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How can PR support sales? It’s a topic that often comes up for discussion for marketers looking to allocate their marketing budget to external resources. Here at Whiteoaks, we’re firm believers in our ability to demonstrate ROI for our clients, and we fully understand that the relationship between marketing and sales needs to be productive, to ensure everyone is aligned and working toward the same business goals.

We asked several marketing pros what their thoughts were around the power of PR and how it reaches beyond the marketing department and into supporting sales efforts. The discussion, in a Twitter chat, revealed some interesting food for thought.

Content That Resonates

Having your sales and marketing departments aligned is crucial for ensuring ROI. Sales teams are going to benefit from sharing content that helps to educate customers and prospects, and it also helps to build trust and establish your company as an expert in its industry.

PR that generates leads

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again, content is still king and it’s what will help your sales team to generate those important business leads. The key is to get an understanding of what content resonates well with your target audiences. This will help to create that initial dialogue which can lead to a sale. Hint – it often won’t be ‘about you’.

Marketing and Sales Working Together

If a business wants to realise and measure the value coming out of its PR efforts then the sales and marketing teams need to support each other. By taking an integrated approach, the needs of your business are being put first because the departments are focusing on the same business objectives by approaching the same target audiences with consistent messaging.

The Social Opportunity

The concept of social selling has been concreted throughout some organisations, yet others are still playing catch-up when it comes to ensuring their sales teams are active online. It’s something that businesses need to consider if they’re planning on establishing and retaining relationships with prospects and customers.

https://twitter.com/holly_uc/status/959421206385643520

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our #WOinsights chat. There were plenty of great discussions taking place around how PR is key for sales teams. If you’re looking for more from our Whiteoaks Insights series then be sure to read Lisa Hancox’s blog discussing the real questions marketers should be asking at the start of each year.

 

 

Who are you? And what’s your job at Whiteoaks?

I’m Emily Fishburn, also known as ‘Fishbowl’ – a nickname gifted to me by some of my pun-loving team for my love of a cocktail or two at the weekend. I’m Junior Account Executive in Team Taurus.

 

What does your daily to-do list look like?

 It always has to start with a cup of coffee while checking my emails and the latest tech news stories. I then move on to setting out the team’s writing schedules, client calls, general correspondence, reporting and whatever else the day has in store!

 

What made you want to get into PR?

 As a business student at the University of Surrey I found I enjoyed the marketing module the most and decided this was an industry I’d like to work in. I explored this option further by gaining some hands-on experience at a marketing agency and I loved the fast-paced exciting world of PR. Fast forward one year and two months and here I am on a development plan to become an Account Executive – still loving working in the industry and the opportunities it has to offer!

 

What is your favourite brand and why?

 It’s tough to choose just one out of the many outstanding brands around but I’d have to say Disney. It’s hard to find anyone that doesn’t absolutely love it as it’s arguably one of the world’s most powerful brands with it’s fun and magical personality.

 

What’s your top tip for someone who wants to get into the PR industry?

 Get as much experience in the industry as you can through work experience and placements, and make time each day to keep up to date with the latest news stories. Networking is also vital — talking to people already in the industry is an excellent source of valuable tips and advice in the beginning!

 

How do you unwind after a day in the office?

 By taking my miniature poodle, Lola, on a relaxing country walk. Followed by binging on episodes of Home and Away or the latest crime series on TV.

 

What’s your favourite anthem suggestion for Friday’s Whiteoaks Power Hour?

 We have quite a varied taste in the team but a classic garage anthem by Craig David usually goes down well in Team Taurus – that or Sean D Paul.

 

If you could be any character in any film, what would you be

 Going back to my earlier Disney theme, I think I’d have to go for the eponymous Moana, the adventurous chief’s daughter that sails the Polynesian sea on a quest with her pet chicken, Hei Hei.

 

What’s your ideal getaway location?

 I have always wanted to visit Santorini to enjoy the beautiful beaches and see its unique buildings and landscapes.

 

What’s your go-to party trick?

 Lola and I are pretty good at dancing around the kitchen together, although I think she would probably show me up if we performed a routine at a party.

 

And finally, cheesy chips?

 Of course, with ketchup please!

