Category: Articles

By Vicki Curtis, Senior Client Consultant

Change has arrived in the PR industry. Synapse, a new platform devised by former Dow Jones and Gorkana executive, Charles Russell, and PR legend Mark Borkowski, aims to transform the way that journalists and PR professionals communicate. The idea is that journalists can access a custom-filtered inbox of PR pitches that are relevant to them, and PRs can discover new media and influencer contacts and pitch interesting angles and fresh perspectives.

I can see why the idea has materialised. There’s been an industry-wide friction between journalists and PRs for many years. Cision’s Global State of the Media Report 2023 discovered that only 7% of journalists say the majority of pitches they get are relevant to their audience. It’s a shockingly low statistic. But why has it come to this? If PR professionals across the board were tailoring pitches, understanding media and only sending relevant emails to the right journalists, would there be a need for these new types of services?

Time for a rethink

It’s time for PR professionals to rethink the way they approach their work so that they don’t have to solely rely on these emerging platforms. However, it must be said that technology can deliver some helpful tools. For example, Synapse allows journalists to filter the pitches they receive from PRs by topic and format. They are also able to flag pitches that aren’t relevant to them. Similarly, PRs will be able to see who has viewed or accepted their pitches.

But it’s also our responsibility, as PR people, to consider the perspective of journalists and know what is going to resonate with them in the first place and not simply rely on the tech. This is incredibly important as the Cision research also revealed that as many as three in four journalists will block a media relations professional who spams them with irrelevant pitches.

Many PR agencies are structuring their internal teams to feature dedicated media specialists. These employees are focused solely on media activity and building relationships with journalists, which feeds into the second requirement of the modern day PR professional. Now that we’re fully clear of the pandemic, it’s time for PRs to step out from behind the screens and set up relationship building meetings with key media figures.

The trend for intermediaries

More than 1000 journalists from across more than 140 titles, including The Mirror, The Express, The Scotsman and OK! Magazine have signed up to Synapse. As the platform gathers pace, more look likely to join, but it remains to be seen as to what extent it will help to alleviate the issues between PRs and journalists.

One aspect that is clear is the growing trend towards ‘matchmaking platforms’ across industries. Whether it’s matching pitches to journalists, brands to agencies or even investors to entrepreneurs, there’s a big focus now on employees looking to save time with supporting platforms. In this sense, the technology could help employees to streamline their day-to-day tasks.

However, while tools such as Synapse offer promising solutions to bridge the gap between journalists and PR professionals, these innovations shouldn’t overshadow the fundamental principles of PR, including relationship-building and understanding the media landscape. Professionals must ensure that they get these basics right, and the unique value that only they can provide is building those human connections that technology can’t replicate. Only by merging these capabilities can the PR industry be truly revolutionised for the better.

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By Hayley Goff, Chief Executive Officer

For a business with genuine artificial intelligence capabilities, the world should be one of significant new opportunities and strong growth.

Automation, AI, analytics and low-code platforms have been converging for several years and the appetite for advanced, data-driven technology has increased rapidly. Research by analysts Deloitte found more than 50 per cent of organisations plan to use or implement AI and automation this year (2023) and almost all (94 per cent) see AI as critical to success.

This is a huge opportunity for AI companies, especially in mature markets such as the US and UK. Surprising as it may seem, however, companies with AI capabilities often underperform when it comes to explaining themselves.

Tech businesses that have immense talent in applying machine learning, computer vision, or natural language processing to significant business problems, are frequently lost for words when it comes to telling their own stories. Once they seek to get their message out, they may feel they are adrift in a very unfamiliar landscape of media organisations and marketing events where it is difficult to determine who or what matters and how long or how much it takes to achieve any impact.

The problem is that if a business fails to explain itself well, the B2B tech media may simply ignore it. A business with AI capabilities will achieve little if it is unable to talk interestingly and succinctly about what makes it stand out or why it is relevant to what is happening now. We can all send emails to publications, but are they the people with any real clout or connections? Getting this wrong can cause a significant loss of momentum, even in a hot area such as AI, where competition is intense and potential customers are very careful about how they spend their budgets.

