Tag: Tech

By Emily Fishburn, Senior Account Manager

The enterprise technology space is a highly competitive and crowded one. As with similar marketplaces, the most successful brands are those that not only deliver a good product or service, but stand head and shoulders above competitors.

Easier said than done. But it can be done.

Increasingly, PR is being used as one of those tools to help brands in the IT space distinguish themselves from their competitors. Just how can B2B tech PR help? If you’re in this space, we’ve compiled a list:

Thought leadership

The media is saturated with articles on popular topics like SaaS, big data or cloud, which means it’s harder to have your voice heard. B2B PR (and working with the right PR team) can help strengthen your voice by refining your messaging and making sure your subject matter experts come across in the best possible way.

It’s not about shouting louder than your competitors, it’s about saying something of value; something that will resonate with your prospects and answer a question, pose a solution or open their eyes to something new.

Here, having a definite opinion – and not being afraid to voice it – is also one of the ways to get yourself heard through thought leadership. You’re the expert in your field, so don’t be afraid to be outspoken, or even controversial if you have the facts or experience behind you.

Proactive commentary

In the same vein, having a strong opinion or something fresh to say on breaking news stories or emerging trends will give your brand a tremendous advantage. Again, this demonstrates your expertise and helps build the credibility of your brand. Be ready to jump on those chances – whether that’s giving your PR team your views and thoughts in preparation, or being readily available when opportunities (or the BBC) come knocking.

Media briefings

The traditional media briefing still plays a massive role in brand awareness. Work with your PR team to build those relationships with key media, not just to talk about product updates, but wider strategy and industry trends — again, not being afraid to voice an opinion or have a view that’s different from the herd.

The right relationships

It’s worth saying that you won’t be courting the entire UK media. Instead, there will be a few publications and journalists that are key to your PR plans and business objectives. So it’s vital that you’re talking to them in the right way about the right things. Product updates would never be shared with national publications, but solid case studies and press releases would resonate with the channel press.

The humble case study

Nothing sells your business like happy customers. Don’t forget about the impact that B2B content such as a well-written case study or customer testimonial can have on your desired audience. Case studies with clear results and demonstrable return on investment can be used throughout the marketing funnel, but especially with prospects in the consideration and decision phases.

What’s next?

PR gives you a number of tactics that can be used to elevate your brand, grow awareness of your offering and make you stand above your competition. Working with the right digital PR agency ensures those tactics become powerful tools that can help you reach your target audiences in the right way and ultimately achieve your business objectives, whether that’s boosting awareness, M&A or expanding into new markets.

If you’d like to chat about how we can help your business, please get in touch.

By Ella Thompson, Senior Account Director

Since the birth of the internet, cybersecurity has been a growing concern for businesses around the world. The number of cyberattacks has steadily grown year-on-year and experts predict it will carry on this way for the foreseeable future. In addition, cybercriminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated – they can find the smallest weakness in a network and exploit it without the company even knowing.

But it’s not all bad news. There has been a boom in the cybersecurity industry and companies reinforcing their cyber defences. Reports suggest that the UK cybersecurity industry is growing at a rate of over 20% a year with the global market projected to reach $258bn by 2025. With such a competitive landscape – how can cyber companies stand out from the crowd?

One of the best ways is to invest in cybersecurity PR. This helps increase brand awareness, showcase expertise and drive leads. But with such a crowded marketplace, how do you stand out from the rest?

Here are my three tips for developing an effective PR campaign in cybersecurity:

Understand your audience

The first thing you need to do when considering PR is to understand your audience and who you’re trying to influence. In the past, cybersecurity was not considered a board issue, it was left up to the IT director or manager to control. But with the ever-growing threat to companies and the risk of hefty fines from regulation such as GDPR, it has now become a top priority for the C-Suite.

There are now multiple decision-makers involved in cyber security strategy and purchasing decisions, so you need to create messages that suit each audience. Messaging that resonates with IT leaders isn’t going to have the same impact with the C-Suite. Your IT audience will be able to understand the technical jargon, whereas the C-Suite will be looking at the overall importance to the business and how it impacts the bottom line.

Once you understand your audience, you can then identify the target media you need to engage with to reach them. For example, while tech and cybersecurity titles may be best for your IT decision-makers, you may want to consider broader business and national titles for business leaders, adjusting your messaging (and tactics) to ensure the content engages and resonates with the right pain points for that audience.

