Most tech brands, regardless of industry, have asked themselves this question at least once: how can I continue to earn consistent media coverage when either:
- Our brand isn’t launching a new product for several months?
- There’s an unexpected delay in product availability?
While you might think it’s a good time to wind down on your public relations efforts until the product is ready, this is a great opportunity to create compelling, non-product-related content to push your brand forward. Here are 5 ways to earn those high-value headlines:
- Uncover Seasonal Outreach Opportunities
Major holidays and events such as World Health Day, Black Friday/Cyber Monday or even Pi Day offer timely opportunities to insert your brand in relevant conversations that are already happening in the media.
For example, is your lead product engineer a woman? Women’s History Month would be an ideal time to pitch Forbes on a round-up of successful women in the STEM industry, while offering your engineer for an interview. Does your brand have access to interesting data on its customers’ shopping behaviors around the new iPhone announcement? Top tier outlets such as CNBC, Recode and USA Today are known to post about this topic, and are always keen to receive unique information to add to their stories.
Create an editorial calendar to keep track of opportunities your brand’s employees, expertise or data could add value to.
- Develop Contributed Content That Sets You Apart from Competitors
Contributed articles authored by your employees who can offer credible, third-party perspectives are a great way to land non-product placements.
By keeping tabs on what is most interesting to consumers within your target media outlets (look at which articles are receiving the most comments and are being shared most by readers on social media), you can create timely, compelling story angles based on what’s currently trending as it relates to your industry, products and/or area of expertise. For example, you might offer a piece on what to do after successfully completing your first round of funding or how to best capture retailer attention. Use experiences, data and tips as supporting content.
After developing your article idea, pitch it to a relevant publication that will help you reach key stakeholders such as retailers, B2B prospects, target users, etc. Each article should be exclusive to an outlet, so be sure to pitch your top target first, and move down your list as you hear back (or don’t) from editors.
- Submit Your C-Suite for Speaking Opportunities at Relevant Industry Events & Tradeshows
Research the top relevant industry events and tradeshows, and find speaking opportunities at each, whether a keynote, panel or even hosting your own session with a small group of attendees. Make sure you have lots of visuals like signs, banners and custom clothing all showing your company logo and/or name – there is nothing better for branding! To determine whether an event is worth considering, look at the list of past speakers, attendee numbers from recent years, retailer attendance and media attendance and coverage from the show.
Larger events such as CES, Web Summit, IFA or TechCrunch Disrupt require lead times of at least six months, so be sure to research these at the beginning of the year and finalize event plans as soon as possible or register to be notified once the next call for speakers opens.
- Create Interesting Data Stories
To extend brand coverage outside of the product review cycle, produce non-product-related content that can be pitched to journalists interested in the topic. This would help differentiate your brand from competitor coverage, offering journalists an additional valuable asset on your specific industry.
One example is surveying users of your target audience to find interesting, unique data about common behaviors associated with your product category and everyday life (e.g. the use of headphones in the workplace). If your brand offers a software product, it’s also worth pulling anonymized data from your user base and brainstorming several storylines and angles to help highlight interesting behavior trends.
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- Submit for Award Opportunities
Continue to elevate your brand’s reputation among consumers and key stakeholders by identifying product and brand-focused award opportunities throughout the year.
Search trade organizations and top target publications for opportunities that’ll resonate well with retailers, investors, consumers or potential employees such as the CES Innovation Awards, TWICE Picks Awards, TIME’s Best Inventions or Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies.
This guest blog post was written by Ed Hecht, VP of Business Development at Max Borges Agency, a premier PR firm for Consumer Electronics Brands. Ed can be reached at 646-430-1800 or by email at [email protected].
If you’re looking for PR strategies to get your brand through a slow period of the year, consider Max Borges Agency.