This is especially true when a B2B tech business enters a new territory. It’s a little too easy, for instance, for US-based firms to assume they speak a common language with all their potential prospects in the UK, Europe and Scandinavia, even though the entire tech world is so heavily influenced by US innovators. Failing to address the specific circumstances and challenges of companies in the UK and Europe or to use idiomatic British English in the UK undermines any growth strategy. Audiences quickly feel they are being considered as an add-on or after-thought.

Crafting the message out for AI companies and getting it out there takes skill

Achieving any benefit from B2B tech PR can take time, hard work and requires insight and skill. A company with an AI solution or function should work with B2B tech PR specialists with local knowledge and connections. It is important to develop the true story about a company’s AI – which is not always easy to explain in simple terms. How does your AI make you stand out? What does it do that matters to the distinct audiences in the UK or France or Germany? Can this be developed in a way that makes relevant media take notice and increases credibility?

Many companies offering AI capabilities may also struggle because they have a purely anecdotal understanding of how rivals are perceived in these markets and the kind of language and terminology used. A B2B tech PR specialist like Whiteoaks International can conduct marketing, content and share-of-voice audits and craft strategies and tactics that make an AI business stand out. This will be informed by an understanding of the challenges and opportunities in each market and how other businesses currently address them. A business can, for example, see how perceptions of it are shifting over the course of a PR campaign, gauged by quarterly monitoring of the terminology the market uses when considering its offering and capabilities. This is a measurable outcome. A campaign can be divided up into specific topics or business challenges to achieve tighter focus.

Strategies to increase awareness and influence opinion will target the media and people that matter most with articles, eBooks, blogs, tips and best practice guides that relate the benefits of a distinctive AI capability to the challenges prospects face right now, or pressures and opportunities from economic, political or social events and trends. Integrated content marketing, as part of an over-arching PR campaign, enables AI companies to work on development of a full array of marketing and content assets, mapping on to agreed and carefully thought-through objectives.

An integrated campaign respects the distinctive characteristics of each market, and for Whiteoaks, involves the WIN PR Group of tech PR agencies who understand one another and work in similar ways. For a company in the AI sector, this is important. The messages in a PR campaign need to be tailored to each market, but maintain overall consistency – otherwise, credibility is quickly lost and coordination breaks down. With the WIN Group, companies gain the right balance between local knowledge and consistency in methodology, messaging and reporting.

AI may be the hottest topic in town, but it still takes skill and expertise for an AI company to get its message out clearly to the right people, with outcomes it can measure.

By Hayley Goff, CEO

In the ever-changing landscape of modern business, one of the most pressing challenges CEOs and business leaders face is propelling their companies towards sustained growth. While it’s natural to seek innovative solutions and creative approaches to achieve this, it’s crucial not to be swayed solely by flashy PR pitches that offer lots of creativity and little substance.

Creativity in public relations has long been celebrated as a driving force behind groundbreaking campaigns and ideas. Engaging audiences and capturing attention are essential, but it’s equally important to strike a balance between creativity and strategic planning. The smartest campaigns integrate both elements across digital, creative, content, and media, each contributing to measurable outcomes that support specific business goals.

As a business leader, you’re well aware of the value proposition your company offers to clients. PR plays a pivotal role in driving awareness, justifying and proving that proposition. It’s about crafting the right message, ensuring its effectiveness, and communicating it in an authentic way to the correct audience.

PR can elevate your brand’s  visibility, create demand for your products, rationalise buying decisions, and enhance the overall  company perception

Navigating the B2B technology market is no easy feat. It’s a noisy space, with new tools, platforms, and products emerging constantly. Cutting through this noise demands more than a purely creative, abstract approach. A strategic plan is essential to create a meaningful impact and stand out from the competition.

