Driving Tech PR Success Using Topical Issues

One of the things that attracted me to PR (aside from the glamour and jet-setting lifestyle that’s taken me as far as the Birmingham NEC) was the fact that nothing stands still. Client messages change over time; markets evolve; and new stories give new ways to present client messages to the world. Indeed, the right story landing at the right time can be a godsend to a team; it lets you engage with your audience using something that really resonates with them, and can help refresh or boost messages that might otherwise be hard to communicate.

One such story was the 2013 horsemeat crisis. From a purely PR perspective, an event such as this was ideal for anyone with something relevant to say: it was high-profile, ongoing and, most importantly, nobody was directly harmed. From the point of view of our client Trace One,  the crisis was a perfect opportunity to discuss its key message, around the need for complete transparency throughout the manufacturing supply chain, particularly in food labelling and production, so that the potential for adulterating food is minimised, and that any food that is a risk can be swiftly removed from sale.

Of course, responding to a large, ongoing story doesn’t mean just slapping a quick quote together, punting it out to the four winds and then lying back and waiting for the coverage. Instead, the first thing we did was develop a clear, consistent message on the crisis that we could share with the media without deviation hesitation or repetition. With this message down, we could then respond both to the initial story and further developments as they happened: making sure Trace One’s involvement wasn’t just a flash in the pan but instead keeping Trace One and its thought leadership at the forefront of its audience’s minds.

However, sending out quotes can only do so much. Varying our tactics was crucial to making the most of the opportunity and spreading Trace One’s message as widely as possible.  As well as response to the ongoing story, we also arranged quotes and interviews for relevant editorial features and breaking stories that would advance the traceability message; drafted letter and opinion pieces for the retail press; and supported blog posts for Trace One’s site that allowed the company to place its take on events front and centre.

Beyond the immediate effects of the horsemeat crisis on retailers, we and Trace One soon realised that it could have lingering implications on consumer trust – after all, spending would likely drop if consumers believe there’s a good chance that meat is Redrum. This formed the basis of two projects. The first was a Freedom of Information request of councils across the UK, to find out just how many potential food safety incidents beyond horsemeat were lurking under the radar. This resulted in a media alert, covered in the industry and national press, which made it clear that, in a grotesquely mixed metaphor, horsemeat was only the tip of the iceberg.

This gave us the scale of the issue. Next was to judge just what shoppers wanted. To avoid focusing purely on a single incident, we developed research to judge the growth of the “savvy shopper” – consumers who pay attention to not only to costs, but also to health scares, fat content, ethical concerns and a host of other issues when choosing their food. Using this research, we could show the industry just what impact the crisis had had on their customer to date, and how they could go about winning back their trust.

In the whole time, our aim was clear: rather than simply waiting for relevant stories to fall into our laps, we made sure we were making our own opportunities to ensure consistent exposure for Trace One’s message. Throughout, we made sure that Trace One was engaging with the issue positively: offering advice and identifying ways to win back consumer trust, rather than simply going on the attack against other businesses or organisations.  

And the results? Well, consistent, top-level coverage has certainly helped. Indeed, Trace One’s profile is now such that organisations and publications are contacting them directly for their opinion and insight. Trace One is now seen as a key player in the field of transparency which, after all, is what we’re being paid for.