Define your PR strategy

Cybersecurity dominates the media headlines; whether that’s a company experiencing a breach or another receiving a fine for misuse of sensitive data – there’s rarely a week that goes by without some form of cyber attack in the news. When appointing a PR agency you need to know that they have the right relationships with the media so that they can get you to the front of the queue when journalists are looking for experts to comment. Speed is key when reacting to breaking news, but some groundwork needs to be done so you can make the most of this PR opportunity when it comes about. This could be through building the profile of your spokesperson with the media so that journalists think of you when an opportunity to comment comes up or having the views of your subject matter experts documented to help with drafting comments.

As well as developing a process for reacting to breaking news stories, you also need to consider your proactive PR strategy. Ensuring the agency truly understands your business objectives will be critical in defining a compelling content strategy, storylines and PR programme that will resonate with your target audiences. It’s also important to identify which areas of the industry you want to target and have a voice in. Then you need to ensure that you are creating content with intent in these areas to establish yourself as an expert.

Be bold

Finally, there is a lot of noise in the cybersecurity industry. Most industry players are saying similar things and it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. It pays to be bold with your statements; just because 90% of cybersecurity professionals are saying the same thing doesn’t mean that you should follow. By developing an alternative perspective on an issue, challenging misconceptions or making predictive or bold soundbites, you can stand out in the media and increase your awareness. The important thing here is that your PR agency should be able to help you find your niche; balancing your messaging and objectives with what your audiences (and the media) need to hear.

If you’d like to hear more about our approach to cybersecurity PR or how we’ve helped similar clients, then please get in touch.

By Laura Bundy, Junior Account Executive

It’s no surprise, that after a dramatic rise in smartphone usage, we would one day need to learn the TLC behind our greatest connection.

This week Apple introduced us to ‘self-service repair’, a scheme that allows customers to fix their own devices by gaining access to the tools and guides to do so. This has been applauded for the opportunity it has given and for the right to repair that many feel is owed to them. With the amount current iPhone and MacBook’s go for, it’s no wonder that its owners believe once the product is theirs, they should be able to have full access to it- parts and all. But what does this mean in the long run?

Hanging up on old habits

With COP26 being such a hot topic throughout society, it raises the question as to how this scheme may help in driving forward progression in sustainability. Or how we as individuals can influence this change. We’ve all been there, the excitement of purchasing your phone quickly turning into panic over how you can protect it. We buy screen protectors, cases, we keep the box in the back of our cupboards for years just in case it’s needed. Yet, when it comes to looking after our once loved now broken products, we result in chucking them away and buying new as quickly as we replaced the one before. I believe that with this new scheme there will be a change in habit, now that we have the access to solve any issues that may arise. Consumers instead may work on fixing and quickly resolving the problem, causing less hassle for the customer than buying a new product itself. In turn, aiding in the recycling and reconditioning of technological devices.

Fixing the progress

Apple has made their stamp too, claiming that customers who return their broken part for recycling will receive credit toward their purchase. With a company as huge and influential as Apple this can only prove to be successful in setting an example for the rest to follow and to perhaps inspire others to do one better. Representing a way to source such a positive impact on the climate! Could this be the way forward for technological businesses? A move in the right direction, to create an element of sustainability and care in how we tackle protecting the environment. I for one believe that this will have a domino effect in businesses to come, raising the importance of sustainability and laying out how this could be achieved.

There has been a mark made in the technological world toward positive environmental impact, the question is, how long till others follow in its footsteps.

By Susan Richter, Marketing Communications Manager

Of course this blog is inspired by Facebook’s bold move to rebrand its holding company to Meta. Like most things Facebook does, the rebranding is not without its critics; from the reasons behind it (to divert attention from the allegations of whistleblower Frances Haugen) to the lack of translatability (meta means dead in Hebrew).

But Facebook isn’t the first brand to take the leap and it won’t be the last. The one example that sticks out in my mind is WWF (World Wrestling Federation) changing its name to WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) in 2002. This was as the result of the wrestling organisation losing a trademark lawsuit brought by the World Wildlife Fund, or the “real” WWF.

As far as reasons go, Northern Rock becoming Virgin Money also stands out. The Newcastle-based bank failed, was nationalised and eventually sold to Virgin Money and quickly rebranded.

There are a number of reasons for a rebrand; ones that don’t involve lawsuits or fixing bad reputations. M&A, brand evolution, moving into new markets, change in strategy… the list goes on.

Regardless of reason, it should be a good one; a rebrand is costly. Not just in terms of design and implementation, but also the impact it can have on your customers, investors, suppliers and other stakeholders.

Brand building is an ongoing process, and key in strengthening credibility and creating trust. Not all brands have the luxury of changing their name, garnering international media coverage and being big enough (with big enough budgets) that a name change won’t affect customer loyalty or market perception.

