Category: News

In this blog, Whiteoaks discusses:

  • Why B2B tech brands should invest in their own research
  • How to turn a single research report into long-term content marketing strategy

 

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.

In this blog, Whiteoaks’ CEO, Hayley Goff, discusses:

  • What Performance PR is and how it differs from traditional PR
  • How Performance PR is measured
  • Why accountability matters more than ever for B2B tech brands investing in PR

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR is a results-driven approach to public relations that connects PR activity to clear business objectives and measurable outcomes. At Whiteoaks, accountability is built into our Performance PR model. We offer ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ with agreed targets backed by a formal service level agreement and money-back guarantee.

But to understand more about the Performance PR approach, it helps to consider a familiar situation.

You’re a successful tech brand eager to attract new clients and establish industry credibility.

You decide to invest in PR, and enlist a top-tier agency on a monthly retainer, which promises coverage in leading industry publications. The campaign has some success, but it’s not what you’d hoped for, especially considering your investment.

There’s a distinct lack of tangible results, the phones have remained eerily quiet and the promised influx of engagement and referrals fails to materialise. Frustrated, you abandon the PR element of your marketing and communications campaign.

All you have to show are several large holes in your budget, and a boss piling on the pressure for results.

This is a frequent scenario we hear from marketing and senior leadership teams within technology businesses, who come to us deflated and disappointed with their incumbent PR agency.

After poor performance, insufficient results and a lack of accountability, the high cost is the final nail in the coffin. Expensive retainers, missed targets and a lack of transparency, which leaves brands with zero recourse, is a model that has given PR a bad name.

But there is an alternative – Performance PR – and it’s something we have preached and practised at Whiteoaks for over 30 years. This approach offers peace of mind for the client and accountability for us. 

How does Performance PR differ from traditional PR?

The main difference between Performance PR and traditional PR is how the agency relationship is structured and how campaign success is defined.

Under a traditional retainer model, a client will often pay for an agreed amount of agency time or activity each month. That might include media outreach, content development, press releases and reporting.

Success can then become focused on what the agency produced, such as the number of journalists contacted or pieces of coverage secured.

These outputs can be valuable, but they do not necessarily explain whether the campaign reached the right people, communicated the right messages or supported the client’s wider objectives.

Performance PR starts with the result the business needs.

The Performance PR agency and their client agree the objective, activity, deliverables and targets at the outset. Reporting is then based on progress against those commitments rather than a record of how agency time was spent.

Media coverage still matters, but it is considered in context. A piece of coverage is more valuable when it appears in a publication trusted by the target audience, includes the messages the brand needs to communicate and encourages further engagement.

This creates a clearer connection between the PR activity and what the business is trying to achieve.

Why Performance PR matters to B2B tech brands

Marketing leaders are under growing pressure to prove that their budgets are being used effectively.

According to Gartner’s 2025 CMO Spend Survey, 39% of CMOs planned to reduce agency budgets, with eliminating unproductive agency relationships among the main actions being taken.

In that environment, a monthly PR report listing completed activity is unlikely to be enough. Marketing teams need to explain who the campaign reached and how it contributed to the business objective.

Performance PR creates that connection by agreeing relevant targets before campaign delivery begins.

Setting those targets requires a proper understanding of the business, its audience, priorities and  timelines. The measures should reflect what the campaign is genuinely expected to influence, rather than applying the same set of metrics to every client.

Our approach to target setting for Performance PR explains how we turn these considerations into meaningful campaign KPIs.

This focus is also consistent with the AMEC Barcelona Principles, which state that measuring communications outcomes should be preferred to measuring outputs alone.

The purpose is not to claim PR was solely responsible for every lead or sale. It is to provide credible evidence of the role communications played in supporting the organisation’s goals.

How the Performance PR model improves the agency relationship

In practice, the Performance PR model gives clients greater clarity from the start. The campaign objectives, activity, targets and costs are agreed upfront, so both sides understand what success looks like and how progress will be assessed.

This creates:

Greater accountability: The agency is held accountable for delivering the agreed targets. At Whiteoaks, that commitment is written into a formal service level agreement and backed by a money-back guarantee.

Clearer costs: Fixed fees for fixed outcomes give clients clarity about their investment from the beginning. There are no vague promises about how a bank of retainer hours might be used.

More meaningful reporting: Campaign reporting is connected to the business and PR objectives. This helps teams explain the value of PR to senior leaders and demonstrate progress using relevant evidence.

Better campaign decisions: Regular measurement helps identify which messages, channels and activities are having the strongest impact. That insight can be used to improve the campaign rather than waiting until the end to discover what worked.

Stronger alignment with the business: Performance PR begins with the actual needs of the organisation. Campaigns are designed to build reputation, change perceptions, strengthen authority or support growth rather than generate coverage for its own sake.

