While we’d all like to get that headline feature in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times or (insert other important outlet here) with the headline of “(insert company here) is the Best Company Ever!,” reporters have a job to do. Writing ads for companies is not a priority. Reporters and editors need a story that readers can use to get smarter, reveal something new, etc. That’s why, even though big announcements/launches can yield big press results, you need a baseline of stories you can leverage during the down times. Maybe these are case studies, trend stories, exclusive behind the scenes looks and much more.
For instance, Voxus works with Internet security company IID. The company launched its flagship product, ActiveTrust, in February 2014. While the launch did yield some upper tier media hits, the question was, what now? How do we continue to stay in front of press (and customers/prospects) with meaningful information that continues to tell the IID story? The answer? A combination of thought leadership opportunities and a unique look inside the company.
Thought leadership was accomplished by providing unique insight into the state of threat sharing with a survey sponsored by IID but conducted by cybersecurity think tank the Ponemon Institute. Never before had such extensive research been conducted on the subject. The resulting press (leveraging IID as thought leaders) was significant with some high profile placements including Businessweek. The key to this coverage wasn’t just name dropping IID but furthering the message that threat sharing is essential and has to be exchanged differently than it was in the past. Oh, and IID has a solution for that!
While IID was working this angle, the company was simultaneously offering up something unique to the Wall Street Journal: an inside look at a day in the life of the cyberwarrior. IID’s team works 24×7, 365 days a year analyzing the latest threats, taking down bad sites and collaborating with literally thousands of different organizations a day. It’s that creative, around-the-clock human analysis, persistence and collaborative spirit that sets IID apart from others. IID conveyed this message through the special behind the scenes article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal after writer Rachael King’s day-long visit to the company.
So while product/corporate announcements can generally be used as a crutch to news coverage, it’s hidden stories and industry trends that can deliver the biggest boosts to your media relations program.