Although a rebrand doesn’t always equate to a complete name change. Starbucks Coffee dropped the “Coffee” and Kentucky Fried Chicken lost most of the consonants and all the vowels from its name to become KFC. Again, these are massive global brands. But what about smaller brands?

In 2018 The Whiteoaks Consultancy rebranded to Whiteoaks International. The reason? To move with the times, to reflect our evolution and to highlight our reach as an agency. Three years later we revamped our brand identity and tagline, for some of those same reasons. One step that was vital for us in both instances, was considering our audiences.

For other brands, the same is also true. How will this impact customers, staff and other stakeholders? This ties into the overriding reason for the change. Is it with the customer / end user in mind? Or is it a vanity exercise? How will the change affect reputation, market credibility? Are you staying true to your purpose as a business?

Then there’s the logistics involved in managing the change. The key to a successful rebrand is having a solid plan to roll it out – from communicating the change to internal and external audiences, to designing the assets and revealing them in all forms, including building signage, letterheads, website and social channels.

As humans, as much as we resist change, we’re all about reinvention. From a new hairstyle, to a new colour scheme in your bedroom. And who could forget the artist formerly known as Prince, proving it’s not just companies that can rebrand. In all seriousness, it’s easier for us; a trip to the hairdresser (or Boots) and a visit to Dunelm for soft furnishings and voila. For brands, it’s a little trickier because the stakes are so much higher and there are a lot more moving parts. So when it is time to think about a rebrand or a brand evolution? What is the secret to success? If the strategy behind it is well-considered and the change is well managed, the sky (fun fact: Sky One was recently rebranded to Sky Showcase) is the limit.

By Natalia Kaczmarek, Digital Content Creator

We’ve all heard the saying ‘cash is king’. And it certainly has been for a long time. While some people still largely rely on notes and prefer them for everyday spending, others have permanently shifted to credit cards. Whatever the preferences, we can’t ignore that the financial system is changing, with mobile payments on the rise and a boom in crypto and digital currencies.

In fact, the Bahamas is the first country to issue central bank digital currency (CBDC). Launched in October 2020, the sand dollar is a digital iteration of the Bahamian dollar and one of just two fully operational retail CBDCs worldwide. The second one is electronic yuan (e-CNY) backed by The People’s Bank of China. The blockchain-powered e-CNY is China’s response to the declining role of cash, aiming to eventually and completely replace it.

But will more countries follow China’s footsteps to kill cash?

Perhaps.

CBDCs are currently a hot topic, with many governments running initiatives and pilot schemes to explore the applications and impact. In July this year, the European Central Bank (ECB) announced it was approaching the next phase of its digital euro development project. However, it explicitly stated that the digital euro will complement, not replace, cash. The Bank of England has also set up a taskforce to coordinate the exploration of a potential UK CBDC. Sweden, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Ghana and Nigeria are all among 81 countries looking into digital currencies. Interestingly, while the race is hotting up, the world’s foremost economic power, the US, is quite behind. Could this be an omen?

Benefits of digital currencies

As an inclusive digital payment medium, CBDCs would be available to all citizens and businesses, offering an array of benefits in the future. Unlike unregulated cryptocurrencies and stablecoins, they’re issued centrally as digital tokens or deposit accounts, and have real values not set by the market’s supply or demand. That means they should be stable through the enforcement of monetary policies.

Digital currencies could allow financial service providers to improve efficiency and offer innovative, progressive services to us all. They could drive the Internet of Things payments forward. Your smart vehicle could pay for its own power or toll, or your smart home could sell excess electricity from solar panels to the next-door neighbour. And maybe finally we won’t need a coin for a supermarket trolley?

With CBDCs, local and cross-border payment transfers can occur almost instantly, with much lower fees. Faster, more convenient and cheaper transfers can promote economic growth and benefit poorer regions. People visiting foreign countries for business and pleasure could have easier access to local currency, encouraging them to spend more and boosting the economy. With digital smart wallets, we won’t have to check our pockets every time we leave the house. Just a small benefit for the forgetful.

Privacy considerations ahead

It seems like the future of CBDCs is promising. However, one of the greatest concerns with any digital currency and the transition to fully cashless banking systems is consumer privacy. Many businesses have betrayed our basic right to privacy in the past, so some might be more hesitant than others to permanently switch to this new means of payment. As central banks will be able to monitor every transaction performed through CBDCs, the culture of greater surveillance might be born. Banks could trace our whereabouts and create detailed personas of their citizens and spending habits, leading to unstable governance and highly dissatisfied nations. It could be argued that most of our moves are already being scrutinised, yet we’re still happy to geo-tag our latest Instagram posts…

Whilst electronic currencies are picking up and promise many benefits for the society of the future, it will take a few years for us to forget about good old cash. For now, I’ll personally keep hold of any coins from the back of the sofa. One day, they might be worth a lot of e-money.