As an integrated PR and communications agency, we help brands harness opportunity, fast track their growth and truly achieve demonstrable market impact.  This is achieved through targeted campaigns that elevate brands, and talk to the right audiences, with the right content, through the right channels, to affect behaviour change.

In today’s dynamic media landscape, creativity remains an invaluable tool that fuels innovation and sets the stage for remarkable campaigns. However, combining creativity with a strategic planning is the key to delivering targeted, impactful campaigns that not only meet your objectives, but achieve tangible results and measurable outcomes.

To find out more about how you can unlock the creative potential of strategic PR , book your free PR strategy consultancy meeting with our Associate Director, Bekki Bushnell, now. Let us show you how strategic creativity can level up your PR game and propel your business towards meaningful growth and success.

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

So, your B2B tech business has just secured a significant investment. Congratulations! This funding opens up a world of opportunities, enabling you to explore innovative R&D projects, expand your talent pool, or even venture into new markets, setting the stage for future success.

But as the confetti settles, a new journey begins – one that demands strategic thinking and a powerful ally by your side. It becomes necessary to communicate your business’s accomplishments, unveil carefully crafted plans, and showcase your unique value proposition to the world.

Here’s where strategic communications steps into the spotlight. It serves as the catalyst for post-investment success, helping businesses like yours to level up and thrive in a fiercely competitive landscape. By harnessing its power, tech enterprises can drive long-lasting growth and establish a dominant market presence.

Turning Talking Points into Compelling Narratives

Naturally, your business will want to shout about the success of its latest funding round. And rightfully so! It’s an excellent talking point – and with a well-crafted strategic approach, it can be transformed into a cohesive, captivating narrative that truly elevates your brand.

In today’s multi-channel, multi-platform world, effectively conveying the investment news goes beyond just issuing a press release (though this remains a crucial element of PR). With strategic communications, you have the power to weave a compelling story across diverse channels, spotlighting the company’s vision, expertise, and commitment to growth in a way that genuinely strikes a chord with your audience.

This narrative will become the bedrock for all future communications, as targeted media outreach and thought-provoking content positions your business as an industry trailblazer. The rewards of increased brand visibility, heightened loyalty, and strong stakeholder trust await – and it all begins with the initial buzz generated by the investment. After all, if every successful business has a great story to tell, why not let this chapter be your ultimate launchpad towards achieving demonstrable market impact?

Accelerating Growth with Targeted Campaigns

To fully capitalise on post-investment expansion opportunities, connecting with the right audience is essential. This is where strategic communications and business success perfectly align. By collaborating with passionate PR and communications specialists with a deep understanding of the B2B tech marketing landscape, your company can harness data-driven insights and expert-led strategies to proactively identify and engage your target market.

Strategic PR thrives on versatility. It demands an integrated approach spanning content, social media, creative, and digital marketing. This ensures consistent, relevant messaging across platforms, maximising audience reach and impact to supercharge business growth. Moreover, our team of professionals will define clear KPIs aligned with your business goals to help you measure and track campaign success, making your hard-won investment go even further.

Building a Brand Presence that Lasts

Seizing the moment is crucial, but post-investment success goes beyond quick wins or attracting new clients. An effective communications strategy also fortifies your brand’s reputation and credibility, nurturing lasting relationships with investors, partners, and clients alike.

To solidify and amplify your brand, impactful storytelling, eye-catching visuals, and consistent messaging across channels is essential. Having a trusted PR partner by your side can even transform your business’s story into a gateway to connect with influential individuals and key industry stakeholders. For example, leveraging leadership profiling after an investment win could unlock lucrative media opportunities, events, and strategic collaborations within established networks. Through effective networking, your business can build lasting trust, expanding its reach and credibility for enduring brand presence.

And of course, this communications approach will also keep your current stakeholders engaged and informed every step of the way, creating a supportive brand community that shares in your success as you reach new heights.

As your business launches its post-investment journey, let strategic communications become the driving force behind your growth. Reach out to us today and discover how our tailored PR solutions can elevate your B2B tech company to new levels of success after investment. Let’s maximise your business potential and achieve measurable market impact together!

