Category: Articles

In this blog, Natalia Kaczmarek, Digital Content Manager at Whiteoaks, discusses:

  • How AI is being used in B2B tech PR
  • Why AI is a tool and not a replacement for human judgement, creativity and relationships
  • The importance of responsible use and transparency


How many times have you heard about artificial intelligence (AI) this week?

A quick scroll on LinkedIn, a news headline, or even a passing reference in a Netflix drama, conversations about AI are becoming impossible to ignore.

AI may have started in the tech world, but it’s now influencing how B2B businesses across all industries communicate, compete and grow – and public relations (PR) is no exception.

AI in PR is making a measurable impact. However, as PR agencies and in-house PR teams rush to adopt new tools, there’s an important balance to strike.

In B2B tech PR, the value of AI lies in how it supports professionals, not replaces them.

Yes, it can improve efficiency. Yes, it can make data analysis easier.

But strategy, creativity and relationship-building still sit firmly in human hands.

The use cases for AI in public relations

Here are some examples of where AI tools can add value to PR professionals:

#1 In-depth, faster desk research
Research is one of the most common applications of AI in B2B tech PR. In fact, a recent study conducted by PR Week highlighted that three out of four agencies already use AI for this purpose.

By scanning news coverage, summarising long reports and spotting emerging themes across multiple sources, AI helps PR teams get up to speed on new topics quickly and in more depth. It can surface stats, pull quotes from thought leaders and highlight common narratives, saving hours of manual research.

For PR consultants working on complex subjects like cybersecurity, data analytics or cloud infrastructure, tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity can also breakdown technical concepts or compare industry viewpoints. This means teams can spend less time gathering information and more time applying it strategically.

#2 Overcoming writer’s block
We’ve all been there – staring at a blank page, and no matter how hard we try, the ideas just won’t come. This is where AI tools can really help. Whether writers need ideas for a headline or a structure for a blog, AI can help generate outlines or suggest different angles, helping them get unstuck.

AI can be a helpful starting point, but the content still needs to be shaped, checked and edited by a human content specialist. Tone of voice and context still matter, and that’s something AI can’t fully replicate. But when used thoughtfully, AI can help nurture the seed of an idea into something more structured, giving writers a solid base to build on.

#3 Global campaign support
Another common use of AI across PR is transcription and translation. For teams managing multiple interviews, international clients or content that needs to land in more than one language, AI can be a huge time-saver.

Let’s be honest, no one speaks every language. AI tools can help transcribe interviews quickly and provide initial translations of press releases, articles or social posts. These translations aren’t final, but they offer a solid starting point for creating accurate, local-language versions that reflect cultural nuance and tone.

This means faster turnaround across time zones, greater consistency in messaging and more time spent on tailoring content to local relevance, not just getting it out the door.

#4 Media monitoring and reporting
Finally, AI can help PR teams stay on top of coverage, conduct real-time media monitoring and streamline admin tasks.

With tools like Google Alerts often falling short, AI can fill the gap for things like real-time monitoring, competitor tracking and sentiment analysis, scanning the web in real time to show how people are actually talking about a company or issue.

By tracking keywords, coverage patterns and industry conversations, AI helps B2B tech PR teams respond quickly when stories break or sentiment starts to shift.

Where AI won’t replace human PR professionals

There’s no doubt that AI tools in PR are useful. Otherwise, PR professionals wouldn’t be investing in them.

However, not everything in PR can, or should, be handed over to AI algorithms.

For a start, PR is rooted in trust and relationships, and even an AI system running the Matrix wouldn’t be able to replicate human awareness, sensitivity, good judgment and ethics.

Building strong connections with journalists, navigating tough stakeholder conversations, handling a crisis with sensitivity, developing content that balances thought leadership with brand awareness, all of these require judgement, context and emotional intelligence.

The same applies to strategy.

Understanding the correlation between clients’ business and PR goals, interpreting nuance and making informed decisions based on years of experience is where human PR teams still matter most. AI can support the work, but it can’t set the direction.

Creativity too has its limits with AI.

While tools can generate ideas or scan past campaigns for inspiration, they lack the insight to craft a pitch that lands with a specific journalist, or an angle that differentiates a client in a crowded market. After all, AI and ML learn from existing data sets, so originality can be limited.

In B2B tech PR, where technical accuracy and positioning are key, relying too heavily on AI risks eroding credibility.

The real opportunity: support, not substitution

The real opportunity for AI in B2B tech PR lies in its ability to support teams, helping them work faster, smarter and with greater precision.