What are the benefits of Performance PR?

The results will depend on what the campaign is designed to achieve, but Performance PR can help brands:

Increase brand awareness: Consistent, well-targeted coverage across the channels your audience actually pays attention to keeps your brand front of mind as they start researching a solution.

Attract more relevant leads: Campaigns designed around your actual buyers, rather than broad reach alone, tend to attract enquiries from people who are a genuine fit rather than a high volume of the wrong audience.

Strengthen credibility: Positioning your business and its experts as trusted voices, through media coverage, thought leadership and third-party endorsement, builds a kind of credibility that advertising alone cannot buy.

Demonstrate clear return on investment: Because targets are agreed upfront and tracked throughout, you can show, in commercial terms, what your PR investment has actually delivered.

How Performance PR is measured

Measurement against business objectives and absolute accountability sit at the heart of Performance PR.

There is no single set of KPIs that applies to every campaign. Every client’s goals are different, so a programme designed to raise awareness should not be measured in exactly the same way as one focused on executive visibility, thought leadership or audience engagement.

The KPIs should always reflect the purpose of the Performance PR campaign.

For awareness-led activity, they could include coverage in priority publications, audience reach, key message penetration, share of voice against competitors or visibility around key industry topics.

For a campaign focused on building credibility, they might include quality of thought leadership opportunities, executive commentary in relevant media, engagement with expert content, invitations to contribute to industry discussions or changes in how the brand is represented.

Where the objective is to encourage an audience to take action, the campaign might track website referrals, content downloads, event registrations, social engagement, enquiries or other meaningful responses

Coverage volume can form part of the Performance PR measurement framework, but it should not be viewed in isolation. A high number of articles in publications that do not reach the target audience may have less value than one detailed feature in a title that buyers know and trust. Effective measurement considers the quality, relevance and impact of the result.

These KPIs are tracked across the different channels of an integrated campaign, from media relations to content and social media to creative work, all pulling in the same direction toward the agreed targets.

Why choose Whiteoaks for Performance PR

Performance PR isn’t just another marketing tactic at Whiteoaks. It’s ingrained in our approach, because it embodies our values and behaviours as a B2B tech PR agency.

Our values – quality, teamwork, integrity and commerciality – underpin our performance-led approach. In our employee-owned business, every member of staff is personally invested, so your results are our success too. That alignment translates into better outcomes for clients.

Performance PR allows us to be one hundred per cent accountable to our clients, and to continually improve and evolve our services.

Over our 30-year heritage, that’s helped us become a trusted partner to many. You can see the approach in action across our client work.

Want greater clarity and accountability from your PR investment? Talk to our team about a Performance PR campaign built around your business objectives.

 

FAQ

What is Performance PR?

Performance PR is a results-driven approach to public relations that connects PR activity to clear business objectives and measurable outcomes. At Whiteoaks, accountability is built into our Performance PR model. We offer ‘fixed fees for fixed outcomes’ with agreed targets backed by a formal service level agreement and money-back guarantee.

How is Performance PR measured?

Performance PR is measured using metrics including media coverage quality, website traffic, organic search performance, lead generation, conversions and engagement.

How is Performance PR different from traditional PR?

Traditional PR relationships are typically based on a monthly retainer and a set amount of agency activity. Performance PR instead focuses on agreed campaign outcomes, with defined targets linked to business goals and agency accountability for delivering them.

Why is measuring PR performance important?

Measuring the performance of PR campaigns enables B2B businesses to understand campaign effectiveness, optimise future strategies and demonstrate return on investment.

Hook, Hampshire, 11 May 2022: Whiteoaks International has been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year the agency has achieved CMS accreditation.

The award is the result of a successful audit and moderation session that examined areas including business planning, business development and benchmarking.

Renna Markson MPRCA, Deputy Director General and Engagement Director, says:

“Congratulations to Whiteoaks International for achieving the Gold CMS Award for demonstrating best practices in PR over the past five years. The quality assurance report commended the agency for their detailed and comprehensive response, especially their benchmarking evidence, which demonstrates their strong position in the marketplace. The report also noted that they have a collaborative approach to business planning and a strong track record in new business development. Clients are offered transparent and detailed contracts, which is testament to the Whiteoaks International’s commitment to quality service.”

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry.

“As an employee-owned business on an ambitious growth path and dedicated to delivering on our mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for our clients, we are delighted with our Gold CMS accreditation,” says Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths.

“Our passionate team of specialists is committed to giving our clients exactly what they need – results, proactivity and impact so being recognised for that is a great motivator for the team and great acknowledgement of their commitment.”