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

The UK is the largest market for US services in the world, and the two countries are so culturally interwoven, that at first sight it can be difficult to appreciate the differences. The language is the same of course, and we consume a similar diet of Hollywood movies, but after that – the cultural similarities begin to diverge. Our health system is socialised, our expectations of life are perhaps more modest, and our island mentality is challenging – admittedly, even for us. But the UK market is a great place for US firms to grow their global presence and offers the perfect springboard to Europe.

But for US companies crossing the pond, diving into unfamiliar waters can be scarier than launching on home soil, especially given cultural nuances and the ultra-competitive tech world. It’s crucial to have a sense of security and know that your investment is in safe hands. That’s why having an established UK-based PR agency with a solid grip on the US scene can be a game-changer.

At Whiteoaks, we’ve been helping US technology companies build their presence in the UK for years with our unique selling proposition of fixed fees for fixed deliverables. Our transparent pricing model gives companies a clear roadmap, giving the financial clarity needed to confidently forge a strong and successful UK footprint.

In this blog, we’ll explore how PR can be leveraged as a powerful tool to establish brand visibility, build trust, and create a strong, measurable market presence for US companies in the UK.

Building Brand Visibility

Entering a new market requires creating awareness about your brand, products, and services. Naturally, having the right connections in place at launch means saving time and energy on campaigns that might potentially backfire. And because buyer profiles, job titles and consumer sentiment are different in the US versus the UK, building awareness will need some cultural adjustments.

It’s not just about the grammar. Capturing and amplifying the brand elements that resonate the most with a UK audience takes some skill. US technology firms can be certain that the vital role of building brand visibility is done correctly, first time, with a trusted UK partner by their side. After all, there’s only one chance to create a first impression, and it needs to be done properly. Through media relations, press releases, and thought leadership articles, our experienced PR professionals can guarantee valuable coverage in UK publications, online platforms, and broadcast media, building authority with every forward step.

Working with PR agencies or professionals that possess a deep understanding of the UK media landscape ensures that a brand’s messaging is tailored for the local audience. By understanding what stories should be highlighted, and what stories should be kept aside for now, a locally attuned PR company can effectively capture the attention of potential customers, investors, and partners.

Establishing Trust and Credibility

Trust is a critical factor in winning over customers and stakeholders in a new market. PR activities help US firms capture their audience’s trust and establish credibility in the UK by leveraging media endorsements, thought leadership, and positive press coverage.

By securing media placements in reputable UK publications and industry-specific outlets, PR professionals can position your company as a trustworthy and reliable player. Engaging in thought leadership initiatives such as contributing articles, participating in panel discussions, and speaking at industry events further enhances your credibility and positions your brand as an industry leader.

Engaging with Local Influencers and Partners

PR provides a gateway to connect with influential individuals and key stakeholders in the UK technology ecosystem. Engaging with local influencers, industry experts, analysts and potential partners through media opportunities, events, and strategic collaborations will significantly amplify any company’s reach and impact.

By building relationships with UK-based influencers, industry analysts, and technology experts, US technology firms can gain valuable insights, access new networks, and foster mutually beneficial partnerships. Influencers can help introduce your brand to their established networks, increasing awareness and generating buzz around your products and services.

Navigating Cultural and Market Dynamics

The UK market has its own unique cultural nuances and business dynamics. PR professionals who possess in-depth knowledge of the UK market can provide valuable guidance and help US technology firms navigate these complexities effectively.

At Whiteoaks, we understand the intricacies of the UK media landscape, as well as the impact of meeting target audience preferences and communication styles. We also proudly demonstrate the value of fixed fees for fixed deliverables, bolstered by robust KPIs and a dependable SLA. Our approach encompasses teams that specialise in Content, Digital, Media, and Creative, offering an end-to-end service in house that means we can control the cost and quality of the overall service. We tailor our messaging and PR strategies to align with the local market, ensuring that your company’s story is told in a way that the local audience will understand.