Amber Chawner, Senior Account Executive

Last week’s announcement from Boris Johnson revealing the rise in national insurance tax to fuel health and social care has left promise for further investment in technology to help increase efficiency and allow for better resourcing. However, that isn’t to say that progress hasn’t already been made in this department, with exciting new developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and healthcare hitting the headlines every day.

As we wait in anticipation to see what is to come, below I take a look at some of the ways that AI is already being used to revolutionise the health and social care sector.

Using AI to detect dementia up to 15 years earlier
A disease that impacts more than 850,000 people in the UK every year, Cogentivity has partnered with InterSystems on a solution that uses AI to detect dementia up to 15 years earlier than conventional methods. Its Integrated Cognitive Assessment (ICA), teamed with InterSystems IRIS for Health data platform, tests how the brain reacts to certain types of images and detects the earliest signs of disease before the onset of memory symptoms. It has already been deployed at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and is currently the subject of a UK government-funded study in collaboration with the Sussex Partnership NHS Trust and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

AI remote monitoring software to allow people to remain in their homes
Health tech company, Lilli has recently partnered with Dorset Council in a three-month pilot to help identify cost and time-savings in the care sector. With 100 people involved in the trial, sensors are installed in their homes which then track behaviour and electricity usage. AI then comes into play to analyse the data collected and spot any potential health problems. With additional strain being placed on the NHS at the moment, this kind of solution helps to keep people out of hospitals, while also allowing them the freedom to remain in the comfort of their own homes for longer.

Scientists are developing an app that uses AI to diagnose conditions by listening to their cough
Imagine having an app that can determine what illness you have just by listening to a cough?! For a lot of people, a cough is just a cough, but this group of scientists are recording millions of coughs and then training AI to identify what is causing the person to have the symptom. After the events of the last year and a half, this kind of tool could become instrumental in helping diagnose conditions such as asthma, pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or even Covid substantially earlier – freeing up hospital space and increasing overall hospital efficiency.

AI-enabled software which allows surgeons to rehearse brain aneurysms procedures
Oxford Heartbeat has designed the PreSize technology – an AI solution that allows surgeons to rehearse brain aneurysms procedures. Currently being used by the NHS at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, the medical device software helps to plan neurovascular surgeries by predicting the behaviour of a particular stent in a patient’s anatomy. It then automatically creates an accurate 3D model of the patient’s vessel tree and indicates where a stent should start and finish in the vessel model, allowing the surgeon to select the best option from a library of all certified stents.

With these exciting new developments already well underway, keep your eyes peeled to see the other innovative ways in which AI can be used to revolutionise the healthcare sector.

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.

By Hannah Buckley, Head of Content

The importance of taking care of our mental health and wellbeing has been a regular topic of conversation over the last year and this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week helps to bring that to the fore once more.

The theme of this year’s event, which began on Monday, is nature, highlighting just how big an impact the world around us can have on our mental health. In fact, according to The Mental Health Foundation, more than half of UK adults say that being close to nature has improved their mental health, while four in ten say it has made them feel less worried or anxious.

Over 3.5 million people have taken up gardening for the first time during the pandemic, and for many of us, activities like this or getting out to our local park for some exercise has been a real lifeline over the last year.

Now, as restrictions begin to lift, making time to connect with nature in some capacity should be something we still try to make time for to reap both the physical and mental benefits it can offer.

If like me, you can’t leave home without your mobile phone, then why not put it to good use? No matter how much time you have available to you, whether it’s a quick walk on your lunch break or a cup of tea in the garden of a morning, there are a wealth of apps on offer to help you get in touch with nature and protect and support your mental health.

 

Test your tree knowledge

Apps like TreeID by the Woodland Trust, which can identify trees using bark, twigs, buds, leaves, flowers and fruits, and iNaturalist, which uses artificial intelligence to ID plants and wildlife, can help you reconnect with nature and learn more about your surroundings. Paying attention to the local scenery and wildlife on your next trip to the park could make you feel calmer and more present in the moment.

Don’t forget to look up!

No telescope? No worries. A range of apps are now available to help you make more sense of the night sky and identify stars and constellations in your corner of the world. The use of augmented reality within many apps means that even if you live somewhere with a lot of light population, the app can still locate where you are and pull up what the star map should look like above you.