Whiteoaks International has named Hayley Goff as its new CEO. Goff steps into the role from the position of chief operating officer and will strive to strengthen Whiteoaks’ position in the market and drive the business towards furthering its mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for its clients.

Goff takes the reins from current CEO James Kelliher who is moving into an advisory role as non-executive director on the Whiteoaks board.

“This is another huge step forward for Whiteoaks and as CEO, I look forward to leading our dedicated team of specialists along our growth journey. I am passionate about our deliberately different approach which offers a flexible engagement model and guarantees results, return on investment and above all, happy clients,” says Goff.

“As a proudly employee-owned business we all have an even bigger stake in our clients’ success and we are committed to giving them exactly what they need in terms of results, proactivity and market impact.”

The make up of the Whiteoaks executive board of directors remains mostly unchanged with Suzanne Griffiths (managing director) and John Broy (chief client officer) supporting Goff in her new role. Current non-executive director Andrew Marsden has stepped down.

Goff joined Whiteoaks in 2004, moving up through the ranks holding a number of senior roles and working on key international accounts across the business. Goff joined the Whiteoaks board in 2013 following a management buy-out before moving into the role of chief operating officer, where she provided strategic and creative consultancy across the client portfolio.

“Hayley is a tremendous asset to the business in terms of how she helps shape clients’ strategy, the strong relationships she’s built over the years, and her inspiring leadership. As I move into my new role as non-executive director, I have the utmost confidence that Hayley will continue to drive Whiteoaks forward and lead the team to success in pursuit of our ambitious objectives,” says James Kelliher, outgoing CEO.

The appointment is effective from 01 May 2023.

Whiteoaks International, the UK’s leading B2B tech PR agency, has been appointed by AccountsIQ, the award-winning accountancy SaaS provider, to deliver an integrated campaign across the UK and Ireland. The targeted campaign will run over 12 months and is aimed at elevating the AccountsIQ brand and building its corporate profile.

Following a period of exceptional growth, AccountsIQ identified the need to increase its visibility within its target market. AccountsIQ’s decision to select Whiteoaks is testament to the company’s unparalleled experience in delivering results for fast-growing technology businesses, and its reputation for targeted campaigns that elevate brands, and speak to the right audiences, with the right content, through the right channels to deliver behavioural change.

“In a competitive pitch process, Whiteoaks’ professional approach, deep domain experience and commitment to delivering measurable results impressed us. We look forward to working with the team to further our business goals over the coming year,” says Sara Laccone, head of marketing, AccountsIQ.

Whiteoaks will be delivering an integrated, creative brand awareness campaign, encompassing media relations, thought leadership and corporate profiling to elevate awareness of AccountsIQ’s products and services amongst fast-growth businesses.

Founded in Dublin in 2004, AccountsIQ provides a suite of financial management software that enables businesses to use financial data more strategically, empowering informed decision-making and raising the finance function to a strategic hub. AccountsIQ is a well-established vendor in the accountancy software field, designed for fast-growth and multi-entity businesses. More than 6,000 entities worldwide currently use AccountsIQ software.

Hayley Goff, COO of Whiteoaks International says: “Our ability to deliver an integrated campaign across media, social, creative, and content puts us in an elevated position within the UK technology PR sector and means we can manage the end-to-end process delivering return on investment and consistency of message across channels while ensuring an excellent level of service. We are delighted to be working with AccountsIQ to further accelerate their business growth in the UK and Ireland.”

Hook, Hampshire, 6 May 2022: The PRCA has once again awarded Whiteoaks International its Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year that the agency has demonstrated its steadfast commitment to quality. 

The accreditation was awarded following a successful audit and moderation session, carried out by PRCA audit accessor Carol Magill. The audit covered areas including financial management, training, culture and client management. 

“Whiteoaks International provided an excellent response across all sub sections audited – from training of staff and client management, to creating a supportive and inclusive culture. This includes having a comprehensive diversity policy supported by training programmes. In addition, it was clear that leadership and communication play a pivotal role in the agency’s success, both in terms of transparency and in following a best practice approach when communicating with internal and external audiences,” says Magill. 

Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths says: “We are really delighted with our latest CMS accreditation. One of our core values as an agency is quality, not just in what we deliver for clients, but in the way we engage with our staff. We do this by creating and evolving a welcoming, inclusive culture that gives our staff the confidence to grow, share ideas and be part of a great team. This aspect is especially important for us since becoming an employee-owned business where each and every employee has a hand in shaping the future direction of the business.” 

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry. Whiteoaks first achieved it in 2018. 

Hook, Hampshire, 4th May 2022: Modern workplace and managed services specialist, Camwood has chosen to partner with Whiteoaks International to raise awareness of its brand. The partnership agreement between the two companies follows hot on the heels of the appointment of senior level business executive Andrew Carr as Camwood’s new managing director. 

