In PR, the path to visibility often takes unexpected turns — and sometimes, one well-placed interview sparks a PR chain reaction.
On January 19, 2025, Pierre-Arnaud Coquelin, CEO of Wheere, was interviewed live on France Inter’s weekend morning news. Yet this wasn’t part of our original PR roadmap.
Wheere is a promising French deeptech startup, aiming to disrupt indoor geolocation by launching its own constellation of satellites by 2030. As their PR consultants, we naturally support them in building brand awareness and earned media — but this particular interview? Not on our radar.
So, let’s rewind.
Pierre-Arnaud Coquelin is a rare breed. A brilliant mathematician and serial entrepreneur, he has a habit of solving a complex problem… and launching a startup to scale the solution.
Wheere was born out of a challenge that has long puzzled engineers: how to accurately geolocate an object or person inside a building — or underground. Traditional geolocation relies on triangulating signals from satellites, captured by a receiver attached to the object. The method works flawlessly outdoors… but the signal breaks down when walls or underground structures get in the way.
It’s not exactly the kind of topic that usually grabs headline space.
But Coquelin’s profile? That’s a media hook.
Back in January, we had pitched a story to a leading national daily — Le Figaro. These placements are never guaranteed: top-tier outlets rely on strong editorial relevance and tight news cycles. But our pitch hit the mark. The story (in French) was published shortly after the interview was recorded.
The twist came a few days later. During our regular weekly call with the client, Wheere’s head of communications picked up a call: France Inter was requesting an interview with Coquelin for their weekend morning show.
Was this PR chain reaction direct result of the Figaro piece? We can’t say for sure. But the timing was striking. Either way, this was the kind of opportunity you never turn down: France Inter dominates weekend morning radio ratings in France.
Luckily, we had already prepped the CEO with a thorough media coaching session ahead of the Figaro piece — reviewing key messaging, soundbites, and delivery fundamentals.
The result? We’ll let you listen for yourself (in French).
Final takeaway.
PR isn’t just about planning. It’s about being ready to catch the wave when it comes. You need solid prep, agility, and the confidence to seize unexpected opportunities. Like a PR reaction for instance.
And of course, it helps when your spokesperson is a brilliant outlier whose story naturally sparks journalistic curiosity.