As Whiteoaks Account Director Holly explained in her recent blog, 2017 saw significant developments in the technology industry, but what does 2018 have in store? We have cut through the noise and hype to deliver you the top six trends that we expect to dominate and shape the world of technology in the year ahead.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be aware that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming an increasingly prevalent part of our everyday lives. Your ‘discover weekly’ playlist on Spotify and the predictive text on your phone are everyday, early, examples of AI that we take for granted. AI is set to become increasingly reliable in 2018 and as a result will become more widely adopted, enhancing verticals including retail, healthcare, financial services, fintech — and even PR — as Senior Account Director Simon Coughlin discussed recently.

AI also opens the door for machine learning, which is the concept of a computer being able to learn from itself and the world around it without the need for human programming. We expect machine learning to be an increasingly important topic in 2018, as individuals and businesses seek out ways that enable them to handle complex or extensive processes and data in a better, more productive and efficient way. Machine learning gained traction towards the end of 2017 and we fully anticipate the trend to continue this year, as it becomes especially dominant in industries such as retail and financial services, where customised customer experience and automation are key differentiators in business success and profitability.

Voice

Voice control technology will have a big say in 2018 (pun intended!). From a consumer point of view, we have already seen the launch of smart speakers, such as the Amazon Echo and Google’s Home Mini, which allow users to ask questions and perform daily tasks using their voice. Setting aside concerns from some around security with these specific devices for a moment, voice will become a significant weapon in the marketer’s armoury as the data being captured by these devices allows companies to get to know the individual and make purchase suggestions based on their requirements and habits. After all, isn’t this just part of the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT)? We can also expect the influence of voice to expand into the B2B world, as it will be a significant piece in the automatization jigsaw, working alongside AI and machine learning to boost the efficiency of business processes – especially in businesses in the manufacturing, financial services and healthcare IT areas.

Blockchain

The impact of blockchain technology shows no sign of slowing up in 2018. When most people think of blockchain they think of bitcoin, litecoin and other cryptocurrencies, which work on blockchain technology. While still a relatively new concept, blockchain offers transactional capabilities that are already starting to dominate new and existing industries, and also made its way into Forrester’s Top 10 technology trends to watch: 2018 to 2020. Blockchain essentially acts as an enormous Google spreadsheet in the cloud, allowing individuals in the network to make changes (transactions) which are then verified by the other individuals in the network without the need for a governing body. Could B2B transactions be carried out using cryptocurrencies in the near future? Based on the recent attention and financial investment that it is receiving, we would not be surprised. Industry experts foresee that the capabilities of blockchain technology should and will be leveraged beyond crypto-currencies, creating efficient financial solutions. Justin Paul, founder of digital currency Injii, believes that limiting blockchain to bitcoin would be a mistake that does not harness the technology’s full potential.

One thing is for sure, the impact of blockchain will be a very interesting subject to keep an eye on this year.

Edge computing

The term ‘edge computing’ may be a new one to most people, and it certainly was for me. Edge computing is effectively a more efficient alternative to cloud computing. It allows companies to analyse data in near real-time since the processing takes place at the edge of the network, so it’s much closer to the user and data sources, and therefore significantly reduces travel time while decreasing the amount of data being sent to cloud servers. As a result, edge computing is unlikely to replace cloud computing, however, we expect it to work in tandem to become part of the more sophisticated corporate IT architecture ecosystems, and could also improve products and systems in the IoT space.

Cyber security

News headlines in 2017 were dominated by stories of data breaches and cyber-security hacks, such as the WannaCry incident which affected the UK NHS in May last year. Many experts, including McAfee in its recent threats predictions report, anticipate that cyber-attacks will continue to be an issue as attackers will leverage the power and capabilities of AI and machine learning to exploit vulnerabilities in software and processes. As a result, it is essential that businesses combine machine learning with human intellect to avoid the drastic impact that such cyber-attacks can have.

All in all, 2018 promises to be an exciting year for the technology industry and we are very much looking forward to sharing that journey with our clients, existing and those we are yet to meet.