The two companies will work closely together as Camwood embarks on a growth journey leveraging their heritage as a pure IT applications specialist to additionally encompass a strong focus on modern workplace and managed services.  

Camwood has more than 20 years’ experience in enterprise IT. Today, it is focused on delivering Digital Acceleration through the Lens of Applications to its customers and partners. Whiteoaks will take these messages to market as part of an integrated PR campaign, which will include thought leadership articles, news hijacking opportunities and media briefings. 

Andrew Carr, managing director, Camwood, says: “We are really looking forward to working in close partnership with Whiteoaks to raise awareness of the Camwood brand across our key target markets. What really stood out to us about their proposal was their emphasis on PR that generates tangible business outcomes rather than just outputs. We know they are committed to delivering results for us.”   

Hayley Goff, Chief Operating Officer at B2B Tech PR Agency Whiteoaks says: “It is exciting to have the opportunity to work in close partnership with a business like Camwood that combines high levels of experience and expertise with a genuine passion and commitment to its customers and to growing its capability in new areas of the market. We are looking forward to working with them to help make their vision a success.”  

Camwood is the latest in a series of 2022 client wins for Whiteoaks, which also include Secure Code Warrior and Kognitiv Spark.  

Hook, Hampshire, 3 August 2021: Corelight has appointed Whiteoaks International as its UK agency of choice. The cyber security business is seeking to strengthen its presence in the region and Whiteoaks will deliver a brand awareness campaign to support this.

The campaign is designed around strong thought leadership and media relations, including the use of data-driven insights and tailored content.

Corelight selected Whiteoaks following a referral from its US agency W2 Communications and a competitive pitch.

“We have started the year off with some great momentum and that’s carrying through to the summer with this most recent win to add to the flurry of new clients that we welcomed last month,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks CEO. “We are delighted to welcome this great brand to Whiteoaks and we’re looking forward to bringing its targeted campaign to life and achieving tangible results.”

Hook, Hampshire, 12 August 2021: Award-winning B2B tech pr agency Whiteoaks International has signed up a number of new clients over the space of four weeks, including Lilli, Pole Star, and Visual Components.

Lilli, a UK health tech company that uses machine learning to revolutionise home care, kicked off its campaign with a project announcing its £4.5 million in a pre-Series A funding. The subsequent programme will focus on positioning the Lilli brand in the market and growing awareness with a view to engaging stakeholders in the health sector to explore opportunities and investors to attract future funding. This includes a content creation and thought leadership component, as well as media and influencer relations.

Pole Star, a pioneering maritime technology provider, selected Whiteoaks after a competitive pitching process to support its expansion aspirations following a significant growth investment in the company. The campaign tactics include a research project, media relations and thought leadership.

Visual Components develops 3D manufacturing simulation solutions and was looking to raise its profile in the market and boost brand awareness. The tailored campaign to be delivered by Whiteoaks will use influencer and media relations, corporate profiling and thought leadership to help the company reach its objectives.

“There has been a steady build up in the market over the past few months, with demand coming from both brands that have an appetite for increased PR and marketing services, as well as those looking to use these services for the first time,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks International CEO.

“We are delighted to welcome these great names on board and are looking forward to bringing their campaigns to life, and delivering the strong results and return on investment that they chose us for.”

Hook, Hampshire 1 July 2021: Hubilo, a leader in global virtual and hybrid events platforms, has selected Whiteoaks International as its agency of choice to launch its offerings into the UK market.

Whiteoaks won the account with a launch programme that includes a large media relations component, thought leadership, and customer endorsement following a competitive pitch process. The initial campaign will seed a longer-term programme of generating brand awareness and building credibility across Hubilo’s core audiences, including event management companies, exhibitions, and corporates.

The platform focuses on engaging audiences and uses data analytics to provide insights to organisers in terms of attendee behaviours, lead generation, content performance. With a better understanding of what audiences are interested in, organisations can personalise the event experience for the attendee and help elevate the ROI of the event.

Cathy Song Novelli, SVP, Marketing + Communications at Hubilo says: “We’ve had great success over this past year with our virtual events platform, growing dramatically month-on-month but now is the time to capitalise on that momentum and move forward into new markets and strengthen our hybrid offering. We believe Whiteoaks is the agency to help us get there based on their creative ideas for campaigns and their experience in helping fast-growth businesses such as ours.”

With more than 5-years of experience in both the physical and virtual event space, Hubilo has a distinct competitive advantage.

“We are excited to be working with the team at Hubilo in officially launching the brand to the UK market and helping to shape the company’s growth journey. Seeing the platform in action reinforces its versatility and appeal for users in a Covid-influenced market and beyond,” says James Kelliher, CEO of Whiteoaks International.