Used well, AI can automate the heavy lifting, but it needs clear boundaries.

Research still needs validating.

Media outreach still needs the human touch.

Thought leadership content and social media posts need skilled writers to avoid rinse and repeat-style content (please remove that rocket emoji and any mention of a cornerstone…). With LinkedIn as the main platform for B2B tech companies, it’s worth remembering that it prioritises content with originality and authenticity, and penalises anything that feels generic or AI-generated.

AI’s role will grow in PR

AI in B2B tech PR has a clear and growing role, but it’s not a replacement for people, and it shouldn’t be treated as one.

The PR teams seeing the most value are those using AI to strengthen what they already do well.

They’re not automating creativity.

They’re not outsourcing judgement.

They’re applying AI where it makes sense, and keeping people where they matter most.

As AI tools evolve, so will the opportunities. But the foundation of impactful and measurable PR and strong, long-lasting client relationships will remain very much in human hands.

And as AI becomes more embedded in agency workflows, transparency will matter more than ever, helping clients understand how it’s being used and the value it brings to their campaigns.

Find out about the team of experts (not bots!) behind our PR campaigns and get in touch to learn how we can support your business.

 

In this blog, we discuss:

  • the visibility challenges digital infrastructure brands face
  • why traditional PR often falls short in this sector
  • how a performance-focused approach can help

 

There’s a certain irony in working in digital infrastructure.

You’re the engine room of the internet – powering websites, platforms and content; keeping storage, cloud services, networks and data flowing.

You make the digital world work, keeping everyone else online, connected and visible.

And yet… generating visibility for your own brand? That’s more of a challenge.

The digital infrastructure market is crowded. Buyers are sceptical. Sales cycles are long. And your competition are behemoths like AWS, Microsoft and Google.

So how do you cut through?

How do you prove you’re not just another “cloud solution”?

How can you prove – categorically – that PR spend is worth the investment?

Common challenges for digital infrastructure brands 

Do any of these challenges sound familiar? If so, read on. Digital infrastructure brands are among the hundreds of B2B tech brands we’ve worked with for the last 30 years and these are the problems we see most often. 

Struggling to generate visibility and differentiate: Being seen is one thing. Getting noticed is another. Visibility puts you on the radar, but standing out is what makes people pay attention. Your tech might be smarter, faster, more secure but if your message sounds like everyone else’s, it’ll get lost. Buyers are under pressure and short on time so your PR needs to grab attention, outshine the competition and be remembered.

Your buyers have complex buying cycles: Selling into a buying committee is like trying to convince a table full of people to agree on where to eat: the IT lead wants performance; the finance lead wants savings; the compliance officer wants a stress-free audit.

Infrastructure deals take time; they’re high value, involve multiple decision-makers and often drag on for months. With all the internal discussions, questions and delays you need to keep one foot in the room the whole way through. So how do you stay relevant and helpful without being pushy or annoying?

Performance PR can help digital infrastructure brands

It increases visibility through:

  • Press releases which get your news in front of the right journalists.
  • Articles which give your take on the issues your buyers care about.
  • Case studies which prove you can deliver.
  • Videos which bring what you do to life in a way that’s quick, clear and shareable.
  • Award entries show you’re recognised for your solutions and work.
  • Social campaigns which put your message in front of decision-makers where they’re already scrolling.

It can aid complex buying cycles:

PR must support and nurture journeys, not just bring in the leads initially. Therefore there needs to be a drip of communication, with messages delivered clearly, confidently and consistently.

  • PR can keep you visible across a long decision-making process period so you’re not forgotten.
  • It can deliver a steady flow of interviews, thought leadership and media features which can educate and reassure your buyers throughout the process.
  • It can help to secure third-party endorsements e.g. via customer testimonials or mentions in analyst reports which make it easier for buyers to justify their decision internally.

All these PR activities can position your brand as a trustworthy, forward-thinking choice. And earning trust is key, because when buyers are comparing options, the brand they’ve seen offering consistent, valuable insight is the one they’re more likely to pick. And when you tailor messaging to your buyers’ different roles, your sales team can use PR’s useful content and coverage to keep conversations warm – and crucially – moving.

How Performance PR can secure internal buy in

Even if you do, not everyone in your organisation is likely to get what PR does.

To non-marketing teams and senior management, things like “brand awareness” or “engagement” sound fluffy. Instead they’re focused on: leads, deals and revenue. So when you talk about top-of-funnel activity or PR coverage, the first question is often: “What’s the ROI?”

