How Calm Whipped Up a Storm: How one small app won a ton of PR and buzz that helped it grow big – and how YOU can too

This short book is for anyone who runs or markets an app – or other startup, scaleup or challenger brand – and wants to generate a ton of buzz, coverage and attention but without having a ton of money to do so.

With over 1.5 million new apps launched every year – over 4,000 a day – it’s never been harder to win attention by standing out in a noisy world; and never been more crucial to do so.

This book is at least two things: part case study and part how-to guide.

It’s a case study of how one small app won way more than its fair share of buzz and attention by using creative PR, guerrilla and viral marketing that helped it grow big.

It’s also a guide to how YOU can do too by following Calm’s example and applying the author’s “10 Golden Rules of PR and Guerrilla Marketing.”

You will learn why:

• There are two kinds of PR – and you need to do both.

• Silly PR is better than serious PR.

• “These days only two things win attention: Celebrities and ‘Weird’.”

• The best form of PR is content marketing – and the best form of content marketing is guerrilla content marketing.

• One lightning bolt of attention is not enough; you need rolling thunder.

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“Every app and startup should study Peter’s 10 Golden Rules of PR and Guerrilla Marketing and his advice on the secrets of creating a buzzy, talked-about brand.”

Michael Acton Smith, co-founder of Calm

© 2025 Buzzly Press (Audiobook): 9781739579425

Release date

Audiobook: 11 May 2025