Try mindful walking

Like me, you might have found yourself continuously running and walking the same routes for the last year and may now function on autopilot. Mindful walking gets you to tune into your environment and the sensations of your body. By being more aware on your walk, you’ll open yourself up to the sights and sounds of nature, which may help you feel more present and less stressed. If you’re new to mindful walking, apps like Calm or podcasts can help to guide you in this practice.

Bring the outside in

Even if you can’t get outside, there are still plenty of ways to connect with nature. Bring the outside in and add plants to your workspace. If you’re not particularly green-fingered, then download an app to track when you should water them and how to make sure they thrive. Alternatively, take five and look outside your window. If you’re lucky enough to hear birdsong, you could use an app to help you identify the species of bird it’s coming from and even learn bird calls yourself.

With mental health charities advocating for spending time in nature or bringing it into your everyday life, giving one of these apps a go will not only help you reconnect with nature and change up your usual walk, but could also help support your mental wellbeing.

What does sustainable growth look like for technology companies? We interviewed leaders from fast-growth technology businesses to find the answer, including Adatis, Auga Technologies, Divido, Ecrebo, Funding Options, Imagen, paiyroll, Predatar, SysGroup and Vista Retail Support.

We combined their expert opinion with our 25+ plus years in the B2B tech PR industry to create the Secrets of Tech Growth eBook that looks at:

  • Real-life success scenarios
  • The common characteristics of fast-growth tech companies
  • The role of Technology PR and marketing in their success
  • What business models they use
  • The advice they have for tech start-ups

This eBook captures the thought-provoking insights and experiences of CEOs and CMOs of a range of technology businesses, highlighting both similarities and differences in their approach.

Download The Secrets of Tech Growth

You may have heard recently that a man by the name of Jeff Bezos, who runs a modest $386bn e-commerce company called Amazon, has decided to step down from his role of CEO after 27 years, intending to transition into the role of Executive Chairman.

You also have probably seen that another billionaire by the name of Elon Musk whose company Tesla decided to pump $1.5bn into Bitcoin has hit the headlines as well. Now, this won’t seem that uncommon as over the past year Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have consistently been featured in the headlines. Mainly due to just how fruitful the past year has been for both of their personal fortunes, with Jeff Bezos’ rising over $72bn in 2020 to $170bn and Elon Musk’s surging by a massive $140bn to $167bn. Both of these down to the surging share price of Amazon and Tesla in 2020.

On the surface, it may just seem like these two billionaires have little in common apart from they’ve both at one point been the richest people in the world. But with Jeff Bezos stepping down from Amazon so that he can focus on other projects – there may be a lot more crossover. One of the projects that Bezos has said he wants to spend more time on is his Blue Origin project — his privately funded aerospace and rocket manufacturer. Which is in direct competition with Musk’s SpaceX project. One of the reasons behind Bezos wanting to spend more time and money on the project is that since founding it in 2000, Blue Origin hasn’t really achieved that much. It’s fallen far behind SpaceX and lost out on billions of dollars worth of U.S. national security launch contracts and one common trait in billionaires is that they don’t like to come second.

Despite Blue Origin stating that they’re not in a space race with anyone, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between them and SpaceX because they both seem to be going after the same thing. Amazon has a project called Project Kuiper, which plans on launching 3,200 broadcast satellites operating more than 370 miles in the atmosphere. This venture sounds very similar to Musk’s Starlink which has already begun trialling its satellite broadband internet in remote locations. And to add fuel to the fire Musk has openly accused Bezos on Twitter of attempting to “hamstring Starlink” with the US regulators. Another comparison is their quest to create ‘affordable’ space tourism. What was originally science fiction featured in futuristic movies is now becoming a reality. SpaceX is planning on offering anyone who has a spare $50m to spend a 10-day trip into space, after their successful test of the Falcon 9 rocket booster in 2020. Whereas Blue Origin is planning on a much more affordable but shorter trip into space on their New Shepard rocket, thought to cost around $250,000. Let’s not forget about another billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic has actually successfully flown five people into space already and has sold 600 tickets, including celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.

It doesn’t seem like Jeff Bezos is planning on living the average life after retirement but then again what billionaire does lead a normal life? With Bezos and Musk’s seemingly unlimited funds being ploughed into space exploration, it will be an interesting few years or decade to see which one of them can dominate another market. Maybe, Jeff Bezos will make space tourism as easy as he made online shopping and we’ll all be going on holiday to Mars – although I’d take any kind of holiday at the moment!