A fair question, but it puts a lot of pressure on professionals like you to prove the value of work which doesn’t always result in conversion overnight.

Have you ever had to justify questions like: 

“How many leads did that article bring in?”

“What’s the value of that podcast appearance?”

“Do we really need to be on that panel?”

Well this is where Performance PR comes in. 

Performance PR is built on measurable KPIs, ensuring every campaign is aligned with your business objectives. By directly linking actions to outcomes, it delivers clear evidence of impact. It ditches vanity metrics and speaks the language the boardroom wants to hear.

It arms you with proof so when leadership asks what PR is doing for the business, you can confidently say: “Let me show you.”

Measuring PR’s impact for digital infrastructure brands

So just what might those numbers and outcomes look like in a Performance PR campaign designed to target these challenges?

Visibility: If PR is helping you to become more visible, you’ll see increased media coverage, search interest, social mentions, website traffic and backlinks.

Complex buying cycles: To measure whether your PR efforts are supporting complex buying cycles, you want to track metrics which show how PR is influencing awareness, trust, education and conversion over time. Are more people searching for your brand, visiting your site or downloading your content after a campaign? Are leads engaging with thought leadership, mentioning articles in sales calls or moving through the funnel faster?

If you’re in digital infrastructure and battling to stand out, drive your pipeline and prove ROI, it’s time for a partner who gets it. That’s where we come in. Find out more about Performance PR and how we do it here at Whiteoaks. Ready when you are.

By Hugh Cadman, Senior Content Creator, Whiteoaks

In this blog we discuss:

  • Leveraging personal branding to extend the reach and impact of a company’s overall brand
  • What we can learn from masters of personal branding, like Richard Branson and Sheryl Sandberg
  • Why personal branding is as much a tool for B2B as it is B2C

 

It’s all about me. Is that essentially what personal branding is about, and does it have any relevance to the world of B2B technology?

Personal branding certainly has a role to play in B2B tech, but it is not about boosting egos. If crafted and shared with thought and precision, the vision and values of founders, owners and business leaders can be hugely influential.

The point to stress here is that personal branding is about extending the reach and impact of the company’s overall brand. When fully integrated into a B2B PR and marketing campaign, personal branding is very rewarding for the individuals concerned – and their companies.

We can learn from high-profile masters of this art, such as Richard Branson, who regularly posts updates on LinkedIn and mixes business-related content with philanthropic causes and personal insights.

Or Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta, who has such a strong voice on workplace equality with her Lean In initiative. This has helped to burnish her former employer’s progressive credentials.

The face of an organisation

Personal branding should not be about one individual over and above the company. Leaders serve as the face of the organisation, and if their personal profiles are properly crafted but also radiate authenticity, they build the company’s reputation.

Authenticity is a well-worn word, and goes further than a personal vision, values and inspirations. It is also about being honest about risks, disappointments and admitting to the odd bit of vulnerability.

We know that marketing needs to be brand-led and intelligent, engaging audiences more personally where possible. Personal branding, however, is not just about image but also the story behind it.

Individuals investing in their personal brand help to humanise the corporate identity and add a dimension to its values and vision that wider tech audiences can relate to.

It is easy to assume that a focus on the personal is best suited to consumer-facing companies, but it can have significant impact in the highly-competitive world of digital technology.

Building trust and visibility

Performance PR-led campaigns can incorporate personal branding strategies for key leaders behind a tech brand, moving them further forward on the public stage. Using expertly crafted, highly-targeted content on social media, personal brands provide an entry point, building trust, visibility and drawing in potential clients and investors who resonate with their expertise.

Trust is always important for ambitious tech brands that need a higher profile. If audiences feel they can trust the individuals running a company, that is a substantial advantage.

We should remember that personal branding goes beyond social media posts or videos shot in a suspiciously pristine kitchen. In B2B tech PR there are many opportunities for amplification.

Alongside insights that are original and captivating, key leaders can share thought leadership articles, snappy blogs and informative whitepapers from the corporate brand to further build credibility. PR experts can work with these stakeholders to devise a consistent schedule for posting relevant content on social media channels.

Content is what attracts the right audience, and if personal branding initiatives use cliché after cliché, then they are not going to convince anyone.

Working hard to establish trust and credibility by focusing on the right content with the right language is very important. It is also vital not to sacrifice quality for quantity. Business leaders who have something to say about everything tend not to do their brands many favours.

With key leaders taking steps to build a personal brand and develop a community of followers, businesses have a highly valuable, additional tool that increases the power of their corporate brand with target audiences, enabling them to amplify their presence on all channels and ultimately drive sales.

