The challenge
In January 2015, RS Components signed as the primary distribution partner for Bare Conductive, creators of Electric Paint and the Arduino-based Touch Board. The distributor was starting to build its support for small, innovative companies serving both the technology maker community and commercial and industrial applications. The objective of a press launch was therefore two-pronged. For RS it was to deliver the message that it is active in working with smaller vendors and start-ups like Bare Conductive, which in turn shows support for customers across the breadth of the engineering spectrum. For Bare Conductive, it was to present its products to a previously untapped audience, and to confirm its relationship with a global distribution partner. With a restricted budget for this activity, a web conference was hit upon as the best option to reach as many journalists from the electronics and industrial press as possible across EMEA. APAC was also important, but the web conference format is not effective in these markets, so these were targeted via press release. As the conference would be conducted in English, this was considered a potential barrier to attracting journalists from outside native English-speaking countries.
What we did
Before agreeing on the web conference option, we discussed with the client the requirement for an interesting visual experience and engaging spokespeople. Bare Conductive and RS delivered both. The format was simple: journalists were invited to join via a web conference provider, with short presentations from both companies delivered in English language. Two sessions were arranged – one in the morning, one in the afternoon – to allow for journalist availability. Tests for audio quality were carried out in advance, and it was agreed to proceed with audio via telephone, which at that time offered better sound and more reliable connection. The announcement was received enthusiastically by journalists and questions followed, moderated by an RS host. Samples of the product were mailed out to journalists after the conference.
Results
Twenty journalists participated in the two conference sessions from media outlets across EMEA, including Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, demonstrating that language is not necessarily a barrier if the topic is interesting and engaging. 150 pieces of positive media coverage were identified following the conferences.