 

Every day, we are exposed to hundreds, if not thousands, of brands. Studies show that the average consumer is exposed to up to 10,000 brand messages a day, and that number is only growing. Whether it’s an e-newsletter with a voucher code, an advert on the side of a bus for the latest box office hit, or a sponsored post in your Instagram feed, companies are finding cannier ways to reach us as consumers. Messages are getting bigger, bolder and brighter, and while we are big fans of ingeniously crafted advertising campaigns, we know there’s always going to be space in the marketing mix for that steady, reliable and influential voice that comes with targeted thought leadership — especially in the B2B space.

Thought leadership helps you position yourself as an expert with your target audience through smartly crafted opinion-led content, and we’ve seen businesses transformed by powerful thought leadership campaigns. In a world where brands are shouting louder and louder, thought leadership is here to stay. And here’s why:

An intelligent way to differentiate

Thought leadership content is a great way to share what drives your business and what sets it apart from competitors, which you often can’t do to the same extent with other marketing material. Compelling and engaging copy can position you as a trusted advisor, and when utilised within a long-term thought leadership campaign, works to raise your profile on key topics relevant to your industry.

Show where your expertise lies

By identifying key issues that your audience wants or needs to hear about, you can focus trends, requirements or challenges relevant to the industry. This approach positions you as an expert on these topics so that when they see you’re writing content on this subject – whether that’s in an industry leading magazine, a national paper, on your website or even on your social media channels – they can have confidence in your expertise. It’s likely that you already have well-formed opinions on subjects that are relevant to your audience, so make the most of them!

Multifunctional copy

When you create a piece of content for a desired purpose, there’s no rule that says that’s the only function it can fulfil. Have you written a whitepaper to share directly with prospects? You can create smaller articles from that same content, or a blog for your website. When written in the right way, thought leadership content can have longevity and be replicated for multiple marketing and PR functions. With its lasting appeal, this content is the gift that keeps on giving.

At Whiteoaks, thought leadership campaigns are our bread and butter and we intentionally draft content by looking at what the customer wants to know first, rather than beginning with what a business wants to talk about. This ensures it’s always applicable and appropriate for its readers. An interest in informed, expert and relevant insight for your audience will never die, nor would any of us want it to.
 

It’s all too easy to start the year heading straight into the daily business activities: What’s the status with this marketing campaign? Which creative partner should I contact to work on our new brochure? I need to meet with this person in Sales to find out whether client A will sign off on that case study…. These are just some example thoughts that marketers across the B2B space probably all have running through their minds right now.

Rather than jumping straight into what is bound to be a lengthy to-do list, now is exactly the right time for PR and marketing professionals to take a step back and think about how to achieve best practice with all their efforts. Ask yourself how you can write impactful and useful content, how media relations can build your brand and how to navigate the tension between launching campaigns that are both creative and realistic. What are you trying to achieve and how – and what do you want your various audiences to think? And how can your PR and communications agency work as part of your team, not outside of it?

These are the kinds of questions we have set out to help you answer in a new series of videos we recently recorded with some of the Whiteoaks team. Our experts in media relations, social media, campaign planning and content, to name but a few, have filmed a series of short clips to help frame your strategic thinking for the year ahead.

Out of these clips have come an idea: the creation of Whiteoaks Insights. Where you see that title, be it in a blog post, at an event, webinar or in a LinkedIn post, you know that you’ll be about to read or watch something that offers you benefits, insight and information to help you do better. At Whiteoaks, we all believe the more you know, the better you’ll be.

So, come along and follow us on Twitter @WhiteoaksPR, where we’ll be posting each video first using the #WOInsights hashtag. You’ll also find the videos soon afterwards on LinkedIn and our YouTube channel. And to find out more about us and how we’re a deliberately different kind of PR agency, head over to this page of our website.

We believe conventional PR doesn’t work. To hear why, come and say hello@whiteoaks.co.uk.

 

The UK tech sector continues to boom despite associated fears for the industry, linked to Brexit. In 2017 UK firms attracted almost four times as much funding than companies in Germany France, Ireland and Sweden combined. And it is no surprise that London accounted for around 80 of that funding with tech entrepreneurs and businesses being attracted by the Capital’s talent pool and lead on cutting-edge technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Fintech. In fact, close to £3 billion in venture capital funding was secured, according to the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency, London & Partners – almost double the 2016 figure.