Get in touch to find out how we can help you build your personal brand and in doing so increase the visibility of your business. 

 

 

One of the biggest challenges for B2B healthtech brands is making complex technology accessible and compelling to target audiences.

Healthtech can be complicated. AI, automation, interoperability and data analytics are all terms that are commonly used by healthcare executives but to many of the organisations they engage with: from hospital to pharmacies to businesses running preventative care platforms, they can also be baffling.

Many healthtech brands struggle to explain this complex technology clearly and compellingly to prospects and decision-makers across these organisations who would be using the tech but aren’t necessarily technically minded.

It’s a difficult balancing act, of course. Overuse of technical jargon can alienate non-technical audiences, but at the same time, removing technical language entirely may make a solution seem less credible. So, how do you pitch this correctly?

The secret lies in clear, credible and precise communication. Simplifying complex ideas isn’t about dumbing them down; it’s about empowering your audience to grasp the genuine value your solutions offer, regardless of their technical background.

Getting this right is essential if you’re going to build brand awareness.

 

Cutting through the complexity

Brands must communicate the benefits of a complex solution in a clear, credible and precise manner to engage buyers regardless of their technical knowledge and establish themselves.

Think about it: your audience might include clinical directors, IT managers, procurement teams or even senior execs without deep tech knowledge. If they don’t quickly grasp what you’re offering or why it matters, you’ll lose their attention fast.

Skilled writers are critical here. They know how to translate complex concepts into engaging, jargon-free stories, highlighting tangible outcomes rather than technical specs.

This kind of clarity helps your audience immediately picture the real-world impact of your solutions, whether it’s improving patient outcomes, boosting clinical efficiency or enabling smoother hospital workflows.

 

How PR boosts impact

Building on this clarity, a well-rounded Performance PR approach can help bring any healthtech’s solutions and services to life. It is all about getting the message across in a direct and straightforward way.

Start by focusing on digestible themes and clear narratives that reinforce your core brand messages. These themes become the backbone for all your communications: whether you’re publishing blogs, whitepapers or social media posts.

Keeping the messaging clear and consistent ensures your audiences quickly grasp what your solutions achieve and why they matter.

Explainer documents are a great tool here. For example, consider a two-pager that accompanies a product launch. When designed to be visually engaging, these pieces can quickly demystify even the most complex tech. Imagine clearly explaining how a new health monitoring device works, step-by-step, or breaking down interoperability to highlight its benefits to clinicians and patients alike.

But it’s not just about clarity; it’s also about credibility.

Performance PR helps to strengthen this trust-building. By regularly attending leading healthtech events, seminars and networking sessions, PR teams can keep on top of all the latest industry trends.

Another powerful tactic is executive profiling. Your internal experts have compelling stories to tell – real-world insights about challenges they’ve faced, solutions they’ve delivered and the personal impacts they’ve seen first-hand.

Bringing these experiences into your messaging can transform dry technical explanations into authentic, engaging stories that audiences connect with instantly.

 

Looking positively forward

Clear and compelling communications not only help to clarify your message, but they also empower your audience to confidently share your message internally. They influence decision-makers who might not be tech-savvy, but who will instantly grasp the real-world value your solutions deliver.

Want to know how we can help turn your healthtech organisation’s complex technology-focused messaging into clear, compelling narratives that truly engage your target audiences and build awareness? Get in touch.

Whiteoaks International has proudly been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation for the seventh year running.

A hallmark of PR excellence, the status represents Whiteoaks’ ongoing commitment to best practices and continuous improvement.

This year’s accreditation focussed on campaign management and the value offered by suppliers, with the CMS highlighting the rigorous processes we have in place to review services from suppliers to maintain high levels of quality.

Sarah Waddington, Interim CEO at PRCA, says, “Whiteoaks has been accredited with CMS since 2018 and holds a Gold CMS award, which is a testament to the high quality of their work. The recent healthcheck focused on campaign management, and Whiteoaks provided a detailed and well-considered response, which was updated with input from their team.

CMS accreditation represents the gold standard in PR excellence, and it’s great to see agencies like Whiteoaks regularly review their practices each year based on these assessments. This ongoing process ensures that agencies remain at their best, giving clients confidence that they are working with a company that follows a structured approach to continually improve.”

Hayley Goff, CEO at Whiteoaks, says, “Retaining our PRCA Gold CMS accreditation for the seventh year shows the high standards we set across every part of our business, from how we manage campaigns to how we work with partners . The news is a credit to our whole team and reinforces our commitment to performance-driven PR for measurable results.”

