In this episode of The Press Playbook, host Kendall Aldridge sits down with Courtney Joslin, Senior Account Director at BAM, to break down how the team secured a Fast Company placement for an early-stage health tech client launching a brand-new product.
The conversation walks through how BAM approached a product launch without funding, partnerships, or new research, and why design became the key media hook that made the story stand out.
Below are the key moments and takeaways from the episode, or listen where you please:
Episode Overview
Guest: Courtney Joslin, Senior Account Director at BAM
Client Featured: Memory Air
Key Placement: Fast Company
Episode Focus: Product launch strategy and design-led storytelling
Format: Short-form, candid conversation
Key Moments & Takeaways
⏱️ 00:00–01:40 — Setting the Stage
Kendall introduces The Press Playbook and explains the goal of the series: highlighting real client placements and the thinking behind them. Courtney shares her background at BAM and her role working directly with clients on media strategy and placements.
⏱️ 01:40–03:00 — Introducing the Client
Courtney introduces Memory Air, a new health tech company founded by a neuroscientist studying the relationship between smell and memory. The client was preparing to launch a new product designed to help people improve memory through scent.
⏱️ 03:00–04:20 — Finding the Right Hook
Because the launch didn’t include funding, partnerships, or new research, BAM had to rethink how to frame the story. Courtney explains why the team chose to focus on design, specifically how neuroscience research informed the product’s creation.
⏱️ 04:20–05:45 — Crafting the Pitch
Courtney walks through how the pitch was tailored specifically for Fast Company’s global design editor, emphasizing:
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Exclusivity
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The intersection of science and design
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What made the product unconventional and editorially interesting
⏱️ 05:45–07:30 — Navigating the Back-and-Forth
Once interest was confirmed, the process focused on:
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Verifying exclusivity
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Providing visual assets
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Finalizing spokespeople
Courtney explains why giving reporters everything they need upfront helps minimize friction and speed up the process.
⏱️ 07:30–08:55 — Structuring Pitches That Get Read
Courtney shares tactical advice on pitch structure, including why she relies heavily on bullet points, concise messaging, and clearly organized assets to keep pitches digestible.
⏱️ 08:55–09:45 — Results & Impact
The Fast Company feature marked the client’s first piece of coverage for the product, helping legitimize the company and drive a measurable bump in website traffic.
⏱️ 09:45–11:10 — Advice for Founders
Courtney emphasizes the importance of patience in PR, explaining that meaningful coverage often takes time and multiple touchpoints before a story comes together.
⏱️ 11:10–12:00 — One PR “Secret Sauce”
The episode closes with a simple but effective tip: personalize pitch subject lines by including the reporter’s name to increase the likelihood that your email gets opened.
Final Takeaway
This episode of The Press Playbook highlights how early-stage startups can earn meaningful press even without traditional news hooks. By reframing a product launch around design, aligning the story with the right journalist, and approaching pitching with intention, BAM helped turn a challenging launch into a standout media moment.
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