Preclinical data looks promising. A partnership gets signed. A financial milestone lands. And almost immediately, the instinct kicks in: we need visibility, and we need it now.

It’s one of the most common hiccups I see in emerging biotechs — chasing headlines before the media strategy is even defined. In life sciences and other regulated industry, building credibility first can help create visibility.

This is how it usually works. A placement in a prestige publication rarely creates strategic impact if the foundation underneath it isn’t there yet. Media works more like an amplification engine than a trust-building one. While iit can accelerate a story, it won’t build the trust that makes people believe it in the first place.

That trust comes from somewhere less glamorous. A CEO who’s already visible before the news breaks, not introduced by it. A clear, defensible point of view on the science — one that holds up independently of any single media cycle. External validation from collaborators, scientific leaders, and other credible third parties. Consistent positioning across every stakeholder touchpoint, so the story doesn’t shift depending on who’s reading it.

This is why I never start a conversation with “which publication do we want to be in.” I start with the questions that actually determine whether coverage does anything for you: How does this communication support your business goals? Who needs to hear it? And what do you want them to think after they’ve read it?

Get those answers first, and the right coverage tends to follow. Skip them, and even a headline in the outlet you wanted can come and go without moving anything that matters.

Strategy first. Headlines second.