“Trust arrives on foot and leaves on horseback.”

If you work in cybersecurity, that saying will feel all too familiar. Trust is the foundation of everything. Without it, your customers won’t invest in your solution, won’t hand over their data and won’t bet their reputation on you.

Cybersecurity operates in the background. It’s invisible, until something goes wrong. Yet, businesses and individuals are expected to take a leap of faith, entrusting you with their most sensitive information. One breach, one failure and that trust evaporates. And as we all know, once it’s gone, it’s a long, uphill battle to win it back.

So how do you build trust when your customers can’t see what you do? This is where modern PR – and more specifically, Performance PR – can make the difference.

Why trust matters in cybersecurity

Your customers don’t just need a cybersecurity solution. They need confidence that their data won’t be compromised, misused or exposed. The consequences of failure – financial losses, legal action, reputational damage – are severe. Trust is shaped by perception, and perception is shaped by how you show up in the market. It’s built over time, reinforced through consistency and strengthened by the right strategic communications. That’s where thought leadership comes in. When done well, thought leadership educates and reassures. It positions your brand as the expert, the innovator, the safe pair of hands. It takes complex, intangible security concepts and translates them into tangible proof points which  build confidence.

Performance PR: Building trust and credibility

If you’re new to Performance PR, here’s what you need to know: it’s PR with purpose. Every campaign is tied directly to business objectives, measured rigorously and delivers quantifiable results. No vanity metrics or vague promises. Before a campaign even begins, targets are set. And if those targets aren’t met? You don’t pay. At Whiteoaks, that’s our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ promise. 

What does thought leadership look like?

Trust is built through consistency, expertise and smart amplification. Performance PR goes beyond traditional PR by taking media coverage and supercharging it through content, social media and creative.

  • Content collateral: Insightful content, such as articles, blogs, talking heads videos and whitepapers which establish your
    authority and shape industry conversations.
  • Social media presence: Sharing expert insights, engaging in discussions and reinforcing credibility in real time.
  • Speaking opportunities: Security events, webinars and podcasts which allow you to showcase expertise and reach audiences in a more
    direct, engaging way.
  • Strategic media placements: Coverage in the high-profile industry outlets your audiences read that position you as a go-to expert in cybersecurity.

Thought leadership delivers more than trust

Thought leadership is about consistently showing up, adding value and shaping the right conversations.

Over time, this builds trust. And with trust comes:

  • Market differentiation: A distinct, authoritative voice that sets you apart from competitors.
  • Greater visibility: Media opportunities, speaking engagements and partnership potentials.
  • Business growth: The credibility and confidence which attract new clients, retain existing ones.

But can you measure trust? You can certainly measure the markers of trust through carefully tracked metrics in Performance PR.

What’s the media saying? Sentiment analysis can distinguish positive, neutral and negative feelings towards your brand. If confidence in your brand is growing, you’ll see it.

How do you compare against your competition? Media mentions, social engagement and industry presence reveal influence. Are analysts citing your insights? Are decision-makers engaging with your content? If your voice is driving discussions, that’s trust in action.

Is trust growing? Brand perception surveys, sentiment tracking and first-party feedback tell you if your thought leadership is building credibility. Are you shaping decisions and perceptions? If the answer is yes, your strategy is working and you’re building trust.

If trust arrives on foot, we’ll make sure you’ve got the right boots and a clear path forward. Let’s talk if you’re ready to establish your brand as a trusted cybersecurity leader.

Research projects are increasingly becoming a strategy of choice for B2B tech brands looking to position themselves as thought leaders. The media continues to have an appetite for the insights these industry surveys can deliver.

By investing in research, brands like yours can generate credible insights that serve to differentiate themselves from the competition and leverage for the media coverage to reach their target audiences and strengthen their market position.

Whether conducted in-house or outsourced to a specialist research company, however, surveys take time and resources to complete. B2B tech brands may also have concerns about the outcomes, with fears that results will fail to challenge the status quo and therefore won’t be newsworthy.

But research surveys with carefully crafted questions and responses can generate useful insights from target audiences.

Here are the three key reasons why it’s worth the investment:

One: Data-backed thought leadership

By collecting and owning data from their own surveys, businesses like yours don’t have to rely on external data to deliver industry insights.

Instead, you have your own IP, which enables you to differentiate your commentary, repurpose the data for marketing and strategic planning, and build credibility among clients, prospects and industry peers alike.

Successful research projects may even spur on yearly revisits, allowing you to compare and contrast data over a period of time, thereby enabling you to build insights into market trends and momentum and truly own a niche. 