Entering the UK market presents tremendous opportunities for US technology firms, and strategic PR efforts can be a key driver of success. By leveraging PR to build brand visibility, establish trust, engage with influencers, and navigate market dynamics, US technology companies can create a strong foothold in the UK and unlock their growth potential in this dynamic market.

If you would like to know more about how US firms can enter the UK market, please get in touch!

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

We are all seeking the magic bullet that sends our sales into orbit. And when energised by hope and ambition, it’s all too easy to be drawn toward PR pitches that promise rocket fuel but deliver only fumes.

When agencies present purely creative PR campaigns, with outcomes that are neither predictable nor measurable, it can mean that they’ve simply run out of ideas. And while a creative Hail Mary proposal could be the salvation your brand needs, it’s crucial to strike a balance where creativity isn’t the sole driver of the campaign.

Creativity has long been celebrated as the driving force behind innovative campaigns and groundbreaking ideas. While creative thinking is an undeniably powerful tool to capture attention and engage audiences, it best works in a marriage with strategic planning. The smartest campaigns are integrated across digital, creative, content and media. Each pillar contributes to measurable outcomes, aligning with the specific goals of the campaign.

While marketing builds a value proposition with a client, PR can harmoniously justify that proposition, pushing sales, with the right customers and at the right price. Ensuring that the right message is generated, that it’s effective and that it’s being broadcast to the correct audience.

PR should play a leading role in determining and embedding brand values into the public psyche. In doing so, it expands the desire for the product, rationalises the buying decision and makes the ownership experience more valuable.

Our job within PR is to work with brands in such a way that their values resonate with the buyers. Through storytelling, thought leadership, providing commentary to the front page of the country’s most important news sources, or creating regular updates for the business community. Everything is possible, and everything is within reach when the correct approach is applied.

The technology market is a dense and noisy and one. New tools, platforms and products appear with each season, backed by various capital structures. It takes time and effort to cut through the noise. While a purely creative, abstract, campaign might seem appealing, it’s no replacement for a strategic approach.

There’s a good reason why there are so many rungs on the PR career ladder – there’s just an awful lot to learn. That’s why our 30 years of experience pays dividends. Throughout our journey, we’ve developed and learned, as individuals and as a company, and always been supported by our unique and flexible engagement business model. Abandoning the traditional retainer, we offer fixed fees for fixed deliverables and a formal SLA to single-mindedly focus on achieving impactful results for our clients.

In the dynamic landscape of PR, creativity remains an invaluable asset that fuels innovation and sets the stage for remarkable campaigns. However, it is essential to combine creativity with a strategic mindset to achieve tangible results and measurable outcomes. By taking a measured approach to PR that embraces strategic creativity, brands can unlock the true potential of their campaigns, leaving a lasting impact on their audience and driving success in a rapidly evolving media landscape.

To find out more about how you can level up your creative PR, book your free PR strategy consultancy meeting with me now.

Amber Chawner,  Senior Account Manager

July 2023 marked the 75^th anniversary of our beloved NHS, and what a 75 years it has been. Our national health service has undoubtably had its challenges, but it amazes me that every working day it still manages to allow 1.3 million people to be seen in GPs, provide 250,000 people with an outpatient appointment, and give access to a community health professional or therapist for 285,000 people.

However, despite the enormous volume of patients like you and I that it does manage to treat, there is still more that is needed for it to keep up with the ever-growing list of patient requirements. Every day we are seeing more headlines of waiting lists hitting record highs, and how ongoing staff and resource shortages having a detrimental impact on patient care.

In amongst the storm, the NHS is still looking forward, setting out its new priorities for the years ahead. In its latest report, the following seven areas of enablement is where the NHS will be focusing its efforts in order to address the acceleration in society’s ill health. These include:

• Supporting those who provide care
• Building partnerships
• Harnessing the power of digital and data
• Investment in infrastructure
• Maximising the value of care and treatment
• Leadership and learning
• A new relationship between the NHS and the public

These new priorities are ambitious, but they are also presenting an exciting opportunity for MedTechs that are looking to gain widespread adoption. The NHS is putting a focus on data and digital innovation, meaning it is going to be looking to implement new technologies that can help them address these seven priority areas – and that means forging new partnerships to drive this forward.

