PR strategy is a lot like baking a good cake – get the ingredients and the timings right and the results can be stunning!

The world of electronics advances at pace with frequent evolutions and revolutions in component technology. These provide the driving force for the never-ending stream of cool products that we as consumers expect. For example, as soon as the iPhone 5 arrived we were pontificating over what iPhone 6 would give. A bigger, better resolution screen? A slimmer case? Longer battery life? These features all rely on electronic component advances to make them a reality. The same is true in white goods, brown goods, automotive and industrial electronic equipment and much more.

When an electronics component manufacturer moves through the often long and expensive development process towards that all-important launch date they hope to be ahead of their competitor,  giving them sole access to the market until others catch up. It is crucial, therefore, that when the component or device eventually launches, the promotion machine to drive sales is synchronised to the launch. This means that the marketing department and PR agency need information long before the launch if they are to avoid the challenge of having to develop plans in reaction to the launch.

In the digital age the choice of marketing tools at the disposal of those tasked with making a big noise about the launch of the next great component, device or module is wide, varied and often bamboozling! Focusing on PR resources specifically, a good agency should be able to counsel its clients in terms of which tools and methods suit and when and where to use them. What is good for one launch or campaign may not be optimum or even suitable for another. What an agency recommends depends on many factors such as the nature of its clients’ business and target market; how, where and by whom the specific product being launched might be used; and the positive benefits to be enjoyed for those who might consider designing it into their own end product.

Press releases, press conferences, press tours, tech articles, thought leadership pieces, blogs, videos, social media, influencing bloggers, inbound marketing campaigns, emailers…the list of tools at the modern PR practioner’s fingertips has never been greater. In addition to selecting the right PR tools it is also crucial to use those tools at the right time in order to generate maximum, exposure, interest and ultimately sales revenue.

For example, you may want to ‘prepare the ground’ by writing, promoting and sharing thought leadership pieces around a topic or market sector closely related to your upcoming launch well ahead of release. This could help ‘seed’ the market while hinting (but not explicitly letting on) that you are about to launch a relevant product for that sector or application.

A press release at launch remains a valid, traditional tactic that is important and works well. But don’t just stop there! Subsequent announcements can talk about supporting products, development kits, significant design wins and other topics that provide ongoing awareness and promote credibility of the new technology over an extended period of time.

Ongoing campaigns might include technical articles that describe the industry need the new technology can address and look at a variety of possible technical solutions. These are not only useful for your target audience but they can help position your organisation as the ‘go to’ company for support and product. Where and when these articles appear can be the difference between the success and failure of that particular PR tactic.

Every business in the electronics sector has different needs in terms of what constitutes the best PR and marketing mix. And, as with baking a cake, it is the combination of mix and timing that is the key to delivering the most successful results. Getting this right ensures that the dedicated work of the engineering teams that strive to develop new components and devices is not undermined by a poorly conceived and executed campaign.

[aio_button align=”center” animation=”pulse” color=”blue” size=”medium” icon=”download-alt” text=”Download The Perfect Press Release Template” relationship=”dofollow” url=”https://www.publitek.com/write-perfect-press-release/”]