Two: The opportunity to become a market trailblazer

Commissioning research enables a brand to shape industry conversations, rather than just reacting to them. By uncovering new trends, challenges or opportunities, businesses can be positioned as forward-thinking leaders.

These insights can also be used to inform strategy internally – giving a business unique market intelligence into its audiences that can shape product launches etc.

Three: Fuel for long-term marketing and content

Insights gained from research can fuel far more than a single report; they can provide a foundation for ongoing marketing efforts.

Key findings can be repurposed across PR campaigns in thought leadership articles, news releases, eBooks and industry whitepapers, as well as assets that can be shared on social media, such as infographics, social media tiles and videos.

They can even be leveraged for sales presentations. By selecting relevant results, and inserting them into their pitch slides, your teams can build a more persuasive case for a product, or service offering; address buyer pain points or validate the need for a solution.

In addition, you can revisit the data to comment or add context to breaking news stories, or to deliver insightful and timely commentary pieces.

If you want help in bringing these benefits to life but aren’t sure where to begin, we can offer guidance.

To kick-start your research journey, get in touch with us today.

“People buy from people”, as the old sales adage goes. But the idea that people are more likely to buy from someone they know or have built a relationship with is still relevant in today’s social media age.

LinkedIn is a perfect example. More B2B tech brands than ever are initiating content strategies on LinkedIn, with 85% of B2B content marketers identifying the platform as delivering the best value. And while posts from B2B brands can generate engagement and leads, main feeds for users are often populated by insights from thought leaders and industry experts.

Credibility counts for a lot when you are a B2B company in the tech sector with a new product or service. It’s why endorsements by acknowledged industry gurus on LinkedIn are gold dust. That’s true whether they are bigging you up outright in posts or if it is more subtle – in mentions, links and tags. It’s all great to have. But like gold dust, endorsements from major industry figures can be hard to come by and their impact can be time-limited. For increased visibility and more sustained effect, B2B tech brands should think about putting their own people at the forefront.

Driving engagement

Employees make great advocates and persuaders. When they share content, insights or personal experiences from their own profiles, it can feel more authentic than traditional corporate messaging – depending of course on how they word it. User-generated content in the form of employee advocacy is a powerful way to drive engagement. For a start, many employees have networks that extend beyond their company’s following. What they write or post will reach a wider audience that already knows them and can gauge their credibility.

At the same time, when employees speak positively about their work environment, it strengthens the company’s reputation. The overall impact of user-generated content on LinkedIn increases significantly when the business itself starts reposting what its employees have to say. That could be about how a product helps customers overcome a common industry challenge, or it could be about why they like working for the company. According to LinkedIn, employees make up about 30% of their company’s engagement.

However, for it to be effective, employee advocacy should be voluntary and supported by a culture where staff feel confident in sharing their perspectives.

Encouraging employee advocacy the right way

Brands can play a role in encouraging advocacy from staff, ensuring it hits the right marks by drawing on the expertise of dedicated social media experts. For example, employees need to use convincing language. They should avoid repeating sales slogans parrot-fashion or making claims that have no basis in reality. Everyone benefits from a dose of boosterism but that can only go so far. Employees may need help to achieve the right tone. What’s important is to keep each person’s individuality. But it’s not as if every single post has to be minutely re-crafted by teams of influencers.

There are, however, definite advantages in using professionals who know how to use social media – and especially LinkedIn – in the B2B tech market. They can advise on the use of images and video as well as text. They can devise schedules of relevant content with the right kind of insight that colleagues can leverage on their own channels.

If you would like to find out more about how Whiteoaks’ social media team can help you build great content from your employees into your social strategy, get in touch with us now.

“PR is rubbish.”

“It’s not for us.”

You might have said it, or even believed it. Maybe your last agency overpromised and underdelivered. Maybe PR has always felt like smoke and mirrors – big retainers, little impact. Maybe you’ve never done PR before, but you’ve heard the horror stories.

We get it. We’ve heard them all. And the truth is, you’re not wrong to be sceptical.

PR, done badly, can be a waste of time and money. Sometimes it can be a costly investment with very little to show from it.  But here’s where we’re different from most agencies: we do things differently from what you might have heard or previously experienced. PR, done right, is a measurable, strategic asset which can help you achieve your business goals. Let’s break down the biggest frustrations and misgivings, one by one.

1. “We’ve been burnt before – PR felt like a waste of money.”