For MedTechs, this could be a golden ticket, but only if they can demonstrate how their technology or solutions add value, are easy to use, and can work alongside existing the legacy solutions that are in place (the latter being one of the trickier pieces of the puzzle). By aligning to the NHS priorities and having those in mind from the start of their development journey, MedTechs have a real opportunity to help the NHS deliver a pivotal change in the way healthcare is delivered and patients are treated. However, adoption will only be successful if they consider the intricate technology ecosystems already in place within the NHS at the start of product development, adhering to all necessary data standards and requirements to ensure their product can slot in from the go. Any less, and the headache will outweigh the opportunity for stretched NHS trusts.

There are MedTech developers who have already succeeded in doing this, as evidenced by the new, exciting developments we’ve seen coming to the fore. In 2023 alone, there have been AI trials that are helping doctors in Aberdeen detect breast cancer earlier, research that could reveal early causes of Parkinson’s, and artificial pancreases being created to better help those are living with type 1 diabetes.

With new technologies such as these, the possibilities for healthcare seem endless. As someone that both uses the NHS, and works with healthcare and MedTech companies that are having a real and lasting direct impact on helping deliver better patient care, I’m excited to see what’s next, and the future opportunities that will be available to me if and when I need it.

By Bekki Bushnell, Associate Director

Fuelling B2B Tech Businesses in Turbulent Times

In the fast-paced and ever-evolving world of B2B tech, businesses face unprecedented challenges. With uncertainty looming, market volatility threatening stability, and competition intensifying, it’s crucial for marketing leaders, like CMOs and heads of marketing, to navigate these turbulent waters with the most effective tools at their disposal. Amidst this chaos, one powerful weapon emerges: Public Relations (PR). By leveraging the full potential of strategic PR, B2B tech businesses can not only survive but thrive in these challenging times.

Unleashing the Force of Strategic Partnerships

Marketing is the lifeblood of B2B tech enterprises, driving a constant stream of qualified leads for the sales team. However, for marketing to reach its full potential, it must extend beyond traditional boundaries. This is where PR comes into play, expanding your reach and forging connections with customers, partners, journalists, and the wider public.

Gone are the days when PR was solely about press releases and media coverage. A well-crafted PR strategy becomes a catalyst for positive relationships with the media. By securing key content placements in influential publications, your organisation’s experts can share their insights and knowledge, captivating target audiences and propelling your brand reputation to new heights. Moreover, strategic partnerships with industry influencers provide an invaluable opportunity to amplify your brand’s reach, leveraging their expertise to make a lasting impact.

Igniting Engagement with Compelling Content

In the realm of PR, content and storytelling reigns supreme. While marketers traditionally associate impactful content with their domain, its influence extends far beyond. In today’s world, outbound marketing strategies fall flat, failing to resonate with audiences. Instead, an inbound approach is essential, where content marketing becomes the backbone of your brand narrative.

Crafting captivating content is just the beginning. Effective content marketing is a multidimensional endeavour, encompassing a strategic distribution plan. It’s not limited to prominent industry publications alone; social media channels play a pivotal role. Tailoring your content to each platform ensures maximum engagement. LinkedIn becomes a stage for sharing corporate messaging, while Twitter offers a platform for light-hearted banter. Stay ahead of the curve by embracing emerging channels like TikTok, where short-form videos provide a dynamic means of showcasing your company culture and the perks of working with you.

Unlocking Success through Measurable Objectives

In the realm of marketing, clear and measurable objectives are paramount. The same holds true for PR strategies. Defining specific Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aligned with broader business goals allows you to measure the success of your campaigns effectively. Regular reporting, ideally on a monthly and more detailed quarterly basis, provides the clarity needed to gauge progress and make data-driven decisions.

