Big Pharma is facing a patent cliff. Billions in revenue are at stake as blockbuster drugs lose exclusivity. The solution? They’re hunting for innovative pipeline assets and cutting-edge science that can fill the gaps and drive the next decade of growth.
Innovations like revolutionary approaches to cancer treatment. Novel mechanisms for neurodegeneration. Breakthrough diagnostics that could catch disease years earlier. Game-changing laboratory techniques that make research faster and more precise. Next-generation sequencing platforms that unlock new biological insights. Manufacturing innovations that make therapies scalable and affordable.
What people don’t know is that those breakthroughs are already happening somewhere in a lab right now.
That’s where public relations comes in. Not the stuffy, press-release-at-10am kind. The strategic, science-forward, “let’s get this incredible research into the conversation” kind. Because the best science doesn’t always win, the science that people actually hear about does.
The AI Paradox: Why Your Leadership Needs to Tell Your Story
Even though AI has made content creation easier than ever, audiences have never been more skeptical.
Deloitte’s 2025 Connected Consumer Survey, which surveyed over 3,500 U.S. consumers in June 2025, found that 74% of those familiar with generative AI say its increasing popularity makes it harder for them to trust what they see online. Publications are now using AI detection tools on contributed content from PR agencies due to concerns about originality and credibility.
So, when your founder groans about doing yet another podcast interview or balks at writing a LinkedIn post, remind them of this: in an era of AI-generated everything, authenticity has become the ultimate differentiator.
Why founder voices matter more than ever:
- Your passion for the science makes your story more compelling than corporate messaging
- You understand why your product matters in ways that no one else can explain
- The journey from bright idea to founding a company is a human story that connects with audiences
- Your expertise helps journalists feel confident in their source
- You can speak to the real-world impact in ways that resonate emotionally
The companies getting meaningful media coverage in 2026 won’t be hiding behind corporate speak or letting generic spokespeople water down their message. Their scientific founders will be out there, talking about what excites them, explaining why their approach is different, and connecting the dots between complex science and significant impacts.
Journalists and content creators are actively looking for scientists who can explain exciting research in accessible ways. They want your expertise, your enthusiasm, and your authentic perspective, not polished corporate messaging that could come from anyone. There are many different ways to leverage public relations for your company’s story.
The good news: you don’t have to wing it. Media training isn’t about turning you into a robot; it’s about helping you translate your complex science accessibly, craft memorable explanations, and handle challenging questions without stumbling. Think of it as learning to tell your science story in a way that makes people lean in and say, “Wait, tell me more about that.”
Publishing With Intent to Be "Machine-Cited"
Remember when SEO was the big thing? Welcome to 2026, where Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the new frontier.
When physicians, researchers, or patients ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini about breakthrough approaches in your therapeutic area, you want your science in that answer. Not because you’re trying to one-up competitors, but because your research deserves to be part of the conversation.
PR Daily’s 2026 trends analysis identifies a fundamental shift happening right now: communicators must publish with the intent to be machine-cited. This means prioritizing authoritative storytelling, proprietary insights, and expert voices to ensure content surfaces in AI summaries.
What this means in practice:
- Write in clear, definitive statements that AI can extract and cite
- Use Q&A formats that match conversational queries
- Publish proprietary research, first-party data, or original analysis
- Structure content so that key insights can stand alone without surrounding context
- Establish consistent expert positioning through strategic campaigns so that AI learns your expertise
However, AI search engines operate different from traditional search, and they often prioritize authoritative sources like Wikipedia and user-generated content platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and major news outlets. While you can (and should!) still make the above adjustments to your website to enhance your AI visibility, you should also consider how to involve other platforms in your marketing strategy.
The takeaway here? Become the source, both within your website domain and beyond. AI engines are essentially a remix of what’s already out there, and the best way to garner trust is to be the original content that AI must cite. This means securing earned media in credible outlets, publishing original research, and creating comprehensive resources that serve as definitive references.
When someone searches for information about your therapeutic area or approach, your science should be there. Your technology needs to be accurately represented, properly contextualized, and attributed to the experts who actually did the work.
PR as Risk Management: Building Your Buffer Before You Need It
Many biotech leaders hesitate to ramp up public relations, fearing increased scrutiny or criticism. But the reality is that visibility can help manage the same risk it might create.
Think about it. When a clinical trial hits a snag or unexpected data emerges, companies without PR infrastructure scramble. They have no media relationships, no credibility reserves, no crisis protocols. They’re starting from zero at the worst possible moment.
Companies that invested early? They have:
- Relationship capital: Reporters who know them and their stories provide more balanced, contextualized coverage.
- Narrative foundation: A track record of transparent science communication creates goodwill that buffers challenging moments.
- Response infrastructure: Crisis plans are thorough, and trained spokespeople are ready to activate.
- Community trust: Stakeholders who’ve followed the science journey understand the realities of research and development.
Beyond crisis management, there’s a practical business benefit: yes, investors and potential partners pay attention to companies with strong visibility and credibility. But the real win is that your science gets the attention it deserves—from the physicians who might prescribe it, the researchers who might collaborate with you, the patient advocates who might champion it, and the broader scientific community that might build on your work.
Measuring What Actually Matters
If you’re still measuring public relations success by the number of media placements or impressions, we need to talk.
According to recent industry research, 50% of communications leaders say they lack effective impact measurement tools. But 2026 is the year that PR finally speaks the language of business. Executives want to see how communication drives meaningful outcomes, not vanity metrics.
Focus on impact metrics that matter:
- Scientific community engagement: speaking invitations at key conferences, collaboration inquiries from academic institutions, citations and recognition from key opinion leaders
- Audience reach and education: coverage in outlets that your target audiences actually read, message accuracy and pull-through in articles, engagement from physicians, researchers, or patients
- Business development: quality partnership inquiries from organizations that understand your science, investor meeting requests that reference specific coverage
- Talent attraction: candidates citing your research coverage, ability to recruit top scientific talent
Frame results as real impact: “Secured feature coverage in three tier-1 journals read by our target physician audience,” not “got 15 media placements.” “Conference speaking invitation led to collaboration with leading research institution,” not “reached 2M impressions.”
The companies building sustainable visibility are those focused on getting their science into the right conversations with the right audiences rather than just racking up mentions.
The Bottom Line
At Samba Scientific, we believe groundbreaking research deserves to be heard. Not buried in a journal that only 50 people will read. Not locked away until the “perfect moment” that never comes. Not lost in the noise because someone with flashier marketing but less compelling science shouted louder.
The innovations that will define the next scientific advancement matter. The therapeutics that will save lives, the diagnostics that will catch disease earlier, the technologies that will make enable future discovery are being developed right now in biotech labs. And most people have no idea they exist.
That’s the opportunity. That’s why strategic public relations matters.
When you work with a team that gets excited about science (yes, we’re raising our hands here!), PR becomes less about corporate messaging and more about amplifying the innovation that deserves attention. We’re here to help you translate complex mechanisms into compelling stories, connect you with journalists who are actively looking for stories like yours, and get your research into the conversations where it can make the biggest impact.
Ready to get your science the attention it deserves?
At Samba Scientific, we specialize in helping life science companies tell their stories effectively. Let’s talk about how strategic PR can amplify your research and build the visibility that matters.