The problem
You hired a PR agency expecting them to make a big impact. Instead, you found yourself stuck in an endless cycle of press release edits, eating up your retainer. Then halfway through the month, they hit you with: “Your hours are up.” You paid the invoice, but the results were underwhelming. This is exactly why PR has a reputation problem. Too many agencies charge exorbitant fees for time without delivering tangible business outcomes. PR should never be a glorified copywriting service. It should be a strategic, measurable function which directly supports your business objectives.

The Whiteoaks way
As the client you deserve full transparency on what you’re paying for and what it’s doing for your business. With our Performance PR model, you know exactly what you’re getting – both in terms of deliverables and measurable results. When you share your business objectives with us, we build a PR strategy designed to deliver real impact. Every campaign is built on set deliverables which achieve defined outcomes. Those deliverables could include: X press releases, Y articles or Z video interviews. And we don’t stop at execution. We measure the direct impact of our work using clear, meaningful metrics such as coverage volume, audience engagement or key message penetration. There is no wasted spend, just campaigns which deliver measurable value to your business.

2. “What exactly are we paying for?”

The problem
The PR pitch was slick. The agency sounded like they knew their stuff but when it came down to actual deliverables? Vague. No clear outputs. No defined impact. You gained no real understanding of what your investment would actually do for your business. For too long, PR agencies have relied on ambiguity when it comes to pricing. Unlike other marketing disciplines – where costs, deliverables and KPIs are clearly defined – traditional PR has operated in the shadows of unclear commitments and subjective success metrics. PR should be as transparent; if an agency can’t articulate what’s included and what success looks like, it’s a red flag. When you invest in PR, you should have absolute clarity on what you’re getting in return. That means knowing:

> What’s included in the scope: How many press releases? How many media opportunities? What kind of thought leadership content?
> How success will be measured: What KPIs will be tracked? How will PR’s impact on brand awareness, reputation or lead generation be demonstrated?
> What business outcomes PR will influence: How does media coverage contribute to your wider commercial objectives?

The Whiteoaks way
When you work with us you can expect a clear, measurable and results-driven approach  – one which holds us fully accountable for delivering impact. Our Performance PR approach is built on defined metrics which prove the value of your investment. From media reach to inbound leads influenced by PR efforts, everything we do is tracked and measured. We’re committed to our ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ model, so you’ll always know exactly what you’re paying for, with no hidden costs or surprises. We work in close partnership with you; we set agreed targets which directly align with your business objectives, backed by a formal service level agreement. And here’s the difference – if we don’t hit those targets, you get your money back. It’s a model which provides peace of mind for you and accountability for us. 

3. “PR will just create more work for us.”

The problem
Too many businesses assume that hiring a PR agency means more work, not more results – and honestly, with the wrong agency, they’re right to worry. They picture themselves drowning in drafts, rewriting press releases, providing endless quotes and getting stuck in a never-ending cycle of approvals. Instead of freeing up their time, PR starts to feel like just another task to manage. For busy teams, that’s a dealbreaker. PR should make an impact, not pile on extra work.nA well-run PR strategy should feel like an extension of your team, delivering results with minimal demand on your time. The reason PR sometimes feels like extra work? Misalignment from the start. When agencies don’t take the time to fully understand your business, messaging and positioning, they rely too heavily on you to fill in the gaps.nThat’s not how it should work.

The Whiteoaks way
Our team has deep expertise across media, content, creative, digital and social media, and we take ownership of every element, so you don’t have to. We’ve specialised in B2B tech PR for nearly 30 years, which means we already understand the complexities of your industry. We are attuned to getting to grips with technical concepts and we translate your expertise into compelling narratives to position you as a thought leader. From day one, we get under the skin of your business. We define your positioning, map out your audience and build a strategy which aligns directly with your commercial goals. We pinpoint what drives your customers, where they engage and what influences their decisions so every campaign lands in the right place, with the right people, at the right time. PR should be a growth engine, not a time drain. 

4. “Our leadership team won’t sign off on PR.”

The problem
You see the value of PR. You know it can raise your brand profile, position your company as an industry leader and drive engagement. But your leadership team isn’t convinced. They don’t want vague promises about ‘raising awareness’. They want clear ROI, tangible business impact and data which proves PR is worth the investment. If they can’t see a direct link to commercial goals, they won’t sign off.

The Whiteoaks way
We know the key to securing buy-in is to make PR measurable and show how it can accelerate business objectives. Fortunately, that’s exactly how Performance PR operates. It directly supports commercial priorities like launching new products, generating leads or scaling quickly. Instead of saying, “we’ll increase awareness,” we can demonstrate how PR will deliver real, quantifiable results:

> If you’re launching a new product we say: “We’ll secure X high-profile media features to drive awareness, credibility and demand from day one.”