What this perhaps signals is a growing appetite for tech and the demand to use it, not only to streamline operations, but also to push business forward. Emerging tech trends are in fact set to transform what organisations offer. According to the industry experts, the acceleration of AI, bitcoin, augmented reality (AR) and blockchain, will continue to make an impact on business this year. But we are likely to see the biggest impact in the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, which has been named the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. IoT has already transformed manufacturing and production and, according to Steve Jones, principal consultant at cloud company Amido, “the industrial IoT will enable data-driven manufacturing and will introduce huge productivity boosts to industry”.

We’re also likely to see a big shake-up in the boardroom with the CIO and CTO driving innovation and digital transformation. While traditionally the CIO role has been seen to be averse to new technology, Phil Lander, head of B2B at Samsung Europe, states that it is evolving and CIO’s are now asking how technology can better benefit their entire business.

But it’s not all positive; tech companies can expect more regulation this year, particularly in the US with the introduction of the Honest Ads Act that will force tech giants to make digital ad data public in national elections. But the law would cover much more than political ads, including looking into whether or not tech companies intentionally make products addictive and address concerns around privacy.

Still, it’s clear that the tech industry has real momentum and will continue to grow in 2018. The UK government is investing an extra £21 million into Tech City UK over four years; Facebook opened a new office in London, pledging to create 800 new jobs; Google is planning a £1bn London based headquarters and Amazon has opened a centre in Cambridge dedicated to research for products, moved its HQ to East London and announced 1,000 new jobs in Bristol.

But it is not just the pure tech players that are thriving; as mentioned, growth in the key tech verticals has also been on the rise. So, moving forward into the new year, there is a lot of optimism around the sector. With nearly 25 years of experience of working with technology companies, we at Whiteoaks are also excited to see what the sector brings in 2018 – could it be another record breaker?

If I had a magic wand, I would make myself run faster. I don’t. So instead, one of my New Year’s resolutions is to train more. Of course, we all have resolutions (even if we say we don’t, some changes are still there at the back of our minds) and those changes can cover all areas of our lives; diet, fitness, spending, work, relationships. I can’t vouch for the success of any of them (yet) but what I can say is that when it comes to business, resolutions are not only a good thing, but also doable.

My advice for B2B technology companies who want to ‘make their mark’ in their sector this year is to commit to investing energy in these three achievable New Year’s resolutions:

  1. Focus on Integrated Marketing

Whatever the individual specialisms, everyone at Whiteoaks believes that engaging, informative content is still king and sits at the heart of any good marketing strategy. From visionary thought leadership to in-depth whitepapers, Whiteoaks’ specialist team of content creators guarantees a consistently high level of quality for clients, and that content feeds into all of their marketing activities.

Our writers have decades of experience in journalism and technical writing across B2B tech and consumer technologies in a huge variety of industries.

  1. Public Relations to support broad business efforts

With more than two decades of experience in B2B technology, our teams run high-impact campaigns across PR, influencer and digital channels. We believe in three core pillars of activity; thought leadership, company news and endorsement.

Whether breaking into the national media, delivering hard-hitting company news or running standout creative public relations campaigns, Whiteoaks consistently delivers for B2B clients through its unique approach to PR, which supports the sales, marketing and account functions of their business.

  1. Digital and Social Media conversations

No longer just a platform for content sharing and ‘broadcasting content’, social media offers the opportunity to identify, engage with and ultimately convert prospects. From content creation and community management to social media training and lead generation activities, Whiteoaks is ahead of the curve in helping clients grow their digital footprint and reputation.

 

Hopefully food for thought — now I’m off for another run.

Parlez vous en francis? Sprechen Sie Deutsch? No matter what region or vertical you want to grow your profile in, from a PR perspective there are a few best practices you need to consider. Of course, as an agency, Whiteoaks has the skills, experience and resources to help you understand those regions and help your business grow awareness of your brand.

Here’s how we do it:

1. Research your market and media

With over 20 years’ experience in delivering bespoke campaigns for our clients in countries as close as Ireland and as far flung as China and with the support of the Whiteoaks International Network(WIN), we investigate the markets and media landscapes our clients are interested in and make recommendations on where best to target our efforts.

