Lockheed Martin, Honeybee Robotics, Rheinmetall — everyone knows these global industry leaders. Today, Ukraine is confidently moving up the ranks of defence technology spending. Do Ukrainian companies have a chance of reaching such recognition? Of course, and their communications can partly contribute to this.
In this article, Virosłava Novosylna, CEO and Founder, and Valeriia Krutskykh, PR Director at international PR agency SLOVA Tech PR, discuss communication for defence tech companies and how reputation-building impacts hiring specialists and attracting investment.
Key aspects to focus on when building communication strategies in the defense sector
Communication with stakeholders
A startup in the defence technology sector communicates with several target groups to achieve its goals, such as raising investment or government grants, hiring strong specialists for the team, or lobbying for projects or inventions at the state level.
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Unlike other sectors, in defence, the main buyer and partner is the state. How can you find common ground with government structures? It is essential to communicate your development plans, team, and investors, and to clearly outline what the team has developed and tested. If possible, include feedback from military units that attest to the product's feasibility and its refinement for further use on the battlefield.
This allows to get access to funding, expertise, and resources, as well as state support. Communication in such cases can be both direct, for example, through ministries, and indirect, through raising concerns in the media, conferences, etc.
- Investor relations
The investor niche, including accelerators and funds focused on the defence sector, forms a distinct layer of the ecosystem.
In this segment, priorities centre on EW (electronic warfare), secure communications, robotic ground systems, drones, and advanced software. Investors typically look for working prototypes or MVPs, as well as the potential for dual-use applications that allow technologies to scale beyond strictly military use.
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When communicating about defence projects, it’s crucial to spark interest without compromising confidentiality or revealing sensitive internal details.
Another important dimension is shaping how defence tech companies are perceived as employers. Many people still assume that joining such a startup means automatically ending up on the front line. These misconceptions — often amplified by enemy propaganda — need to be addressed with clear, truthful communication.
One effective way to work with specialists and military personnel in defence companies is through joint, flexible projects. A great example is the experience of entrepreneur and military officer Ivan Kaunov, who has been actively serving in the military for over two years while developing his projects.
- General audience
If necessary, communicate with the general audience for educational purposes. In Ukraine, where drones attack daily, it’s important to talk openly about changes in the industry, the evolution of defence technologies, and especially the variety of UAVs being developed.
These may include logistical drones, demining drones, and “friendly” drones used for humanitarian missions. And if training or testing happens near civilian areas, it’s crucial to explain how to recognise “friendly” drones and why their presence should not cause concern.
Publicity vs. Non-publicity
After identifying target audiences, it is important to determine the level of publicity acceptable for the company, for what purposes, and in what "circles."
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is the company ready for publicity? To what extent, full or partial? What are the restrictions?
- Is there a limited time that needs to be met? Is it a long-term or quicker story?
- How much time and how much money is the company ready to invest in this work?
- Will publicity harm the company or the founders?
- Does your publicity involve engaging your partners or other stakeholders?
What to remember before any actions
- Confidentiality. When sharing information in the defence sphere, there is always a risk of disclosing confidential data or technologies that could harm security and national defence capabilities. Therefore, when interacting with media representatives and journalists, it is important to establish communication taboos that clearly define restrictions on disclosing certain details.
- Always determine which information is confidential and whether its disclosure is unacceptable. This may include information such as the technical characteristics and parameters of defence systems, production methods using advanced technologies, and research data. This information is critically important from a security perspective and could potentially be exploited by adversaries.
- "Addressing fears". The defence sphere is often surrounded by myths, public speculation, and skepticism. Therefore, audience fears need to be addressed separately. What is this new product? What is it created for? How does it work? What are the benefits? All of this is important, not only to convey public support, but also as a preventive measure or response to existing social concerns.
- Crisis management plan. The basis of the PR strategy. Information leaks, the promotion of enemy narratives with PSYOP, hacker attacks, and the list of potential crises sometimes seem endless. In addition to analyzing possible crisis scenarios, it is necessary to establish mechanisms for internal communication.
- Remember that a crisis requires internal and external response scenarios. It is important to provide clear, truthful, and timely information. Working in defence tech means being ready at any moment to answer questions, address outrage, or alleviate public concerns.
- Media relations are not needed to secure many press mentions; they are required to protect against unnecessary publications. In certain cases, companies have to communicate "off the record" to gain the support of journalists and build relationships based on trust.
- Often, PR in defence is not about publicity, but about containing information leaks and promptly addressing the consequences without harming the project.
Possible PR formats for defence startups
- Traditional media campaigns.
- Case studies. This format allows the audience to learn about real-world applications of defense solutions and emphasizes the broader importance of defense technologies in the modern world.
- Press conferences, presentations, or testing. Closed or open, depending on the event and the level of attention we want to attract. When presenting a startup, it is worth gathering a wider audience and introducing the project to the target media. It is better to present an updated product or technology in a more closed format, with previously discussed positions on the possibility of publishing the information.
- Traditional formats such as news, press releases, editorial comments, or exclusive studies shape the industry's agenda, where each startup needs to secure its place.
- If there are no restrictions on having your project’s representatives in the public space, share expert columns in the media, and consider the possibility of participating in interviews or podcasts. People trust people.
- Participation in professional events. When creating a successful communication strategy, do not limit yourself to media activities alone. Additional participation in professional events, conferences, and other specialized events allows the company to actively learn about new trends, technologies, and innovations in the industry, as well as find potential partners, investors, and clients.
The most significant international conferences include EUROSATORY in France, American Defense IT Summit, Aerospace & Defense Supplier Summit, and Security and Defense in London.
Engagement with professional groups, associations, and unions is also an important component of the communication strategy. This allows the company to have direct access to the industry, share internal research, and increase its visibility in a specialized environment.
- Closed events at the government level. You will not get loud coverage of this event, as they often take place under enhanced secrecy, but you are likely to get the necessary and useful contacts. This KPI is important for playing the long game.
- Partnership and cross-communications. Joint projects improve communication between teams, provide access to partner audiences, and showcase practical use cases. They also signal to international media that companies are collaborating to drive new developments and build a shared defence-tech ecosystem.
Defence tech PR requires a delicate approach. It is about protecting lives and establishing strategic partnerships. Unlike many other niches, the target audience of communication is very diverse. These are government agencies with different priorities, military units, and individuals. Each target group requires a special approach; however, the basic rules of communication remain unchanged. Consider the presentation of the partnership and its values for both parties, which have a solid scientific basis, and conduct ethical communication, taking into account the sensitivity of the topics.
More than three years of war have given the Ukrainian defence startup market new, unique knowledge and experience — the relevance of this knowledge is undoubted. Effective strategic communications attract the best talent, secure investments, and necessary partnerships, and ultimately enhance Ukraine's image as a resilient player that comprehensively and strategically leverages its acquired experience.