> If you want to drive leads into the business, we say: “We’ll create thought leadership content and media placements which fuel inbound marketing and push potential customers into the pipeline.”

> If you’re under pressure to grow fast, we say: “We’ll position the company as an industry leader, attracting customers, investors and partners to support your expansion.”

When PR is structured like this, it’s a results-driven investment which leadership can’t ignore.

If you’ve been let down by PR before or you’re sceptical about whether it’s worth the investment, let us prove that it can be done differently. Get in touch to see what Performance PR can look like in action.

 

Establishing real and lasting brand visibility can seem like an intimidating prospect for many B2B tech business, especially for those entering new markets or launching innovative new solutions.

Even a manufacturer unveiling IoT-ready machinery or a start-up launching a revolutionary AI analytics tool can struggle to achieve brand recognition, despite offering something truly unique.

Often, the missing piece of the jigsaw is the human angle that reveals the depth of knowledge and passion within the organisation.

Why personalities matter

Leaders are often overlooked in brand-building efforts. One approach that can shift the focus from products to people is executive profiling: highlighting the views of key spokespeople so they become go-to voices on industry trends and important topics.

Many organisations focus on product features instead of the perspectives and insights that really set them apart as organisations.

Leaders are typically hot on trends and have an opinion on the direction an industry/business should or will take.

By positioning these executives as credible, reliable commentators, a business can connect with audiences on a more personal level.

This strategy harnesses the passion behind new technologies and translates it into stories that resonate beyond technical details, creating a sense of familiarity and trust.

When executives become influential voices, they aren’t just promoting a product, they are sharing viewpoints that align with big-picture trends in the market.

Whether highlighting the impact of sustainability on manufacturing processes or offering data-driven insight into customer demands, they spark curiosity.

That sense of curiosity is exactly what drives brand awareness, because it encourages potential clients and media outlets to keep watching for updates and further commentary.

Creating authentic, timely messages

Executive profiling hinges on developing narratives that feel both relevant and authentic. For many

businesses, the first step is to pinpoint industry themes that match their expertise, whether that’s supply chain efficiencies, green initiatives or breakthrough data applications.

By clarifying these themes and matching them with the right spokesperson, a business can speak in a voice that resonates with the wider sector.

Workshops and strategic content planning help leaders find their own style and tone. This ensures they offer something distinct whenever they speak or write.

A confident manufacturing lead who understands how IoT devices can reduce environmental impact, for example, is more compelling from a media perspective than a generic message about improving productivity.

Authenticity is crucial, because journalists and audiences alike respond positively to ideas that reflect real-world experiences and firsthand knowledge.

How Performance PR boosts impact

A well-rounded Performance PR approach focuses on using every coverage opportunity to advance brand visibility and reinforce awareness.

A single interview or commentary can unlock new angles for editorial pieces and social media discussions. Each time an executive appears in a respected publication, the business’s reputation is enhanced.

These benefits accumulate when leaders consistently offer timely viewpoints on newsworthy topics.

Over time, this leads to more interview requests, higher quality placements in top-tier publications and steady growth in awareness levels for the business.

Prospective clients, partners and investors begin to see the brand as a key reference point, not just for products but also for strategic thinking and industry insights.

Building momentum and lasting awareness

Consistent exposure can transform an unknown brand into a recognised name, provided leaders keep sharing informed perspectives.

Once executives become trusted commentators, they can remain visible on multiple platforms and use the opportunity this affords to showcase and explain how their organisation’s innovations solve real world problems.

As industries evolve, leaders will need to evolve their roles, understanding and processes to learn and grow in their field.

They might develop new angles as technology develops or respond to emerging issues with fresh insights.

That flexibility helps executives and the brand they represent to stay aligned to changing consumer preferences, regulations and market conditions.

Standing out in a competitive landscape

Executive profiling has a vital role to play for any business that is aiming to elevate its visibility and gain a foothold in a crowded sector.

By pairing real expertise with timely commentary, leaders can help their organisations transcend ordinary marketing chatter, sparking a deeper conversation about what their solutions can achieve.

When integrated into a Performance PR strategy, each piece of thought leadership, interview or event appearance builds on the one before.

This cohesive approach helps make leaders within the business the voices people turn to for guidance, while at the same driving ongoing momentum for the organisation itself.

Want to learn how we can help turn your organisation’s leaders into industry trailblazers? Get in touch.