Not only does WIN offer local knowledge, understanding and relationships alongside the flexibility to scale up or scale down requirements based on business need, the network delivers the true Whiteoaks experience with an unwavering commitment to transparency through tailored campaigns consisting of set deliverables, linked to strict performance targets and underpinned by a formal service level agreement.

Utilising PR experts on the ground who have contacts with the right journalists, social media influencers and industry analysts, Whiteoaks never fails to deliver for our clients internationally.

2. Tailor your message and tactics to suit your B2B tech audience in that region

Using our 360PR approach, Whiteoaks quickly establishes a set of consistent key messages to work across each region. As part of a client’s marketing team, our specialist copywriters, develop an intrinsic knowledge of the core technology issues common across a client’s target audience and blend this with local knowledge of what makes for newsworthy content.

Whiteoaks is aware that what will work well in the UK, might be completely off track in another country. For example, stories on the use of technology in discount stores are popular in Germany and the UK but less so in France as discount stores are receiving negative press for how they have seemingly been treating their employees. In Ireland, while technology trade titles are limited and technology news can be difficult to secure in national papers, incorporating jobs announcement in your tech releases are very well received by national media outlets.

3. Measure campaign success

If you want to measure the success of a PR campaign, its crucial to set expectations at the start. As the ROI PR industry leader, Whiteoaks works closely with our clients to build bespoke campaigns that allow us to agree strict performance targets such as coverage volume, social media interaction or web traffic increase. With clear and transparent targets, we aim to go the extra mile for our clients and ensure their international campaigns are successful.

Entering the world stage, doesn’t have to be as difficult as it might first appear. In three simple steps, Whiteoaks working with international media outlets delivers successful B2B tech PR campaigns for our clients. To find out more, why not visit our website and read some of our successful case studies.

The organisations we work with at Whiteoaks have one thing in common – technology is at the heart of their business. It is not surprising, therefore, that many of the conversations we are having with clients focus on the growth in use of artificial intelligence (AI).

Organisations across multiple sectors are harnessing the power of AI — when a machine mimics cognitive functions — to enhance digital transformation and try to get one step ahead of competitors. While the benefits of AI to business are undoubted, the mainstream media has been littered with stories about the potential impact of automation on human jobs.

A recent report from the University of Oxford suggested that in 45 years’ time half of jobs currently filled by humans will have been taken over by an AI system. So no matter what industry you work in, you may well be asking yourself “could a robot do my job?”.

The potential impact of AI on the PR industry has yet to be fully understood, but it is already having an impact on tasks that historically would have been carried out by a human. Systems using complex algorithms have been designed to speed up mundane tasks such as media monitoring, analysing coverage, press release distribution and identifying influencers.

As the above outlines, AI is already making the life of a PR professional easier by improving processes and allowing them more time to concentrate on the more cognitive tasks which, as yet, machines have yet to grasp. It will be many years before an intelligent machine is able to duplicate the creative process involved in writing a compelling thought leadership article, or able to take an active role in a brainstorm session on how to get maximum publicity for a client’s shiny new widget.

So what next? Well if you accept that AI has already helped the PR industry take massive steps forward, the possibilities for further advancements are endless. AI has already had a huge impact on the news industry, analysing vast amounts of data to tailor what stories we read on Facebook and other sites. Imagine if we could harness AI to tailor the content we create to match the interests and beliefs of individual influencers and consumers. With the power of machine learning, a single press release, website blog or even video content could be modified so that it reflects the needs of a specific reader or the requirements of a prospective customer.

There would still be the need for the cognitive power required to create the original content. The intelligent machine would simply enable a PR agency to reach the most influential people and speak to them in a more personal, timely manner. This, in turn, would help clients meet their business goals.

In summary, I believe that the PR industry has nothing to fear from the growth of AI. What we now require is a greater understanding of the technology and how we can harness it to further enhance the services we provide as a B2B Tech PR Agency.

 

Some call it the cultural hub of the company. To most it’s the Writers’ Block or where the content creators create. So where better to find Whiteoaks’ answer to Mark Kermode and Mariella Frostrup to discover their favourite Christmas film and book?

I mean what’s more sophisticated than watching the Muppet Christmas Carol with a glass of Baileys in hand?

