Neha Mohanty of StarFishGlobal Communications on Strategy-First PR, Narrative Intelligence, and Trust in the AI Era

StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future.

In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Neha Mohanty, Founder and Director of StarFishGlobal Communications LLP, who reflects on how the communications landscape evolved from visibility-driven campaigns to strategy-led reputation building in 2025. As founders and leadership teams moved beyond vanity coverage, the demand shifted toward communication that could directly influence business outcomes — from partnerships and hiring to investor confidence.

Mohanty shares how StarFishGlobal adapted by deepening its advisory role, integrating PR, digital, and content into unified narrative systems, and focusing on measurable impact rather than media volume alone. The conversation explores the non-obvious metrics that signal real brand momentum, the rising importance of context control in an era of AI-manipulated content and rapid misinformation cycles, and how technology and data are enabling more intelligent, responsive communication strategies.

StartupTalky: StarFishGlobal is a boutique agency specializing in integrated communications. What was the most significant strategic shift in client demand you observed in 2025, and how did you adapt your service offerings?

Neha Mohanty: The single biggest shift we've seen is clients stepping away from vanity coverage to demanding communication that could clearly move the needle on business outcomes. Visibility alone was no longer enough; founders and leadership teams wanted clear communication strategy that delivers relevance, credibility, and conversion. We adapted by tightening our strategy-first approach; every mandate now starts with defining business objectives and communication strategy. We expanded our advisory layer, sharpened spokesperson positioning, and integrated content, digital amplification, and narrative building so communications directly supported growth, hiring, partnerships, and investor confidence.

StartupTalky: Beyond media mentions, what are the two or three non-obvious KPIs you track to measure the true impact of a communications strategy on a client's business outcomes and brand equity?

Neha Mohanty: But beyond coverage volume, we track three non-obvious KPIs really closely: First, message pull-through-what percent of our core narratives are replicated verbatim across channels. Second, inbound quality uplift, such as better partnership queries, investor conversations, or senior talent outreach post-coverage. Third, search and authority signals-including branded search growth and share of voice increase post PR. These KPIs tell us whether communication is actually shaping perception and business momentum and not just generating noise.

StartupTalky: In an era of deepfakes and rapid news cycles, what was the most critical reputational risk or crisis management challenge you navigated in 2025, and what was the key lesson learned?

Neha Mohanty: In 2025, the biggest reputational risk we faced was the fast spread of miscontextualised content especially AI-manipulated audio and video clips that were shared without their full meaning. These were not completely false stories, but partial truths that were misunderstood and quickly amplified online.

In one case, a leadership comment made at a closed-door industry conference was shared publicly without context. It quickly turned into memes and strong opinions, creating controversy. The challenge was not to deny what was said, but to explain the real intent in an environment where outrage spreads faster than facts.

The key lesson was the importance of context control rather than denial. Preparation mattered more than reacting loudly. Having pre-approved messages, clear spokesperson roles, and a fast decision-making process allowed us to respond within hours instead of days. We also learned that when trust is built consistently over time, even fast-moving narratives can be corrected before they cause lasting damage.

StartupTalky: The line between PR, digital marketing, and content is blurring. How does StarFishGlobal's integrated approach leverage technology and data analytics to deliver measurable, unified communication strategies?

Neha Mohanty: At StarFishGlobal, our integrated approach is built on narrative intelligence. We use technology and data to understand which messages are working, which platforms audiences trust, and where real engagement or conversion is happening. This allows us to shape communication strategies that are informed by insight, not assumptions.

We track sentiment shifts, content performance, and media impact in real time, so strategies can be refined quickly. Instead of running PR, digital, and content as separate efforts, we design them as one unified system where each channel supports the other. This ensures consistent messaging, measurable impact, and communication that directly supports business goals.

StartupTalky: The rise of AI in content generation presents both an opportunity and a threat. What is StarFishGlobal's core strategic differentiator that will ensure sustained leadership in 2026 in delivering authentic, high-value content?

Neha Mohanty: While AI is great at producing content, it is unable to produce judgement, context, or trust. Our key is human-led strategy and tech discipline. Our approach is insight-led storytelling: deeper founder engagement, deeper understanding of the categories we work in, and more ethical narrative development. Authenticity is about specificity. In 2026, our clients will need help from partners who help them distinguish the noise about AI and still need to move quickly.

StartupTalky: Looking ahead to 2026, what is StarFishGlobal's biggest product or market bet? Will the focus be on expanding into new international markets, specializing in a niche sector like deep-tech, or developing proprietary measurement tools?

Neha Mohanty: Looking ahead to 2026, our biggest bet is on expanding capabilities rather than chasing scale. Alongside our core communications work, we are actively building adjacent offerings in communication training and development, helping founders, leaders, and teams communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and consistency- both internally and externally.

At the same time, we are strengthening our global footprint. We are already doing inbound work and servicing clients in international markets, and are now actively exploring expansion into the UAE, where we see strong demand for strategic, founder-led communications.

We see a clear and growing need for structured support around spokesperson readiness, leadership communication, and narrative alignment, particularly in high-pressure and fast-moving environments. This direction allows us to deepen impact, build long-term partnerships, and move beyond campaign-led work into capability building while staying true to our boutique, high-touch model.

StartupTalky: Five years from now, what do you hope will be the lasting legacy of StarFishGlobal on the communications industry, particularly in redefining the role of a boutique agency in a globalized market?

Neha Mohanty: Five years from now, StarFishGlobal’s legacy will be defined by how it helped companies across the globe build strong, streamlined, and future-ready communication systems. We will be known for transforming communication from a reactive function into a structured, strategic capability that supports leadership, growth, and reputation at scale.

StarFishGlobal will stand as proof that a boutique agency can deliver global impact without losing depth or rigor. By creating robust communication frameworks that work across markets, cultures, and platforms, we will redefine the role of a boutique firm as long-term partners who bring clarity, consistency, and credibility to brands operating in an increasingly complex, fast-moving global media environment.

StartupTalky: What is the single most important, hard-won lesson you would share with a founder scaling a high-touch, service-based consulting firm in a rapidly evolving media landscape?

Neha Mohanty: In a high-touch consulting business, focus is the real accelerator. Solving one clear problem for one defined niche really well creates depth, credibility, and momentum that no amount of hustle can replace. When your expertise is sharply defined, trust builds faster, the work gets stronger, and growth becomes a natural outcome.

In a fast-evolving media landscape, specialists scale far more sustainably than generalists. Clarity of focus sharpens your reputation, simplifies decisions, and removes noise. Once this is solved, everything else demand, referrals, and long-term partnerships starts falling into place almost organically. Focus does not limit growth; it protects it.

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