that aims to entertain (not sell). They should be able to discuss why the format is a good fit for the audience and brand.

Could you use more creative manpower to generate brand awareness? Work with us.

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