 Ollie

Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands may be dressed up in Halloween attire, but I would argue that it’s a festive tale at heart. [SPOILER ALERT] The film concludes with the idea that the white Christmas is caused by the snow which Edward creates when carving ice sculptures. Pretty festive if you ask me.

The film explores themes which are relevant today, such as an outsider (Edward) trying to find his way in a strange new culture. Edward – an artificial being – is an unfinished creation, so in a way the film also teaches us that those creative ideas we sometimes leave on the backburner can blossom over time, developing into something fruitful when eventually revisited.

Every Christmas I like to remember the story of John Callcott Horsley and his part in developing the first ever Christmas card. A celebrated painter (and inventor of the envelope!). While I’m not entirely certain that ‘JC’ was actually a distant relative, I enjoy the thought of the creative gene being passed down through many generations. Don’t expect an ornately decorated homemade card from me, though – I’ll see you in the queue in Paperchase!

 

Jordan

 If there is a single Christmas film that I watch at least once every year it is The Muppet Christmas Carol. Although it really shouldn’t work on paper, there’s something about this stuffed animal adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic that reignites the festive spirit inside of me and makes me feel five-years-old again. There’s Michael Caine’s performance as Scrooge; the dynamic duo of Gonzo and Rizzo and who could forget the singing vegetables? A shining example of how talking animals can basically make anything better.

At Christmas time I tend to find myself flicking through the books I’ve received as gifts, but this year I think I’m going to make the time to revisit Before The Fall by Noah Hawley, the man behind the incredible TV series Fargo. It is without doubt the most gripping book I’ve read in a long time; the story of a family and a friend who are flying back to New York on a private jet following a vacation — only for the plane to crash 16 minutes into the journey. The rest of the book is an incredible lesson in character development.

 

Jenny

It goes back a long way, but I’d say Dr Zhivago. Snow, more snow, icicles, fur hats, sledges, an ice-cool Julie Christie and a smouldering Omar Sharif. So what if the Russian Revolution didn’t show much Christmas spirit?   A beautiful love story, thrilling plot and sobering history lesson all in one.

Staying with the theme of weather – what could be better than a log fire, a raging storm outside, nowhere you need to be and a copy of Wuthering Heights? Re-reading the novel as an adult, it seemed wilder and more gothic than I remembered. But still perfect for those days after Christmas when the visitors have gone. Just ignore that tap-tapping on your window.

 

Hugh

I usually go to the Christmas communion service in the village church opposite where I stay, depending on how much I have imbibed in the pub the previous night. Always end up thumbing through The Book of Common Prayer which is full of quaint warnings, brilliant language and the odd repugnant prayer. It was a good example of a single writer (Cranmer) cobbling together a hugely influential text from all kinds of sources while managing to stamp his own authority on it. He was burned at the stake for his trouble, which is not a “challenge” we have to face, fortunately.

Never watched a tinselly Christmas film since I was a child. The Marx brothers’ Monkey Business or Horse Feathers are my idea of Christmas films.

 

Susan

When it comes to my favourite holiday movie — Die Hard — there’s some argument around whether it actually qualifies. I could choose The Holiday (which I love, too) but for me, Die Hard epitomises everything a Christmas movie should be. Yes, it’s about terrorists taking over an office block in Los Angeles, (and yes, it has Bruce Willis flexing his arms and swinging around on fire hoses) but it’s also about redemption, reuniting with family, and going out of your way to do everything you can for your loved ones. But mostly it’s about Bruce 😉

As for holiday reading… I’m going to say Stephen King. At the moment I’m re-reading It (a book about homecoming, loyalty and a scary clown) and trying to stay away from red balloons and whispering drains. And I’m balancing that with King’s non-fiction musings about what he does best – write. For me, King doesn’t write about horror; he writes about people. His insights into human nature are what are truly frightening… something that comes across in every character he’s created So I’m going to get through On Writing to get some of my own insight.

 

Richard

I’d have to say the original version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim from the 1950s . That’s because I love Dickens – and Dickens and Christmas fit together perfectly.

In terms of books, I’m planning to read The Cricketer’s Anthology of the Ashes. Not very seasonal you might think but I hope to sit down with it on Boxing Day while listening to England trying to actually win a test match against Australia in Melbourne.