Embracing PR as a Growth Catalyst

In these challenging times, where many businesses face uncertainty and cost-cutting measures, B2B tech marketers must wield the right tools to communicate impactful messages to prospects and customers. As a strategic complement to marketing, PR becomes the driving force behind brand building, generating high-quality leads, and fostering sustainable growth amid economic pressures.

Ready to Ignite Growth?

If you’re eager to level up your PR to fuel growth for your B2B tech business, we’re here to help. Our team of experts is dedicated to supporting businesses like yours in navigating the ever-changing landscape of PR and achieving remarkable results. And if you’re wondering what qualifies us in all of the above? We have a proven track record of assisting B2B tech companies in establishing strong industry relationships, enhancing their brand reputations, and driving sustainable growth for more than 30 years.

Get in touch with our team today to start a discussion that could transform your business. And don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for a steady stream of captivating content, designed to inspire and empower marketing leaders like you. Together, let’s unlock the full potential of strategic growth in these turbulent times.

By Hayley Goff, CEO

Fuelling Growth for B2B Tech Businesses in Turbulent Times

In an era where digitalisation revolutionises product and service delivery, the B2B technology industry finds itself immersed in a sea of SaaS and cloud-based solutions. The battleground has intensified, as customers demand more from their providers, turning fierce competition into a ferocious battle. Adding to the complexity are economic uncertainties and persistently high inflation, compelling buyers to scrutinise every investment and tighten their purse strings. To thrive amidst these challenges, ambitious B2B tech brands must strive for market differentiation and secure a healthy bottom line. But how can they make it happen?

Harnessing Insights from Visionaries

Successful marketing hinges on effectively communicating unique and impactful messages to customers. However, many B2B tech businesses struggle to achieve this. Beyond the aforementioned pressures, these companies face challenges such as low market awareness, content that fails to resonate with the audience or ineffective communication channels. Take a moment to assess your current content. Does it effectively showcase the expertise and knowledge of your business specialists?

Gone are the days when a hard sell would captivate customers during initial conversations. Instead, thought leadership acts as the rocket fuel that ignites positive brand perception. By focusing on raising awareness and fostering market credibility rather than solely emphasising product benefits, thought leadership can attract new business opportunities. Although this strategy may initially seem counterintuitive to corporate owners and leaders eager to drive immediate revenue, a well-structured brand-building approach pays off in the long run.

Forging Enduring Relationships

At the heart of fruitful B2B tech operations and profitable strategies lie strong customer relationships. Effective crisis communication strategies, in the event of a disaster, also play a crucial role in building these relationships. Such strategies help mitigate potential reputational damage, maintain stakeholder trust, and ensure business continuity during turbulent times. Proactive reputation management forms the foundation for building a robust brand.

Market differentiation extends beyond customer relationships to encompass other stakeholders. Does your business have direct contact with industry influencers or media professionals? Collaborating with relevant influencers can elevate your products and services above the competition, while media connections ensure that your content reaches the right channels where your customers can be found. Media partnerships can also be leveraged to showcase your company’s vibrant workplace culture, attracting top talent as your business expands.

With a new strategy in place, it is imperative to set measurable KPIs that align with broader business objectives. Regular reporting, ideally on a quarterly basis, should be implemented. If you collaborate with suppliers, the same principle applies to gain clarity on the expected outcomes from your investments.

The Ultimate Goal

In today’s uncertain environment, employees, customers, and investors seek senior leaders they can trust and feel confident in. Effective PR strategies make this possible by communicating the unique value of your business and its people through targeted knowledge sharing. Furthermore, building trusted relationships with industry partners helps expand your business brand. While financial prosperity remains a top priority for business leaders, it is essential to recognise that PR is the driving force behind growth in all its forms during turbulent times.

And if you’re wondering what qualifies us in all of the above? We are a team of experienced professionals dedicated to helping businesses like yours navigate the complexities of PR and achieve impactful and measurable results. With our expertise and strategic approach, we have successfully assisted numerous clients in establishing strong relationships, enhancing their reputations, and driving growth for over 30 years.

If you’re interested in discussing any of the above or would like to receive more of our content, please don’t hesitate to get in touch or subscribe to our updates. Let’s fuel your growth together!

By Hugh Cadman, Interim Head of Content

The eruption of ChatGPT has triggered a major debate about generative AI and how it will reshape work and business, especially in PR.

A survey by a recruitment firm this year found 45 per cent of employees believe AI will help them do their jobs better. In the US, a Harris poll found 60 per cent of workers optimistic about the technology.

Although many of these respondents see the technology’s advantages in admin settings, ChatGPT’s runaway popularity is built substantially on its ability to create coherent content from scratch – and at speed.

Its success in attracting hundreds of millions of users has accelerated plans among the tech giants to come up with rival AI applications such as Google Bard and Palm, while Amazon and IBM have their own initiatives. More services are constantly evolving, such as Cohere Generate, or Copy.ai. Cohere, for example, will generate custom content for emails, advertisements, landing pages and so on.

OpenAI – the company behind ChatGPT – is in partnership with Microsoft, whose founder, Bill Gates believes AI “is as fundamental as the creation of the microprocessor, the personal computer, the internet and the mobile phone”. For Gates, the gains will be in productivity and more specifically in areas such as the development of new vaccines and medicines.

What are we left with in tech PR?

Given all the claims made for generative AI, it’s worth asking what its effect will be on B2B tech PR? At Whiteoaks our clients pay us for many services, including the creation of highly-targeted content written with skill to engage knowledgeable tech audiences.

But if AI automates marketing and creates comprehensible content in a few seconds, what are clients paying for? Should we get rid of our team of content-writers and ditch their years of expertise in favour of outsourcing to a ChatGPT-type service? Of course not.

Experience already shows that AI-created content, although coherent, needs human intervention to make it more tightly relevant to its purpose. It needs a writer to render it idiomatic so does not sound like every other piece of content put together by AI. It’s worth remembering that generative AI mines content from the internet. It will re-form what others have already said, which is hardly a formula for compelling originality.

And although it may have mechanisms to judge the authority of what it finds, AI is still far from infallible. We know that in the absence of figures or quotations, it can twist them or make them up. A business relying totally on AI-generated content may find that is repeating mistakes or biases that have gone uncorrected or unchallenged in other content already out there. Auditability and provenance are significant challenges, along with compliance with data regulation.

Commercial confidentiality and security concerns

There are serious concerns too about data leakage from generative AI services and the potential for breaches of commercial confidence through cyber attacks or lax procedures. It is not advisable to upload a mass of sensitive data of any kind into an AI service. Copyright is also a potential minefield, given that the AI is lifting and adapting pre-existing content and then claiming to create something new. Who does own the copyright? AI companies want to use the information inputted as part of their training models to hone accuracy – but for how long?

It’s not as if AI has come from nowhere. Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and IBM Watson are all forms of AI and at Whiteoaks we have been writing about the technology for a long time – as a tool to transform the work of contact centres, for example.

Where does this leave us? We know the AI algorithms will continue to “learn” and improve the quality of generative AI output. But there will always be a gap between what a machine produces and the flair, insight and creativity of a human. A human with experience and client/market knowledge will be necessary to comb through copy to spot errors and the significant risks of legal, copyright and compliance infringements.

Where we should use AI, is to take care of the routine, repetitive element in content-drafting, which includes research and structuring. ChatGPT is a very useful research tool providing nuanced answers. And with skilled supervision, the technology is effective at reworking and refreshing existing content.

The advent of ChatGPT and advanced AI will prove to be watershed moment for many industries and will transform productivity in innumerable areas of work. It will create new jobs and lead to dramatically effective integrations we cannot currently foresee. But it will not eliminate the need for skilled and experienced content creation in B2B tech PR.

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